Carl Sagan - A Cosmic Celebrity

Today on Far Future Horizons we commemorate the eighty-third birthday of Carl Sagan and are proud to present a biographical documentary concerning his life.

Carl Sagan was the rarest of all creatures - the celebrity scientist. While some accused him of being a grandstander, none can deny that his approach to science helped introduce millions of people to the great wonders of the universe that fascinated him all his life.

He played many different roles - professor, working scientist, bestselling author and TV personality. In his classic television series Cosmos, he brought science to the masses in an accessible, entertaining format. 

One of Carl Sagan's Most Pertinent Messages for Humanity

"Those worlds in space are as countless as all the grains of sand on all the beaches of the Earth. Each of those worlds is as real as ours. In every one of them, there's a succession of incidence, events, occurrences which influence its future. Countless worlds, numberless moments, an immensity of space and time. And our small planet, at this moment, here we face a critical branch-point in history. What we do with our world, right now, will propagate down through the centuries and powerfully affect the destiny of our descendants. It is well within our power to destroy our civilization, and perhaps our species as well. If we capitulate to superstition, or greed, or stupidity we can plunge our world into a darkness deeper than time between the collapse of classical civilization and the  Italian Renaissance. But, we are also capable of using our compassion and our intelligence, our technology and our wealth, to make an abundant and meaningful life for every inhabitant of this planet. To enhance enormously our understanding of the Universe, and to carry us to the stars." Carl Sagan explains the immensity of space and time. This clip is from Carl Sagan's Cosmos episode 8, "Journeys in Space and Time."

Carl Edward Sagan (November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996)

Carl Sagan’s Last Interview

Today on Far Future Horizons we present Carl Sagan's final interview with Charlie Rose shortly before his untimely death on December 20^th, 1996.

Unafraid of the Dark

Today on Far Future Horizons we present "Unafraid of the Dark” the thirteenth and last episode of the Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson.

The installment explores the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter, as well as the contributions and theories of Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky.

Patrick Moore interviews Carl Sagan on the Search for Extraterrestrial Life and Civilizations

Today on Far Future Horizons we presents a clip from “The Sky at Night featuring Carl Sagan and Patrick Moore.

The clip comes from the episode “Life in the Universe” that aired on Wednesday 15^th May 1974 on BBC 1.

Patrick Moore interviews Dr Carl Sagan, astronomer and exobiologist, on the possibility of life on other planets.

When Knowledge Conquered Fear

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the third episode of the acclaimed documentary series “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey ~ When Knowledge Conquered Fear” hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Edmond Halley (left), Christopher Wren (center), Robert Hooke (right) having coffee while discussing the Cosmos

This installment of  “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey”  pays homage to the theories that evolved due to contributions from Isaac Newton, Nicolaus Copernicus, Edmond Halley, and Robert Hooke.

Some of the Things That Molecules Do

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the second episode of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey ~ “Some of the Things That Molecules Do” hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey ~ "Standing Up in the Milky Way"

Today on Far Future Horizons we begin a thrilling, new adventure across space and time with the first episode of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey ~ “Standing Up in the Milky Way” hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Carl Sagan's Cosmos – Who Speaks for Earth?

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the thirteenth and final episode of Carl Sagan’s highly acclaimed PBS documentary series – Cosmos: Who Speaks for Earth?

In this final instalment of Cosmos, Carl Sagan leaves us with a sobering message: Human Civilization has to make a choice between life and death.

Carl Sagan's Cosmos - Encyclopedia Galactica

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the twelfth episode of Carl Sagan’s highly acclaimed PBS documentary series – Cosmos: Encyclopedia Galactica.

Are there alien intelligences elsewhere in the Cosmos? How could we communicate with them? Are UFOs really extraterrestrial starships visiting our world? The answers to these questions take us to Egypt and an account of how Jean-François Champollion decoded the ancient hieroglyphics and to the largest radio telescope on Earth and to search for other civilizations in space.

Carl Sagan's Cosmos – The Persistence of Memory

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the eleventh episode of Carl Sagan’s highly acclaimed PBS documentary series – Cosmos: The Persistence of Memory.

In this instalment of Cosmos, the Brain is the focus of today’s fascinating portion of our journey with Dr. Sagan as he examines another of the intelligent creatures with whom we share the planet Earth — Whales.

Carl Sagan's Cosmos - The Edge of Forever

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the tenth episode of Carl Sagan’s highly acclaimed PBS documentary series – Cosmos: The Edge of Forever.

Carl Sagan’s Cosmos – The Lives of the Stars

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the ninth episode of Carl Sagan’s highly acclaimed PBS documentary series – Cosmos: The Lives of the Stars.

Carl Sagan's Cosmos – Journeys in Space and Time

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the eighth episode of Carl Sagan’s highly acclaimed PBS documentary series – Cosmos: Journeys in Space and Time.

Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot -Episode 1: "Wanderers"

To the memory of Carl Sagan, who fueled my love of science, and to Explorers of every age and epoch I dedicate Lang Kasranov's fantastic documentary "Pale Blue Dot".

Carl Sagan’s Cosmos ~ The Backbone of Night

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the seventh episode of Carl Sagan’s highly acclaimed PBS documentary series – Cosmos: The Backbone of Night.

Cosmos: A Personal Voyage through Time and Space

Cosmos, the very word evokes the entirety of all existence and a sense of wonder. “The cosmos is all there is, all there ever was, and all there ever will be”. These opening lines of Carl Sagan’s book and landmark television series introduced us to the concept of science as a spiritual enterprise - the quest to understand who we are and where we stand in the vast scheme of the universe.

Carl Sagan's Cosmos Travellers Tales

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the sixth episode of Carl Sagan’s highly acclaimed PBS documentary series Cosmos: Travellers Tales.

Carl Sagan’s Cosmos ~ Blues for a Red Planet

Carl Sagan with a mock up of the Viking Mars Lander

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the fifth episode of Carl Sagan’s highly acclaimed PBS documentary series – Cosmos: Blues for a Red Planet.

Percival Lowell

Is there life on Mars? Dr. Sagan takes viewers on a tour of the red planet first through the eyes of science fiction authors, and then through the unblinking eyes of two Viking spacecrafts that sent thousands of pictures of the stunning Martian landscape back to Earth in 1976. 

Though based on older Mars missions, Sagan’s analysis still holds true.

Carl Sagan's Cosmos - "Heaven and Hell"

Today on Far Future Horizons we present the fourth episode of Carl Sagan's landmark television series Cosmos: "Heaven and Hell". In fact, of all the thirteen episodes this has to rank as one of my most favourite . 

It was from this episode that I first learned about the eyewitness account of a lunar impact seen by Canterbury monks on June 18, 1178 which some researchers believe resulted in the formation of crater Giordano Bruno. This event was recorded in the chronicle of Gervase. Another topic covered in this episode was the Tunguska explosion of June 30, 1908. Some researches such as Bill Napier and Victor Clube have linked these two events together as being a by-product of the Beta Taurid meteor shower; both events coincided with a peak in that shower.