Carl Sagan (1934 - 1996)
The following text is from the Planetary Society Tribute to
Carl Sagan
From: Tom Jarrett 12/23/96
As a boy, I came to know the thoughts of Carl Sagan, beginning with
"Broca's Brain," and extending to his other fine works, including and
climaxing with his masterpiece "COSMOS." I chose to pursue a field
in astrophysics, primarily inspired by those wondrous times.
While attending graduate school in Massachusetts in the late-80s, I
first met my hero. Carl gave a riveting exposition on the Chemistry of
Titan's Atmosphere at my department's weekly colloquia. It was the
first time many of my professional colleagues had seen Dr. Sagan give a
"serious" science talk. Some were surprised to find that Sagan, far
from being just a pop-science icon, really knew his stuff. Alas, this
underscored the irrational bias (read jealousy) many professional
scientists had for Sagan (which undoubtedly some will retain, even on
Sagan's passing). But it is my personal and professional opinion that
the accomplishments of Carl Sagan and the body of his work now
reside in the pantheon of the greatest scientists and humanists in
history. His work belongs to the ages. I will miss him dearly.
Farewell, Carl Sagan.
jarrett@ipac.caltech.edu
Other pics of Sagan that span his remarkable career:
Sagan wrote with depth and beauty. Click on the link below to view just a sprinkling of the remarkable thoughtfullness of the man.
