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I thought this article was going to be about Sagan's notorious ego[1] and lack of expertise and mathematical chops as an astronomer (Sagan was noted to have of

• lnwlebjel 4y ago
  I'm a huge fan of his work, and was greatly influenced by Cosmos, watching it as a child. I don't really care if he had a big ego or wasn't the best at math. What he did better than anyone else was to convey the sense of wonder. He maintained curiosity and skepticism in equal measure. That is hard to do, but understanding and communicating the sense of wonder to the masses is even harder - and I'm very grateful that he did. "If their culture has not given them all the tools they need to pursue this great quest, let us temper our criticism with kindness. None of us comes fully equipped." - Carl Sagan. The Demon-Haunted World.
• prvc 4y ago
  >Sagan was noted to have often asked for help from colleagues to do simple calculus Interested in reading more about this.
• ramraj07 4y ago
  Do you have actual proof or citations to suggest he wasn’t good at math? Also that’s not necessarily a bad thing. A good scientist can and should understand their limitations and collaborate accordingly. The fact of the matter remains that he was more academically active than the current crop of science evangelists (cough NDT) and was more relatable at least in his TV persona. Unless he was straight up evil in his life his ego doesn’t matter and is more likely not surprising. Still interested in the citations though.