Later, during my intoxicated teens, it was Sagan's "Billions and Billions" that really brought me into the realm of science. Written as a collection of essays on global warming, religion and morality, abortion, anthropology and on and on, "Billions and Billions," in its unpretentious prose, illustrated the sheer breadth of science as a practice and savior: I was hooked.
The final stage in my conversion came in college with "The Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark." A book that should be required reading for all high school students, after consuming this instruction manual on the scientific method as a means of critical thinking, there was no going back. I could no longer accept a claim on face value regardless of volume of belief. I could no longer NOT question authority whether in politics, religion and even science. I finally understood that faith as a virtue meant a life without integrity.
The following is Mr. Sagan at his finest, perhaps because of his relaxing tone or maybe because of the density of consciousness-raising in nine minutes, either way, Carl Sagan has taught me that there is more beauty and wonder in the universe than any religion and spirituality can offer, there is comfort in scientific achievement and there is always hope - without simply conjuring fictions - in what we don't yet know.
via Pharyngula
