448 pages
English language
Published April 4, 1997 by Headline.
A prescient warning of a future we now inhabit, where fake news stories and Internet conspiracy theories play to a disaffected American populace
“A glorious book . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought.”—Los Angeles Times
How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don’t understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions.
Casting a wide net through history and culture, Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies of the past as witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs. And yet, disturbingly, in today's so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning with …
A prescient warning of a future we now inhabit, where fake news stories and Internet conspiracy theories play to a disaffected American populace
“A glorious book . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought.”—Los Angeles Times
How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don’t understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions.
Casting a wide net through history and culture, Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies of the past as witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs. And yet, disturbingly, in today's so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning with stories of alien abduction, channeling past lives, and communal hallucinations commanding growing attention and respect. As Sagan demonstrates with lucid eloquence, the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong turn but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms.
I can hear Sagan's voice when I read this
This book is an education in scientific and skeptical thinking. It clears away many misconceptions one might have and even challenges ideas when you thought you agreed.
Antes que nada: los dos últimos capítulos son tan importantes e interesantes que es necesario difundirlos, sí o sí.
La verdad no creo que este libro sea capaz de darle a un fanático las herramientas que tanto pregona para tener un pensamiento crítico y escéptico. Los temas tratados acá son pólvora que seguro levantan ampollas, y al comienzo es algo denso para leer. Como ya escribí, los dos últimos capítulos no solo son un resumen de toda la idea sino que condensan el espíritu de Sagan: son sensibles, van al detalle, admiran la condición humana y están escritos de una manera que son capaces de llegarle a cualquiera.
Leyendo esto recordé el How Not To Be Wrong de Jordan Ellenberg, pero obviamente Sagan tiene mucha más destreza para hablar de ciencia. Ojalá hubiera escrito un poco más sobre eso.
Qué falta hace.
