A Celebration of Exploration

Today is the 12th anniversary of Carl Sagan’s passing. You might be familiar with this man and his work, but if you aren’t and you’re wondering why it is that many of us celebrate his life and work, pull up a chair. Let me tell you a story about what this man’s work meant to me.

I first met Dr. Sagan when I was a lowly undergraduate and he came to our campus to give a talk. To me he was just another scientist coming in to lecture on a subject I had to study in astronomy class. But, to my great surprise, he turned out to be engaging and enthusiastic and I recall enjoying his talk very much.

Fast-forward a few years (well, almost a decade) and I was out of school and working at a newspaper. We tuned in to a new science TV show called Cosmos to see what it was all about. Lo and behold, here was Dr. Sagan again, this time at the helm of a ship of the mind and imagination.

From the first moments of that program, I was hooked again on astronomy and space science (having been turned on to it by stargazing with my dad and encouraged to read about science by both parents).

It’s not a coincidence that I decided to become a science writer after seeing that show, and in fact, I decided I wanted to be an astronomer. All because of the beauty and joy that Dr. Carl Sagan brought to his explanations of astronomy. That experience sent me on a journey of writing and study that continues to this day. I would not be the writer and producer I am today if it weren’t for Sagan’s work and influence, and even though I met him several times over the years I was studying astronomy, doing my research, getting my degrees, and then moving back out into the “real world” of astronomy and science communication, those early experiences were what propelled me along that path.

So, along with many other scientists and science communicators who were influenced by Dr. Sagan’s life and work, I raise a toast to the memory of a man who wasn’t afraid to let his enthusiasm and sense of fun shine through as he taught the world about science.

Here’s to ye, lad!