“All that we have seen is something of a vast and intricate and lovely universe. There is no particular theological conclusion that comes out of an exercise such as the one we have just gone through. What is more, when we understand something of the astronomical dynamics, the evolution of worlds, we recognize that worlds are born and worlds die, they have lifetimes just as humans do, and therefore that there is a great deal of suffering and death in the cosmos if there is a great deal of life.”

American astronomer, planetary scientist and science communicator

Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, planetary scientist and science communicator. He worked at Harvard as an assistant professor before moving to Cornell University, where he became the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences and directed the Laboratory for Planetary Studies. Sagan took an active role in the Mariner, Viking and Voyager programs. He also wrote more than 600 scientific papers and articles, along with several popular science books, beginning with The Cosmic Connection. His The Dragons of Eden won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.