Rajiv Narayan Dug Up a Clip from a 1996 Charlie Rose-Carl Sagan Interview — that Warns about the Divorce between Science and an Ignoramus Public — One Cannot Present the Concern about Uncontrolled Government, Ruling an Ignorant Society, More Succinctly and Persuasively than Professor Sagan Did

© 2013 Peter Free

 

15 December 2013

 

 

Citation

 

Rajiv Narayan, A Science Icon Died 17 Years Ago. In His Last Interview, He Made A Warning That Gives Me Goosebumps, Upworthy.com (13 December 2013) (with embedded Charlie Rose video clip 2:35 minutes long)

 

 

An elegantly presented reminder about the price of scientific ignorance

 

Now deceased astrophysicist Carl Sagan’s argument against the split between science and public, in a democratic society, was essentially threefold.

 

As summarized by me:

 

(i) Science and technology drive the ambiance of the times we live in.

 

(ii) When the voting public is scientifically ignorant, government does what it will with technological potential, regardless of social impact or merit.

 

(iii) Being philosophically unfamiliar with the skeptical model that drives scientific inquiry, the public has not the means to question or oppose government’s direction or society’s evolution.

 

The result is anti-democratic.

 

 

The moral? — You will not find a shorter, better organized, or more articulate critique of the split between science and ignorant public than Dr. Sagan’s

 

I recommend this clip, without reservation, to anyone thoughtful.