Book Report: The Demon-Haunted World (Science As a Candle in the Dark) by Carl Sagan

    Carl Sagan starts off the book by introducing his fascination to science as a child and how the World Fair and the ideas of using science to create a "Jetsons" world was something that was exhilarating. He also mentions an experience he had with a driver who asked him questions that were obviously pseudoscience and when he mentions Atlantis or the Bermuda triangle, he ponders at why people would rather be more excited about magic crystals and missing aircraft instead of using science and being more fascinated about physics and why gravity is more fascinating. His book literally debunks and makes readers question why something so massively popular in belief, like miracles or aliens, is a better explanation to things than science itself. He provides a lot of examples and a variety of beliefs that people usually hold and also provides facts and history of scientific breakthroughs. Sagan touches so many myths and topics but it was a read that is worth considering and I believe will always be relevant for years to come. Unless, everyone begins to rely on science more instead and approaches things with a more scientific approach.

    Although I do believe science is something that can solve a lot of unanswered questions, there is a small part of my mind that thinks there are things that cannot be explained through science. Things that are philosophical are definitely a topic that cannot be measured through scientific graphs and calculations but I believe that most people should allow to be open to science as apart of their lives. There are people who are completely consumed by a certain belief or religion and do not even consider science as an explanation. I enjoyed reading this book because it challenges the myths and legends that I also used to believe when I was younger. You do not have to be a scientist or an engineer to really think this way towards the ideas of ghosts and demons. As long as you think realistically then you can really rid most of the things that we mostly fear. This book  really screams "knowledge is power" and I like how it encourages people to really question theories and to actually test and assess as well as challenge things, apart from being a sheep and following what majority of the population may think. The number one thing that really stood out to me is when Sagan says that believing in things like the Earth being flat or that witches are the scapegoats for things just makes humanity move backwards. If we approach things more with a scientific perspective then we can move forward and maybe even achieve amazing things.