Cosmos

Sagan describes his childhood fascination with the stars and celebrates the fact that he had parents and teachers who encouraged his interest and that he lives in a time of exploration of the cosmos.

Sagan returns to the origins of human history. He imagines an early human making discoveries in the environment, including edible foods, how to keep warm, and fire. The imaginary ancient human also contemplates the sky and stars.

One idea of the stars from the San people of Southern Africa is that the Milky Way is “the backbone of the night” that keeps the fragments of darkness from falling on humanity (173). The sky’s elements were often thought to be gods, who could be angry and might need to be placated. For thousands of years, human existence was dominated by the conviction that the gods were pulling the strings of the universe. In ancient Greece, some of this superstition broke down due in part to shared language and writing, and in part because the society was largely artisan, made up of people working with their hands. These people or their direct offspring were curious about mechanical and physical forces; their discoveries replaced previous beliefs.