(#28) / Billions & Billions / by Carl Sagan / (Book)

Opening

Bibliographic Information:

Billions & Billions / by Carl Sagan

ISBN-13: 978-0345379184 / Ballantine Books /

p. 296/ $10.16 (Amazon)

1997

Body of Content

Summary: In Sagan’s work, the scientist looks at a host of social issues – from the perceptive of history and science – attempting to evaluate and comment on a myriad of divergent topics under the umbrella of one title.  The book breaks into three sections – 1) thoughts dealing with cosmology (“The Power and Beauty of Quantification”), 2) thoughts on political matters (“What Are Conservatives Conserving?”), and 3) opinions on human morality (“Where Hearts and Minds Collide”).  A few of the morality chapters are co-penned with writer Ann Druyan.  But otherwise, the physicist looks to explore the external universe of the created world and the inner universe of the human person – in a work that popularizes difficult matters in common language. The book contains a varied approach – taking lessons from different fields – though primarily from history and science – to make its case on the various topics.   

Critique: In one chapter, Sagan outlines how both science and religion can find common ground.  The chapter centers on the issue of environmentalism – and how both sides realize – particularly within Western traditions – certain assumptions and actions have resulted in harm to the natural habitat.  Scientists invent inventions without thinking of the long-term ramifications (1997, p. 164), while the Judeo-Christian tradition often overemphasize humans roles as subduers instead of stewards (1997, p. 165).

Often times, particularly in pop culture, the two fields – of science and religion – are treated as opposites.  While their methodologies differ (as science asks “how” and religion asks “why”), they both seek to understand the ultimate truth of the universe – just on different levels.  While Sagan believes this to some extent – saying that “many religions are now comfortable with an Earth that goes around the Sun, with an Earth that’s 4.5 billion years old, and with the other discoveries of modern science …” (p. 167) – I am not sure that he provides the same courtesy to science learning from religion. 

The Big Bang Theory does not prove a creating act by God – but it does say that the universe once had a definite beginning – a central theme in theist religions.  Although Sagan died before its publication, I wonder what discussion might have emerged – if he ever received the opportunity to read Modern Physics & Ancient Faith – where a leading physicist, Stephen Barr, writes of overlap between recent postmodern discoveries in physics and central tenets of Christianity.  Barr does not exposit religious proofs – but like Sagan – wonders at the possibility of shared presuppositions between the two fields.

Teaser: “Humanity stands at the dawn of a new century – and looking back over the past few millenniums – it’s been a wild ride.”

Information about the Author: Carl Sagan was a professor at Cornell University – dying in his early 60s in 1996.  Sagan is a world-renowned author and scientist – mostly in the fields of physics and areas related to cosmology.  He had a particular interest in planetary studies and the SETI project.  Many of Sagan’s works take difficult scientific theories and place them into metaphorical arrangements that the general public can understand.  Such a case of science “popularizing” resides in his TV series Cosmos.  He is also known in popular culture for his novel Contact – which filmmakers adapted into a movie that starred Jody Foster in 1997.   He even won a Pulitzer Prize for his work entitled The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence (Sagan, 1997).   

Supplemental Material

Genre: Adult Crossover / Nonfiction

Curriculum Ties: Philosophy – morality, human existence / Science – cosmology  

Booktalking Ideas: 1) What would an astrophysicist’s take on abortion look like? 2) The 20^th century marked a milestone in humanity progression – but in what areas does it suggest more of a digression than advancement?  

Reading Level: More a book for early college – juniors and seniors in high school would still have interest in the book.  This book applies the “two years over” rule to collection building – as it is intended for 19 to 20-year-old students, but those 17 and 18-year-old students who are more advanced than their peers may still read it.

Challenge Issues and Defense: The book does talk about various controversial issues like abortion, the environment, geopolitics – but it comes at it from academic vantage points.  The book is opinion-based – but it comes at the issues from a scholarly position and invites criticism.   

Personal Reasons for Inclusion: I wanted to add a few books that were university-level additions that would still fall into the hands of teenagers as cross-over titles. 

Last Thoughts

References:

Barr, S. (2006). Modern Physics and Ancient Faith. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press.

Sagan, C. (1997). “About the Author” [Book biography]. In Billions & Billions.

New York, NY: Ballantine Books. 

Listening to (Music):

Artist – Misty Edwards / Album – “Relentless”