logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2021
2h 13m

Carl Sagan: My God, it's full of stars

CHRISTOPHER KAVANAGH AND MATTHEW BROWNE
About this episode

In the second instalment of the personal gurus season we take a look at Matt's childhood science guru: the famed astronomer and science communicator Carl Sagan.

Sagan's regarded as an intellectual hero amongst skeptics and supporters of science but is the admiration warranted or is this a halo effect enhanced by youthful innocence and the distorting mists of time? Was Matt's first science crush justified? Is Carl as 'right on' as popular sentiment suggests? Join us as we struggle to peer into the vast abyss, stare deep into the heart of the guru constellation, and uncover the truth. It's time to take a long hard look at a small sliver of our demon haunted, pale blue dot.

Along the way we address the burning issues including: whether Carl Sagan is actually a woke cuck, how Chris feels about chimpanzees in lipstick, if humility might actually be a good thing, and whether the universe was actually created for rocks.

So join us as we return to a simpler time, when scientists wore turtleneck sweaters, ill advised tweets were not yet possible, and gurus were REAL gurus.

Also featured in this week's episode: Weinstein Watch, Viewer Feedback, the Next Guru Announcement, and an illustration of how to provide an even tempered & measured response to critical feedback.

Links


Up next
Sep 25
A Sense-Making Odyssey, Part 2: Jordan Peterson, John Vervaeke & Jordan Hall
Matt and Chris once again take up their oars and plunge deeper into the recursive whirlpools of contemporary sensemaking. Picking up where Part 1 left off, having grappled with conscience, touchstones, hierarchies, and normativity, we return to the sensemaking labyrinth to see ju ... Show More
2h 36m
Sep 20
Supplementary Material 37: Public Murder Discourse, Heterodox Psychodramas, and Generous Tit for Tat-ers
Why are we never invited to these dinners? We wonder if it was something we said or if our invitation just got lost in the mail, as we endure the inevitable discourse wave that followed in the wake of Charlie Kirk's murder.The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (2 h ... Show More
41m 48s
Sep 11
A Sense-Making Odyssey, Part 1: Jordan Peterson, John Vervaeke & Jordan Hall
Join Matt and Chris as they enter an intellectual labyrinth of recursive sensemaking featuring the combined insights of Jordan Peterson, John Vervaeke, and Jordan Hall. You will learn about many, many deep and complex concepts and puzzle over definitions of conscience, the vertic ... Show More
2h 15m
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2020
327: Neil deGrasse Tyson | Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) is the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium, host of StarTalk Radio, and author of New York Times bestseller Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. What We Discuss with Neil deGrasse Tyson: How a seasoned scientist maintains childlike ... Show More
1h 3m
Mar 2024
90 años de Carl Sagan
Hacemos un homenaje a uno de los grandes personajes que contribuyó a que el conocimiento científico llegase a un público cada vez más amplio. Celebramos los 90 años del nacimiento de Carl Sagan a través de un relato que conmemora su vida, su trabajo y aquella “conciencia cósmica” ... Show More
44m 38s
May 2024
Philosophy Beyond the Sky - Neil deGrasse Tyson and Carl Sagan's Best Wisdom
Carl Sagan and Neil DeGrasse Tyson have spent their lives studying what lies beyond our sky. Their wisdom prevails to this day. Speakers Carl SaganNeil DeGrasse Tyson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 
20m 9s
May 2021
Combatting Anti-Science with Richard Dawkins
How do we stop anti-science? In this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins to talk about religion, the importance of science communication, and Dawkins’ new book, Books Do Furnish a Life. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to ... Show More
53m 48s
Jun 2023
Cosmic Queries – Science of Survival
Can science help you survive in the Arctic? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly learn about what happens to the body during starvation and harsh conditions with survival doctor and contestant on S9 of Alone, Dr. Teimojin Tan. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can ... Show More
57m 21s
May 2023
Cosmic Queries – Volcanoes & Life in the Universe
Have we disproven the idea of a “goldilocks zone”? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Paul Mecurio learn about space geology, magnetic fields, volcanoes, and the origins of life with cosmochemist Natalie Starkey, PhD.NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commerc ... Show More
51m 26s
Sep 2023
Cosmic Queries – Quantum & Aliens with Charles Liu
Are we thinking about the fundamentals of the universe wrong? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly answer grab bag questions about aliens, gravitons, and the big unknowns with astrophysicist Charles Liu.NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire ep ... Show More
45m 45s
Oct 2019
86. Neil deGrasse Tyson — Letters from an Astrophysicist
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has attracted one of the world’s largest online followings with his fascinating, widely accessible insights into science and our universe. Now, Tyson invites us to go behind the scenes of his public fame by revealing his correspondence with peop ... Show More
1h 8m
Aug 2021
Cosmic Queries – Grab Bag – Cosmology Crisis??? With Paul Mecurio
How do we know the age of stars? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Paul Mecurio answer fan questions about stars, black hole collisions, the speed of light, and the present crisis in cosmology. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episod ... Show More
54m 16s