Topic 1 – The Pale Blue Dot

The discussion topic for next week will be a famous excerpt(a short part of a book) from Sagan’s book, ‘The Pale Blue Dot’ linked below. Visit the link, read the excerpt, look at the photo provided, use them, and the internet, to answer the questions below and we will have a short class discussion next week on this topic.

The goal of this exercise is to promote interest in science, to celebrate science and the people who make it possible, and also build up your skills in searching for information on the internet.

MAIN LINKS:

• https://www.planetary.org/worlds/pale-blue-dot
• Pale Blue Dot narrated by Sagan

QUESTIONS:

• Who is Carl Sagan?
• What is Voyager 1?
• Look at the photo of the pale blue dot. What do you think when you see it?
• What is Sagan’s message in this excerpt?
• Sagan had a very close relationship with the SETI institute. What is the SETI institute?
• Make a list of any interesting or hard words that you would like to talk about or share with the class.

EXTENSION:

• Carl Sagan, a tribute by Neil DeGrasse Tyson

• Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space – Sagan (1994) – is a 1994 book by the astronomer Carl Sagan. It is the sequel to Sagan’s 1980 book Cosmos and was inspired by the famous 1990 Pale Blue Dot photograph. Download below

• The SETI Institute
• Contact (1997) Trailer – is a 1997 American science fiction drama film based on the 1985 novel by Carl Sagan. It stars Jodie Foster as Dr. Eleanor “Ellie” Arroway, a SETI scientist who finds evidence of extraterrestrial life and is chosen to make first contact.

• Contact (1997) vietsub