I'd never seen either of these before. After watching Contact and these two clips, my respect for the man has only increased. He's in the same category as Einstein: a great scientist and humanist. He also has an uncommon gift for making the complex and elusive seem commonplace.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMsdEkGQL0U
A harrowing tale of one of the earliest examples of science being censored. It was previously a tool used to reinforce the powers of the ruling class, and then became a suppressed symbol of the forsaken aristocracy.
The crimes described herein have hurt us all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p86BPM1GV8M
This is footage set to Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot. We really are an insignificant little speck in an enormous galaxy, which is a blip in the history of the universe itself. It's conceit to imagine otherwise.
Sweet Carl Sgan vids
