The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1996

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Preface-Chapter 2

Chapters 3-5

Chapters 6-8

Chapters 9-11

Chapters 12-14

Chapters 15-17

Chapters 18-20

Chapters 21-23

Chapters 24-25

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Chapters 21-23Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 21 Summary

Co-written with Sagan's wife, documentarian Ann Druyan, this chapter opens with a story from the life of Frederick Douglass. As a young enslaved man in Maryland in the 1820s, Douglass discreetly taught himself to read using the books of his enslaver Captain Hugh Auld, after realizing the connection “between the letters on the page and the movement of the reader’s lips” (356). Once Douglass knew how to read, he taught others, recognizing the oppressive intention behind the antebellum rule of forbidding enslaved people to be literate. Once he escaped to New England, Douglass became a prolific writer and speaker, and achieved a remarkable position in American history through politics and advocacy—all because he recognized the value of literacy.

In evaluating the general literacy rate in the United States, Sagan despairs. Almost 40 million Americans, in 1994, are functionally illiterate. Generally, those with lower literacy rates report lower incomes and are more likely to wind up in prison, though Sagan is quick to caution against finding too much correlation between these latter facts. He suggests several reasons that might hinder people from reading, including lack of access to books when they are younger, malnourishment, or general poverty. Programs that teach reading skills are underfunded as well, though their general efficacy has been proven by several contemporary tests that suggest that children who are read to and are introduced to scholarship perform better than those without this foundation. Sagan laments the decline of literacy and independent learning, for this sets the stage for people to adopt the mindset of “tyrants and autocrats” (362), who subjugate what they cannot control or understand. For all people, Sagan concludes, reading is the way to freedom.

Chapter 22 Summary

Sagan laments that so much of modern life is driven by commercial needs, but intends to make a case for more, and more effective, science educational television. He suggests move inventive methods of presenting science, such as using NBA games to teach mathematics and physics. His father was an avid fan of baseball statistics, and though the material was dry and obscure, Sagan was struck how motivated his father was to understand the numbers behind the game. He believes this motivation can be found and harvested in every American. At the same time, Sagan admits that skeptical thinking can also diminish the awe of sports as time, such as studies that show that athlete streaks, or periods of astonishing achievement, are simply a matter of statistics, and not due to supernatural forces—a type of superstition he continually advocates against.

Criticism of science and scientists is common on television, leading to tropes like the figure of the mad scientist, but few programs depict the “joys of science” (373) such as the delight of discovery and the satisfaction of knowing the truth. Sagan recognizes that these topics aren’t as appealing, but regrets that so much of science and skepticism is distorted on shows like In Search Of…, a tabloid show exploring claims of pseudoscience with little pushback on extreme beliefs, or The X-Files, a fictional series about FBI agents investigating government conspiracies about the paranormal. Sagan concludes his analysis with a list of suggestions for better refining science television, such as television shows that depict the oftentimes floundering process toward discovery, or televised debates where thinkers from various backgrounds compare their ideas in a public forum.

Chapter 23 Summary

Sagan describes the limiting aspects of stereotypes. For example, the belief that women were unsuited to scientific thinking vastly constrained the field of scientists. Sagan argues for the rejection of such beliefs to improve all scientific disciplines. The stereotype of the science nerd is also harmful, possibly discouraging people from following their natural inclinations towards science.

Scientific progress is made by those pursing inclinations, not those driven by external benefits. For example, 19th century Scottish mathematician James Clerk Maxwell, driven by curiosity about how electricity creates magnetism and vice versa, formulated four equations that suggested the presence of electromagnetic waves, tying electricity, magnetism, and light together. His work has led to deep-space investigation and the inventions of television, radio, and, after the publication of this book, contemporary wireless communication in all its forms. Maxwell's revolutionary equations were not constructed to serve a specific end, but to satisfy the curiosity of a wondering mind—a principle Sagan believes is fundamental to healthy progress in science.

This principle is lost, Sagan says, in the decision to cancel SETI (the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence), a program Sagan was heavily invested in. He laments the redistribution of research funds to projects with clearer short-term practical applications. This reallocation discourages free experimentation, a practice crucial to scientific advancement. Sagan advocates for a change in perspective on scientific experimentation, which should not be expected to only focus on results-driven research, but instead given over to the natural inclinations and curiosities. History has shown that the greatest discoveries are made via free experimentation.

Chapters 21-23 Analysis

Sagan firms up his argument through continued practical suggestions and examples. First, he dispels the idea that learning and literacy are due to specialized conditions, giving the example of Frederick Douglass, who taught himself to read under the most adverse of circumstances. This portrait of a great American introduces Sagan's secondary theme: that the proliferation of critical thinking is a necessary salve and safety valve for American democratic institutions. There is inherent democracy in open access to information, and in equipping all humans with the ability read, which naturally increases the store of knowledge, thus strengthening communities and the nation.

Chapter 22 builds on Sagan's fame as a televised science communicator. Sagan clearly has formulated his concepts over a long period of time. He tailors his examples, such as using basketball to teach mathematics, to be broadly appealing, hoping to get across the point that people have the capacity to understand and relate to the wonders of science to as many readers as possible. Much of his advice is structural, encouraging individualized teaching methods and lessons buttressed by television, which Sagan has long viewed as a vital method for spreading his love of science.

Widespread literacy is the first step toward addressing the dearth of education in America. Making learning fun and more intuitive, as well as fostering natural ability and curiosity using interactive teaching methods is next. Once these conditions have been met, society will naturally foster scientists who will work through free experimentation. Sagan’s belief in the benefits of free experimentation is illustrated by his marveling at Maxwell’s equations, to which he devotes a significant portion of a chapter. Sagan's enthusiasm is engaging, and allows readers to see his human side, as well as the reaction he wishes to bring out in others—awed reverence for the elegant simplicity of science and its unmatched ability to explicate the mysteries of the natural world.