In 1994  (or maybe it was 1995) I was in junior high school.   I loved science and technology and science fiction and everything else which goes along with it.   My father had read in the local newspaper that Carl Sagan was going to be giving a public talk at the University at Albany in Albany New York.  At the time I lived in a suburb in Albany so my father offered to take me to the lecture.   I didn’t know who Carl Sagan was or how big he was.  All I knew him was the author of “Cosmos” which I had thumbed through.  I don’t recall whether I had seen the show at that time.

The lecture was held in a gymnasium at Albany.  I remember distinctly a few things.  Sagan came out dressed in a cap and gown, as he was receiving an honorary doctorate from the president of UAlbany.    The University president and others from the school seemed just glowing to have him there.   This was around the time that his book “Pale Blue Dot” was coming out.   I remember as he began to speak he took off his cap and looked around in a slightly haphazard way, looking for a place to put it and then, with a chuckle, setting it on an extra microphone stand next to the podium.

Sagan spoke with the sort of enthusiasm and passion for science and for  education of the public on the wonders of space which he was so well known for.   He talked about many things and read passages from his book.  Needless to say he was a great speaker.   It was not unlike an episode of Cosmos, where his words mixed a stream of consciousness with a brilliant observations and information.   What I remember most was that after he gave his talk, in which he spoke of the “pale blue dot” image and other space work, of the big bang and astrobiology, he has a question and answer session.

During the question and answer period, which was only a short  part of the event, Sagan’s true persona showed through even more so.   What struck me was that he did not give a short or simple answer to questions but put them in perspective in a way that would help illuminate the greater issues.   I can give an example:  One woman asked whether Mars may have been warmer in the past because it would have been closer to the sun and moved away due to the expansion of the universe.   Sagan could have easily answered that question by stating “Expansion applies to the distances between galaxies but the solar system is not necessarily effected directly.  The universe is not heliocentric.”   But he didn’t answer with a simple answer like that.  Dr. Sagan recognized that the woman who asked the question had something of an inaccurate picture of the universe and  I could see him pause and think how he could explain things that would make it clear where the error was.   He wanted to show her that while she had the right idea, that it was just being applied in an inaccurate manner.   He spent a few minutes describing how the universe as a whole expands but how the solar system is just part of the interdependent structure. This would be typical of all his answers.   His goal was not to just put the question to rest, but to use it as an opportunity to expand understanding.

He went way over the scheduled time and by the time he finished I had not gotten to ask anything and be called upon.  Afterward however, Dr. Sagan was about the stage.  This wasn’t really a planned session, but he shook hands and said a word or two to wellwishers.  I saw him in the hallway as I exited and said I really enjoyed his presentation.  He shook my hand and thanked me for coming and said he hoped I continued to be interested in such things.  To be honest, I don’t remember his exact words.  But there was one thing which was apparent:  He was genuinely happy to see me and to see that I was so excited by his lecture.    Here I was, just an early teenager with little understanding of space sciences beyond the very basics and Dr. Sagan seemed to make a point that he was happy to see someone like me become so excited.  Of course, it wasn’t just me he was happy to see there, but all the people who had come and left with enthusiasm and inspiration.   But, he made it a point to, even for a few seconds, address me directly.

That evening might be defined as the first major step in my formulation of my philosophies toward science education, enthusiasm for science by all persons and skepticism.  Sagan really spoke things which I had felt for a long time but could not put into words.   His enthusiasm for the wonders of science and his words about superstition and skepticism really made sense in a way that seemed almost enlightening.   I’d go on to read several of his books and also do my own investigation based on some of what I had heard from him that night.

One thing sticks out in my head that my father said on the way back.   He told me that those like Sagan were great thinkers who’s contributions are often not fully appreciated until years after their death.   How right he was.   It was not until 1996 that I saw Carl Sagan again.  This time it was on television where he was talking about the recent discovery of a mars meteorite which contained what appeared to be signs of life.   He was bald and sickly looking.  I was shocked and saddened, as I had not known he was ill and it was apparent that he probably did not have long. That year he died.  I remember hearing it as an aside on the news.   I felt sad for the loss then, but not as much as now.  My father’s words were right.   But I’m very thankful for having had the opportunity to have met him, if only in passing and all should be thankful for all he gave us.

While the man is gone, his works obviously remain.   I encourage any interested in science, skepticism, humanity, space and exploration to read his books and view his fantastic television series “Cosmos.” It remains inspirational to this day.

Ps.

I believe the lecture was in 1994, but I wrote the carlsagan.com and they said the only one that they knew of at Albany was in 1995, so I might be wrong on this.  In any case, it was in 1994 or 1995.  I have looked all over for pictures or transcripts or anything like that from the event.  If anyone knows where I might get such I’d greatly appreciate it.

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