pale blue dot -carl sagan- 第74节

〃In　modern　Western　society；〃　writes　the　scholar　Charles　Lindholm；

the　erosion　of　tradition　and　the　collapse　of　accepted　religious　belief　leaves　us　without　a　telos　＇an　end　to　which　we　strive＇；　a　sanctified　notion　of　humanity's　potential。　Bereft　of　a　sacred　project；　we　have　only　a　demystified　image　of　a　frail　and　fallible　humanity　no　longer　capable　of　being　god…like。

I　believe　it　is　healthy—indeed；　essential—to　keep　our　frailty　and　fallibility　firmly　in　mind。　I　worry　about　people　who　aspire　to　be　〃god…like。〃　But　as　for　a　long…term　goal　and　a　sacred　project；　there　is　one　before　us。　On　it　the　very　survival　of　our　species　depends。　If　we　have　been　locked　and　bolted　into　a　prison　of　the　self；　here　is　an　escape　hatch—something　worthy；　something　vastly　larger　than　ourselves；　a　crucial　act　on　behalf　of　humanity。　Peopling　other　worlds　unifies　nations　and　ethnic　groups；　binds　the　generations；　and　requires　us　to　be　both　smart　and　wise。　It　liberates　our　nature　and；　in　part；　returns　us　to　our　beginnings。　Even　now；　this　new　telos　is　within　our　grasp。

The　pioneering　psychologist　William　James　called　religion　a　〃feeling　of　being　at　home　in　the　Universe。〃　Our　tendency　has　been；　as　I　described　in　the　early　chapters　of　this　book；　to　pretend　that　the　Universe　is　how　we　wish　our　home　would　be；　rather　than　to　revise　our　notion　of　what's　homey　so　it　embraces　the　Universe。　If；　in　considering　James'　definition；　we　mean　the　real　Universe；　then　we　have　no　true　religion　yet。　That　is　for　another　time；　when　the　sting　of　the　Great　Demotions　is　well　behind　us；　when　we　are　acclimatized　to　other　worlds　and　they　to　us；　when　we　are　spreading　outward　to　the　stars。

The　Cosmos　extends；　for　all　practical　purposes；　forever。　After　a　brief　sedentary　hiatus；　we　are　resuming　our　ancient　nomadic　way　of　life。　Our　remote　descendants；　safely　arrayed　on　many　worlds　through　the　Solar　System　and　beyond；　will　be　unified　by　their　mon　heritage；　by　their　regard　for　their　home　planet；　and　by　the　knowledge　that；　whatever　other　life　may　be；　the　only　humans　in　all　the　Universe　e　from　Earth。

They　will　gaze　up　and　strain　to　find　the　blue　dot　in　their　skies。　They　will　love　it　no　less　for　its　obscurity　and　fragility。　They　will　marvel　at　how　vulnerable　the　repository　of　all　our　potential　once　was；　how　perilous　our　infancy；　how　humble　our　beginnings；　how　many　rivers　we　had　to　cross　before　we　found　our　way。




ABOUT　THE　AUTHOR

　
CARL　SAGAN　was　the　David　Duncan　Professor　of　Astronomy　and　Space　Sciences　and　Director　of　the　Laboratory　for　Planetary　Studies　at　Cornell　University。　He　played　a　leading　role　in　the　American　space　program　since　its　inception。　He　was　a　consultant　and　advisor　to　NASA　since　the　1950s；　briefed　the　Apollo　astronauts　before　their　flights　to　the　Moon；　and　was　an　experimenter　on　the　Mariner；　Viking；　Voyager；　and　Galileo　expeditions　to　the　planets。　He　helped　solve　the　mysteries　of　the　high　temperature　of　Venus　（answer：　massive　greenhouse　effect）；　the　seasonal　changes　on　Mars　（answer：　windblown　dust）；　and　the　reddish　haze　of　Titan　（answer：　plex　organic　molecules）。

For　his　work；　Dr。　Sagan　received　the　NASA　medals　for　Exceptional　Scientific　Achievement　and　（twice）　for　Distinguished　Public　Service；　as　well　as　the　NASA　Apollo　Achievement　Award。　Asteroid　2709　Sagan　is　named　after　him。　He　was　also　awarded　the　John　F。　Kennedy　Astronautics　Award　of　the　American　Astronautical　Society；　the　Explorers　Club　75th　Anniversary　Award；　the　Konstantin　Tsiolkovsky　Medal　of　the　Soviet　Cosmonauts　Federation；　and　the　Masursky　Award　of　the　American　Astronomical　Society　（〃for　his　extraordinary　contributions　to　the　development　of　planetary　science　。。。。　As　a　scientist　trained　in　both　astronomy　and　biology；　Dr。　Sagan　has　made　seminal　contributions　to　the　study　of　planetary　atmospheres；　planetary　surfaces；　the　history　of　the　Earth；　and　exobiology。　Many　of　the　most　productive　planetary　scientists　working　today　are　his　present　and　former　students　and　associates〃）。



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS



Most　of　the　material　in　this　book　is　new。　A　number　of　chapters　have　evolved　from　articles　first　published　in　Parade　magazine；　a　supplement　to　the　Sunday　editions　of　American　newspapers　which；　with　an　estimated　80　million　readers；　may　be　the　most　widely　read　magazine　in　the　world。　I　am　greatly　indebted　to　Walter　Anderson；　the　editor…in…chief；　and　David　Currier；　the　executive　editor；　for　their　encouragement　and　editorial　wisdom；　and　to　the　readers　of　Parade；　whose　letters　have　helped　me　understand　where　I　have　been　clear；　and　where　obscure；　and　how　my　arguments　are　received。　Portions　of　other　chapters　have　emerged　from　articles　published　in　Issues　in　Science　and　Technology；　Discover；　The　Planetary　Report；　Scientific　American；　and　Popular　Mechanics。

Aspects　of　this　book　have　been　discussed　with　a　large　number　of　friends　and　colleagues；　whose　ments　have　greatly　improved　it。　Although　there　are　too　many　to　list　by　name；　I　would　like　to　express　my　real　gratitude　to　all　of　them。　I　want　especially；　though；　to　thank　Norman　Augustine；　Roger　Bonnet；　Freeman　Dyson；　Louis　Friedman；　Everett　Gibson；　Daniel　Goldin；　J。　Richard　Gott　III；　Andrei　Linde；　Jon　Lomberg；　David　Morrison；　Roald　Sagdeev；　Steven　Soter；　Kip　Throne；　and　Frederick　Turner　for　their　ments　on　all　or　part　of　the　manuscript；　Seth　Kaufmann；　Peter　Thomas；　and　Joshua　Grinspoon　for　their　help　with　tables　and　graphs；　and　a　brilliant　array　of　astronomical　artists；　acknowledged　at　each　illustration；　who　have　permitted　me　to　showcase　some　of　their　work。　Through　the　generosity　of　Kathy　Hoyt；　Al　McEwen；　and　Larry　Soderblom；　I've　been　able　to　display　some　of　the　exceptional　photomosiacs；　airbrush　maps；　and　other　reductions　of　NASA　images　acplished　at　the　Branch　of　Astrogeology；　U。S。　Geological　Survey。

I　am　indebted　to　Andrea　Barnett；　Laurel　Parker；　Jennifer　Bland；　Loren　Mooney；　Karenn　Gobrecht；　Deborah　Pearlstein；　and　the　late　Eleanor　York　for　their　able　technical　assistance；　and　to　Harry　Evans；　Walter　Weintz；　Ann　Godoff；　Kathy　Rosenbloom；　Andy　Carpenter；　Martha　Schwartz；　and　Alan　MacRobert　on　the　production　end。　Beth　Tondreau　is　responsible　for　much　of　the　design　elegance　on　these　pages。

On　matters　of　space　policy；　I　have　benefited　from　discussions　with　other　members　of　the　board　of　directors　of　The　Planetary　Society；　especially　Bruce　Murray；　Louis　Friedman；　Norman　Augustine；　Joe　Ryan；　and　the　late　Thomas　O。　Paine。　Devoted　to　the　exploration　of　the　Solar　System；　the　search　for　extraterrestrial　life；　and　international　missions　by　humans　to　other　worlds；　it　is　the　organization　that　most　nearly　embodies　the　perspective　of　the　present　book。

Those　readers　interested　in　more　information　on　this　nonprofit　organization；　the　largest　space…interest　group　on　Earth；　may　contact：

THE　PLANETARY　SOCIETY

65　N。　Catalina　Avenue

Pasadena；　CA　91106

Tel。：　1…800…9　WORLDS

As　is　true　of　every　book　I've　written　since　1977；　I　am　more　grateful　than　I　can　say　to　Ann　Druyan　for　searching　criticism　and　fundamental　contributions　both　on　content　and　style。　In　the　vastness　of　space　and　the　immensity　of　time；　it　is　still　my　joy　to　share　a　planet　and　an　epoch　with　Annie。



REFERENCES

（a　few　citations　and　suggestions　for　further　reading）

　


PLANETARY　EXPLORATION　IN　GENERAL：

J。　Kelly　Beatty　and　Andrew　Chaiken；　editors；　The　New　Solar　System；　third　edition　（Cambridge：　Cambridge　University　Press；　1990）。　Eric　Chaisson　and　Steve　McMillan；　Astronomy　Today　（Englewood　Cliffs；　NJ：　Prentice　Hall；　1993）。

Esther　C。　Goddard；　editor；　The　Papers　of　Robert　H。　Goddard　（New　York：　McGraw…Hill；　1970）　（three　volumes）。

Ronald　Greeley；　Planetary　Landscapes；　second　edition　（New　York：　Chapman　and　Hall；　1994）。

William　J。　Kaufmann　III；　Universe；　fourth　edition　（New　York：　W。　H。　Freeman；　1993）。　Harry　Y。　McSween；　Jr。；　Stardust　to　Planets　（New　York：　St。　Martin's；　1994）。　Ron　Miller　and　William　K。　Hartmann；　The　Grand　Tour：　A　Traveler's　Guide　to　the　Solar　System；　revised　edition

（New　York：　Workman；　1993）。　David　Morrison；　Exploring　Planetary　Worlds　（New　York：　Scientific　American　Books；　1993）。　Bruce　C。　Murray；　journey　to　the　Planets　（New　York：　W。W。　Norton；　1989）。

Jay　M。　Pasachoff；　Astronomy：　From　Earth　to　the　Universe　（New　York：　Saunders；　1993）。

Carl　Sagan；　Cosmos　（N