O Mundo Assombrado Pelos Demônios

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Sprache: Portuguese

Erschienen am 24. März 2006

ISBN:
978-85-359-0834-3
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(4 Besprechungen)

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark is a 1995 book by the astrophysicist Carl Sagan and co-authored by Ann Druyan, in which the authors aim to explain the scientific method to laypeople and to encourage people to learn critical and skeptical thinking. They explain methods to help distinguish between ideas that are considered valid science and those that can be considered pseudoscience. Sagan states that when new ideas are offered for consideration, they should be tested by means of skeptical thinking and should stand up to rigorous questioning.

7 Auflagen

hat The Demon Haunted World von Carl Sagan besprochen

Same conspiracy theories, different time

Started off a bit weak but was well written and compelling by the end. Possibly a bit too much time spent on aliens.

Considering this book was published in 1997, it still applies today. I took away a note that conspiracy theories just evolve and fill a fundamental default need when we don't understand or are confronted with uncomfortable things.

Sagan emphasises a need for education, the scientific method, and critical thinking. I don't think he'd be happy how that has trended since writing this.

Something that interests me is how I see the supposed scientific method corrupted and used as a weapon by conspiracy theories and people pushing them. There's lots of calls for citizen science, making your own observations, and trusting yourself over experts.

It feels like that's not a bad thing, if only it could be channeled into something positive - not just people finding things that …

hat The Demon Haunted World von Carl Sagan besprochen

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Really enjoyed the first few chapters devoted to debunking stuff like alien abductions and ESP, promoting an approach to the world that is both filled with curiosity and wonder but also critical. I was paralyzingly afraid of a lot of this stuff as a kid and still get creeped out when I'm alone or in a bad mental state, so it was a nice comfort read in that regard. The latter chapters were kind of over the place and a bit self-indulgent, from responses to his work on this topic to [mostly valid] whining about not enough science funding, the state of education, and how democracy is definitely gonna collapse if we don't do something ASAP about the widespread culture of superstition and gullibility (RIP)

hat The Demon Haunted World von Carl Sagan besprochen

Eye opening? Grim? Depressing? Optimistic? Let’s just call it a roller coaster.

Context on why I was sent this epub from my friend in the first place:

I was perplexed over people’s obsession with the most bizarre nonsense. Astrology, crystal healing, modern witchcraft, and many more things I see all too often. My friend suggested this book and sent me over an epub as they felt it’d give nice context around the phenomenon.

Well, I have a much deeper understanding of the issue after reading this book. Sagan deeply loves science and has made me view science in a completely new light, it’s truly inspirational. I’m doing so, he covers pseudoscience and the many wonders of why we believe in things we believe in. Little did I know my questions of why people believe crystals cure cancer has a lot to do with our belief in witches (leading to thousands of burned women at the stake just a few centuries ago) and …