Book Report: A Demon Haunted World- Science as a Candle in the Dark

 For my book report, I made a Google Slideshow and recorded myself presenting it. Enjoy! :)

*if the link doesn't work, let me know via email, but it's published under my YouTube account with my full name. You should be able to find it there.

https://youtu.be/3rkHQB2437o

Book Report: The Demon-Haunted World (Science As a Candle in the Dark) by Carl Sagan

    Carl Sagan starts off the book by introducing his fascination to science as a child and how the World Fair and the ideas of using science to create a "Jetsons" world was something that was exhilarating. He also mentions an experience he had with a driver who asked him questions that were obviously pseudoscience and when he mentions Atlantis or the Bermuda triangle, he ponders at why people would rather be more excited about magic crystals and missing aircraft instead of using science and being more fascinated about physics and why gravity is more fascinating. His book literally debunks and makes readers question why something so massively popular in belief, like miracles or aliens, is a better explanation to things than science itself. He provides a lot of examples and a variety of beliefs that people usually hold and also provides facts and history of scientific breakthroughs. Sagan touches so many myths and topics but it was a read that is worth considering and I believe will always be relevant for years to come. Unless, everyone begins to rely on science more instead and approaches things with a more scientific approach.

    Although I do believe science is something that can solve a lot of unanswered questions, there is a small part of my mind that thinks there are things that cannot be explained through science. Things that are philosophical are definitely a topic that cannot be measured through scientific graphs and calculations but I believe that most people should allow to be open to science as apart of their lives. There are people who are completely consumed by a certain belief or religion and do not even consider science as an explanation. I enjoyed reading this book because it challenges the myths and legends that I also used to believe when I was younger. You do not have to be a scientist or an engineer to really think this way towards the ideas of ghosts and demons. As long as you think realistically then you can really rid most of the things that we mostly fear. This book  really screams "knowledge is power" and I like how it encourages people to really question theories and to actually test and assess as well as challenge things, apart from being a sheep and following what majority of the population may think. The number one thing that really stood out to me is when Sagan says that believing in things like the Earth being flat or that witches are the scapegoats for things just makes humanity move backwards. If we approach things more with a scientific perspective then we can move forward and maybe even achieve amazing things. 

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

Carl Sagan's, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark discusses such topics as UFO's, "channeling", witchcraft, faith healing, ghosts/demons, and hoaxes such as (crop circles, spoon-bending), possession, and reincarnation. He goes into detail about the importance of knowing 'real' science from pseudoscience, and the reprecussions that could ensue from a lack of knowledge. Sagan takes a good look at the topics mentioned above and does not dismiss them, he lets the reader look at the reports, and claims from actual believers. The presentation of these claims allows the reader to make their own decisions about the topic, and supplies the reader with scientific facts that either support or disprove the phenomenon.

The author went to great lengths to gather as much information about the topics presented in order to be objective. I think it is important for those who either believe or do not believe in different paranormal or pseudoscientific phenomena to read this novel, as it presents two sides to each subject. With a rich background in science, Sagan allows the reader to understand the science behind different phenomena in simple terms.

In the novel several chapters discussed the topic of UFO's, UFO abductees and their claims, compared these abductees' testimonies to those individuals that had been sexually abused. Starting with the belief in UFO's, Sagan presented a plethora of information about sightings, abduction and abuse by extraterrestrials. Sagan lists numerous claims and testimonies in which each of the proposed abductees gave their stories. Abductees along with those individuals that have been sexually abused truly believe in their stories. The comparison deals with therapy and interaction with UFO psychiatrists, and how abduction victims and sexual abuse victims can sometimes be led on or influenced by their doctors about the contents of their stories and experiences. This same topic was discussed in Chapter 6 of the text, in terms of suggestive interviewing and leading questions.

The main concern taken from these two sets of seemingly different individuals is the amount of trust these patients have in their psychiatrists, and how they can easily be taken advantage of. These abductees and victims come into the office of these proclaimed UFO doctors with full expectation that they can trust them, and help them move forward. Suggestive interviewing and leading questions are two techniques that sometimes occur consciously or unconsciously by psychiatrists and can cause confusion and sometimes belief in something that never happened. These techniques can be in the form of subtle words, body language or repeated scenarios that are internalized by the individual. After this internalization of these scenarios, the individual may begin to use these 'planted ideas' as their own when telling their story.

The novel illustrates very clearly that victims of sexual abuse and alien abduction may be similar, in that victims of alleged abduction may not have been abused by aliens but by the guardians or parents who we are raised to trust. The realization that their parent or guardian have sexually abused these abductees may come to a shock to some, but it seems clear that it is a makeshift defense mechanism. In blaming an UFO or extraterrestrial, the individual does not have to face the possibility that they have been betrayed or hurt by the person they are supposed to trust and look to for protection.

Staying on the topic of UFO's and abduction, the next thing discussed will be the story of Betty and Barney Hill, who were the first couple to report an alien abduction story back in 1961. The couple was driving home, on a lonely stretch of highway when they sighted a bright glowing object, afraid of injury the coupld decided to take back roads to their home. After arriving home, much to their suprise they realized it had been much later than they anticipated in getting home, by two hours. Where did the lost time go, Betty read a novel about UFO abduction, which she shared with her husband and friends, and so their story became legend. The following video shows the story of the Hills.

The novel describes clearly and precisely numerous paranormal and pseudoscientific phenomena, with they use of biological sciences and a large selection of testimonies, articles and history. I feel like the novel has the potential to support the sciences and the importance of learning about 'real science', according to Sagan, and not believing in unsupported data without justifiable proof. Further, Sagan advises that individuals should learn to admit when they are wrong, and look for ways to get proof through proper 'scientific research.'

Carl Sagan's "The Demon Haunted World"

Carl Sagan's The Demon Haunted World: Science As a Candle in the Dark provides interesting, entertaining, and insightful criticism on common pseudoscientific beliefs. The book deals with UFO abductions, auras, Big Foot, witchcraft, psychokinesis, and a slew of other paranormal topics that are popular in this, our "demon haunted world." Throughout the book, Sagan not only points out the lack of evidence available to prove the existance of paranormal phenomenon, but shares his thoughts on why such beliefs exist in the first place. As an advocate for valid scientific practices, Sagan civilly draws the line between science and pseudoscience, and offers both thoughtful reasoning and a humble critique.

Sagan points out that the media, advertizers, and even scientists themselves view the general public as too ignorant to understand science, and emphasizes the fact that understanding true science is essential to our continued survival as a society. He suggests that many pseudoscientific beliefs are the product of our desire to believe in a reality in which we'd like to live, and not the one in which we are actually a part of. Some major topics that the book covers are aliens and alien abductions, religion, crop circles, magic, and Sagan's "Baloney Detection Kit," which imparts on us some valueable tools for sceptical thinking, such as the understanding that there are no true "authorities" when it comes to science.

The Baloney Detection Kit, in all honesty, is probably my favorite part of the book. Introduced halfway through the book, the Baloney Detection Kit provides some clear and intelligent rules to scientific reasoning and skepticism. Chief among these rules, in my opinion, is that in a chain of argument, each and every link in the chain needs to work. I feel as though most pseudoscientific ideas fall to this rule. This even applies to topics we've covered in our lectures, such as clairvoyance, past-lives, and ESP. Each argument presented by such phenomenon holds a suspension of disbelief that breaks the chain of argument. The Baloney Detection Kit also calls for independent confirmation of facts, and suggests that we not get too attached to a single hypothesis. It calls for the separation of variables, and explains the virtues of double-blind studies. I think that the Baloney Detection Kit accurately summarizes Sagan's policy for dealing with pseudoscience.

The Demon Haunted World really ties into our course well, in that it challenges all pseudoscienific ideas with a heavy dose of logic and reasoning. Chapter 12 of the book (the Baloney Detection chapter, incidentally) reminded me of the beginning of our course and the Q-Ray Ionized Bracelet. In the book, Sagan points out that advertizers can be extremely deceptive about their products, often in ways that should insult the intelligence of many consumers, while playing on the gullibily of others. The Q-Ray Bracelet is a great example of this, as it proved that a large number of people will believe a pseudoscientific idea, regardless of the lack of scientific evidence supporting it. In fact, Chapter 4 points out that the belief that magnetism could cure disease has been around for centuries, with no concrete evidence to back it up. The fact that this idea is still as widespread as it is today is a bold example of the lapse in logic that people tend to fall victim to.

This book really suppliments our course material well, providing further insight on why people believe in psuedoscienctific ideas and how it effects the world we live in. In many ways, the concepts discussed in The Demon Haunted World are not only evident in our daily lives, but may help us make more logical decisions when it comes to what we believe about the world around us. Despite all of our scientific advances, we still live in a very superstitious time, where baseless fears regarding the end of the world and things that go bump in the night run rampant. Carl Sagan shows that if we take a logical look at the facts, and only the facts, we can break the ties that pseudosciences has on us as society.