“If we’re unwilling to question authority then we’re just putty in the hands of those in power.”

An American astronomer, cosmologist, astrophysicist, skeptic, best-selling author, and a champion of popular science, Sagan brought an unapologetically secular and material scientific philosophy into America’s living rooms through his hit TV show “Cosmos,” couched in terms that promoted the beautify and inspiration of the natural universe on its own terms. Other scientific minds sometimes criticized Sagan for adopting tools like television and popular culture, but Sagan believed that science is best served for appealing to people directly.