THE COSMOS READER · 13 CHAPTERS
Read the universe.
In thirteen questions.
Begin your journey, starting from the smallest shadow, and return to the planet we must protect. Read, observe, and experiment with the questions posed in Carl Sagan's *Cosmos*.
Proceed to the first question →- 01
Eratosthenes and Earth’s circumference
Even if we cannot see the Earth in its entirety, can we still determine its size?
- 02
Natural selection and evolution
Do complex organisms necessarily have to be complete at once?
- 03
Kepler’s laws and elliptical orbits
If calculations and observations differ, which should be questioned first?
- 04
Venus and the greenhouse effect
Are the clouds of Venus evidence of a temperate forest?
- 05
Mars exploration and evidence of life
Do traces of life necessarily constitute evidence of life?
- 06
Voyager and planetary instruments
Can we select the exploration equipment before determining what we want to investigate?
- 07
Starlight, brightness, and distance
Does every faint light necessarily represent a small source?
- 08
Relativity and time dilation
Are the time experienced by Earth and the traveler the same?
- 09
Stellar evolution and the origin of elements
Will the Sun also explode as a supernova?
- 10
Cosmic expansion and evidence for the Big Bang
Can a single observation definitively determine the history of the universe?
- 11
Memory in life and civilization
Does the fact that a record exists equate to the meaning being conveyed?
- 12
Extraterrestrial civilizations and communication
How much do we actually know from the number of civilizations we have calculated?
- 13
Earth and the future of civilization
What responsibilities come with the ability to understand the universe?