In a chapter titled “The Fine Art ofBaloney Detection,” Sagan reflects on themany types of deception to which we’resusceptible — from psychics to religiouszealotry to paid product endorsements byscientists, which he held in especially lowregard, noting that they “betray contemptfor the intelligence of their customers” and“introduce an insidious corruption ofpopular attitudes about scientificobjectivity.” (Cue in PBS’s Joe Hanson on howto read science news.) But rather thanpreaching from the ivory tower of selfrighteousness, Sagan approaches the subjectfrom the most vulnerable of places — havingDark (public library) — the sameindispensable volume that gave us Sagan’stimeless meditation on science andspirituality, published mere months beforehis death in 1996 — Sagan shares his secretto upholding the rites of reason, even in theface of society’s most shameless untruthsand outrageous propaganda.In a chapter titled “The Fine Art ofBaloney Detection,” Sagan reflects on themany types of deception to which we’resusceptible — from psychics to religiouszealotry to paid product endorsements byscientists, which he held in especially lowregard, noting that they “betray contemptfor the intelligence of their customers” and“introduce an insidious corruption ofpopular attitudes about scientificobjectivity.” (Cue in PBS’s Joe Hanson on howto read science news.) But rather thanpreaching from the ivory tower of selfrighteousness, Sagan approaches the subjectfrom the most vulnerable of places — havingDark (public library) — the sameindispensable volume that gave us Sagan’stimeless meditation on science andspirituality, published mere months beforehis death in 1996 — Sagan shares his secretto upholding the rites of reason, even in theface of society’s most shameless untruthsand outrageous propaganda.In a chapter titled “The Fine Art ofBaloney Detection,” Sagan reflects on themany types of deception to which we’resusceptible — from psychics to religiouszealotry to paid product endorsements byscientists, which he held in especially lowregard, noting that they “betray contemptfor the intelligence of their customers” and“introduce an insidious corruption ofpopular attitudes about scientificobjectivity.” (Cue in PBS’s Joe Hanson on howto read science news.) But rather thanpreaching from the ivory tower of selfrighteousness, Sagan approaches the subjectfrom the most vulnerable of places — havingfrom the most vulnerable of places — havingjust lost both of his parents, he reflects onthe all too human allure of promises ofsupernatural reunions in the afterlife,reminding us that falling for such fictionsdoesn’t make us stupid or bad people, butsimply means that we need to equipourselves with the right tools against them.
