technological-fallibility
Sagan emphasizes human fallibility and the dangers of overconfidence in technology, cautioning against simplistic or authoritarian responses to technological risks.
2 chapters across 2 books
Pale Blue Dot (1994)Carl Sagan
In this chapter, Carl Sagan explores humanity's future in space, weighing the risks and responsibilities of technological advancement and interplanetary colonization. He reflects on mythological and religious narratives about human ambition and divinity, critiques simplistic solutions to technological dangers, and advocates for space settlement as a means to diversify human survival and foster cultural and scientific flourishing. Sagan also considers the long-term cosmic threats to life in the Solar System and the necessity of eventually leaving it, while pondering the Fermi paradox and the rarity or silence of other advanced civilizations.
The Lincoln Hunters (1958)Wilson Tucker
Benjamin Steward arrives via time machine in 1856 but is dropped into a creek instead of his intended location, forcing him to guide the machine remotely to a safe position. Upon emerging, he experiences a profound sense of alienation and envy for the past era's vitality, only to discover that the engineers have miscalculated the date, arriving a day after Lincoln's political address, complicating his mission.