Many aspects of the problem of extraterrestrial civilizations were discussed in detail, and these discussions are fully presented in this book. Scientists from several other countries also participated. National Science Foundation) and the U.S.S.R. National Academy of Sciences (with assistance from the U.S. The conference was jointly organized by the U.S. The conference was a gathering of specialists working in a wide variety of fields-astronomy, physics, radiophysics, computer science and technology, chemistry, biology, linguistics, archaeology, anthropology, sociology, and history-and included many scientists whose reputations are worldwide.įor example, Freeman Dyson, Philip Morrison, and Charles Townes were among the American participants their Russian counterparts were of comparable distinction. The first international conference on the problem of extraterrestrial civilizations, and contact with them, was held in September 1971 in Soviet Armenia. He died of pneumonia on Decemat the age of 62. The recipient of numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for The Dragons of Eden (1977), as well as the Emmy and Hugo Awards, Sagan wrote more than 600 scientific papers and articles, on top of editing, authoring and co-authoring multiple books. Sagan played a pivotal role in the Mariner, Pioneer and Voyager expeditions, and even co-designed the messages from Earth that were attached to the Pioneer and Voyager probes.

Carl Sagan, whose full name was Carl Edward Sagan, was an American astronomer, astrophysicist and award-winning science author.īorn in Brooklyn, New York in 1934, he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from the University of Chicago, before earning a PhD in astronomy and astrophysics from the same institution.īetween 19, Sagan worked at Harvard University and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, before becoming director of Cornell University’s Laboratory for Planetary Studies spending the rest of his career at the institution.

Cosmos by Carl Sagan