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Carl Sagan

Physicist Brian Cox tells Matthew Parris why Carl Sagan inspired him to dedicate his life to science. From May 2010.

Physicist Brian Cox tells Matthew Parris how Carl Sagan's Cosmos tv show changed his life.

As a boy of 13, Brian stared at his screen every Wednesday evening, as Carl Sagan took him on a journey across the Cosmos.

The programme was a ground-breaking piece of TV by a brilliant young scientist who could be inspiring and infuriating in equal measure.

Sagan was a complex character.

Driven to succeed, he came from a relatively poor background to become a millionaire, and one of the most influential scientists of his era.

His popularity left him open to both criticism and jealousy amongst his colleagues, and whilst he was passionate about the need to educate the populace, he could also be arrogant and dismissive of his fellow scientists.

So just how good a scientist was he, and what is his legacy?

With insight from Keay Davidson, Sagan's biographer, on the line from California.

Producer: John Byrne

First broadcast on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 in May 2010.

Available now

30 minutes

Last on

Friday 00:00

Broadcasts

  • Tue 18 May 2010 16:30
  • Fri 21 May 2010 23:00
  • Thu 14 Dec 2017 18:30
  • Fri 15 Dec 2017 00:30
  • Thursday 10:00
  • Thursday 16:00
  • Friday 00:00

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