Extraterrestrial Quote by Carl Sagan
““I’m frequently asked, “Do you believe there’s extraterrestrial intelligence?” I give the standard arguments—there are a lot of places out there, the molecules of life are everywhere, I use the word billions, and so on.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, 1980
The vastness of space and the abundance of life‑friendly conditions make extraterrestrial intelligence plausible.
In simple terms: Life could be common in the universe.
Key Takeaway
Consider the probability of alien life.
Themes
science
exploration
philosophy
possibility
Mood
wonder
curiosity
Type
speculative
inspirational
When to use this quote
- space research
- education
- public outreach
Key Concepts
astrobiology
probability theory
Fermi paradox
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence would change your view?
- How does this affect humanity’s self‑image?
A Different Perspective
The argument doesn’t address the lack of evidence for contact.
![“[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion, why do you not believe in materialistic science, which has an unparalleled record of fulfilled prophecy? Consider, for example, eclipses.” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/875/carl-sagan-160_belief_when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-a_25095.jpg)
![“I would do it [study UFOs], but before agreeing to do it, we must insist upon full access to discs recovered. For instance in the L.A. case, the Army grabbed it and would not let us have it for cursory examination.” quote by J. Edgar Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d8c/j-edgar-hoover-17421_access_i-would-do-it-study-ufos-but-before-agre_103515.jpg)
