Bacchus Quote by Carl Sagan
![“Science and mathematics [are] much more compelling and exciting than the doctrines of pseudoscience, whose practitioners were condemned as early as the fifth century B.C. by the Ionian philosopher Heraclitus as 'night walkers, magicians, priests of Bacchus, priestesses of the wine-vat…” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3e2/carl-sagan-160_bacchus_science-and-mathematics-are-much-more-co_2332206.jpg)
“Science and mathematics [are] much more compelling and exciting than the doctrines of pseudoscience, whose practitioners were condemned as early as the fifth century B.C. by the Ionian philosopher Heraclitus as 'night walkers, magicians, priests of Bacchus, priestesses of the wine-vat, mystery-mongers.' But science is more intricate and subtle, reveals a much richer universe, and powerfully evokes our sense of wonder. And it has the additional and important virtue-to whatever extent the word has any meaning-of being true.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Cosmos, 1980
Science offers a deep, nuanced understanding of reality, inspiring wonder and truth, unlike pseudoscience which lacks rigor and truthfulness.
In simple terms: Science reveals wonder and truth; pseudoscience does not.
Key Takeaway
Seek evidence‑based knowledge.
Themes
science
philosophy
truth
wonder
skepticism
Mood
inspiring
thought‑provoking
Type
educational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- education curricula
- public science communication
- policy making
- personal belief systems
Key Concepts
empirical method
critical thinking
cosmology
history of ideas
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we make complex science relatable?
- What role does wonder play in scientific inquiry?
A Different Perspective
Science can be inaccessible to lay audiences.
![“[T]he true natural sciences lock together in theory and evidence to form the ineradicable technical base of modern civilization. The pseudosciences satisfy personal psychological needs... but lack the ideas or the means to contribute to the technical base.” quote by E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/db8/e-o-wilson-1348_civilization_t-he-true-natural-sciences-lock-together_2419733.jpg)
![“[Science is] an imaginative adventure of the mind seeking truth in a world of mystery.” quote by Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b19/cyril-norman-hinshelwood-63052_adventure_science-is-an-imaginative-adventure-of-t_225522.jpg)
![“[ 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)
