Gresham-s-law Quote by Carl Sagan
““Science arouses a soaring sense of wonder. But so does pseudoscience. Sparse and poor popularizations of science abandon ecological niches that pseudoscience promptly fills. If it were widely understood that claims to knowledge require adequate evidence before they can be accepted, there would be no room for pseudoscience. But a kind of Gresham’s Law prevails in popular culture by which bad science drives out good.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Cosmos, 1980
Science and pseudoscience compete for public attention; poor science leaves gaps that pseudoscience fills, leading to a cultural Gresham’s Law where bad ideas dominate.
In simple terms: Bad science crowds out good when explanations are weak.
Key Takeaway
Promote clear, evidence‑based communication.
Themes
science
communication
misinformation
public understanding
Mood
concerned
hopeful
critical
Type
analytical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- education curricula
- media reporting
- science outreach
- policy making
Key Concepts
evidence
critical thinking
cultural dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we make rigorous science appealing?
- What incentives drive pseudoscience popularity?
A Different Perspective
If evidence is presented access, pseudoscience may still thrive.
![“[ 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)
