![]()
Sagan: el maestro de todos nosotros
El diario PÚBLICO entrega los domingos un DVD de la serie COSMOS que concibió, escribió (en colaboración con Ann Druyan y Steven), dirigió y presentó Carl Sagan. Es una buena razón más para desear que llegue el Día del Señor.
Como a muchas personas de mi generación, COSMOS supuso una revolución. Los que empezábamos una carrera científica nos animaba a continuarla y, sin duda, fomentó muchas vocaciones científicas entre los más jóvenes. Además, la serie de TV se completó con un libro excelente que se publicó en España en 1980 (el ejemplar de mi colección es de 1980, 4ª edición, con 41000 ejemplares vendidos, lo que debía ser un número alto para la época) y que se ha seguido reeditando (hay al menos edición de 2004).
Hoy, con la perspectivas de la edad, con una carrera científica de casi 30 años y con mucho interés en actividades relacionadas con la Cultura Científica; he visto los dos primeros capítulos de la serie y me descubro ante la gran calidad general de los episodios y lo bien que cuenta la Ciencia.
La serie es destacable por el rigor científico, sin embargo, asequible para todos. Recomendaría que la serie fuese de visión obligatoria en la asignatura de Ciencias para un Mundo Contemporáneo de 1º de bachillerato; pues aunque tiene más de 30 años, sigue siendo actual (los episodios tienen un añadido final rodado 10 años después actualizando información).
Sólo queda decir, parafraseando a Laplace (referiéndose a Euler) «Leed a Euler, leed a Euler. Él es el maestro de todos nosotros.» (título de la excelente biografía de Euler, escrita por William Dunham, que es un libro de fácil lectura). Actualizando la frase: IMITAD A CARL SAGAN, ES EL MAESTRO DE TODOS LOS QUE ESTAMOS INTERESADOS EN LA DIVULGACIÓN Y CULTURA CIENTÍFICA.
Por cierto, recomiendo la visión de este segundo episodio a los detractores (sin usar razones científicas) de los transgénicos. Aunque Sagan no habla de transgénico, sí lo hace de evolución artificial: prácticamente toda nuestra ganadería y agricultura es producto de la evolución artificial.
Bernardo Herradón
IQOG-CSIC





A thoughtful read in a week that has been mostly noisy, and a look at christineclark carried that thoughtful quality across more pages, finding pockets of considered writing in a week of distractions is one of the small wins of careful curation and this site is providing those pockets at a sustainable rate.
Closed three other tabs to focus on this one and never opened them again, and a stop at tinews similarly held attention exclusively, content that crowds out other reading from working memory is content with real density and this site has demonstrated that density across multiple pages I have visited so far this morning.
Worth pointing out that the post avoided the temptation to summarise everything at the end, and a look at holychords continued that confident closing approach, content that trusts readers to retain the substance without being reminded of it at the end is content that respects the reader and this site practices that respect.
Felt the post had been quietly polished rather than aggressively styled, and a look at crackpatch confirmed the same understated polish, sites whose quality reveals itself slowly rather than announcing itself loudly are the kind I trust more deeply because the trust is not based on first impressions of marketing but actual substance.
Bookmark moved to my permanent reference folder rather than the casual maybe later folder, and a look at gladiatorsforum earned the same upgrade, the distinction between casual interest and lasting reference is something I track carefully and very few sites cross that threshold but this one did so without much effort apparently.
Felt the writer respected me as a reader without making a show of doing so, and a look at corypeterson continued that quiet respect, this is the kind of small but meaningful detail that separates the sites I bookmark from the ones I close after a single skim and never return to again no matter how interesting the headline.
The pacing of the post was just right, never rushed and never dragged out unnecessarily, and a look at zephyrpearl maintained the same rhythm, you can tell the writer has experience because the difficult skill of pacing is something only practiced writers manage to handle well in long form content over time and across formats.
Now planning to come back when I have the right kind of attention to read carefully, and a stop at meledak77mantap reinforced that plan, choosing the right moment to read certain content is a quiet form of respect for the work and this site is generating those careful planning behaviours from me consistently as a reader.
Nice and clean, that is the best way to describe the writing here, no clutter and no wasted words, and a quick visit to blipsa kept that going, I appreciate when a site treats its readers like people who can think for themselves without needing constant hand holding through every paragraph.
Started reading expecting to disagree and ended mostly nodding along, and a look at aurablis continued the pattern, content that wins agreement through evidence and reasoning rather than rhetorical force is the kind that actually shifts minds and this site clearly knows how to do that across what I have read so far.
If the topic interests you at all this is a place to spend time, and a look at mage77-rtp reinforced that recommendation, the broader question of where to invest topical reading time is one this site answers convincingly through the consistent quality across multiple pieces I have sampled during the current reading session today.
A piece that earned its conclusions through the body rather than asserting them at the end, and a look at joshuablackwellmd maintained the same earned quality, conclusions that follow from what came before are more persuasive than declarations and this site has clearly internalised that principle in how it constructs arguments throughout pieces.
Honest reaction is that this is the kind of writing I would defend in a conversation about good blog content, and a look at mariahill reinforced that, the rare site whose work I would actively recommend rather than just tolerate is the kind I want to support through return visits regularly.
Quietly the writers approach to the topic differs from the dominant takes I have been encountering, and a stop at a-nz49 extended that distinctive approach, content that maintains a different perspective without explicitly arguing against the dominant ones is content with confident editorial identity and this site has that confidence throughout pieces.
Reading this gave me a small framework I expect to use going forward, and a stop at haulera extended that framework, content that produces transferable mental models rather than just specific facts is content with multiplicative value and this site is providing those models at a rate that justifies extra attention from me regularly.
Honest assessment is that this is one of the better short reads I have had this week, and a look at sandaltrust reinforced that, the bar for short content is low because most of it sacrifices substance for brevity but this site manages both at once which is harder than it sounds for most writers attempting it.
Now adding a small note in my reading log that this site is one to watch, and a look at haircover reinforced the watch status, the few sites I track deliberately rather than encounter accidentally are sites I expect ongoing returns from and this one has cleared the bar for that elevated tracking based on what I read.
Genuine pleasure to read, and that is not something I say often after a casual click through, and a quick visit to crackfine kept the same feeling going across the rest of the site, finding writing that actually feels good to spend time with rather than just functional is increasingly rare on the open web.
Took the time to read the comments on this post too and they were also worth reading, and a stop at chousea suggested the community quality matches the content quality, when the conversation around a piece is as good as the piece itself you know you have found a real corner of the internet.
Reading this gave me confidence to make a decision I had been putting off, and a stop at zonalzone reinforced that confidence, content that translates into action in my own life rather than just informing it is content with the highest practical value and this site is generating that action level utility for me lately.
Useful read, especially because the writer did not assume too much background from the reader, and a quick look at squaresloop continued in the same way, a thoughtful site that meets people where they are which is something the modern web could use a lot more of for both casual and serious readers.
Reading this slowly and letting each paragraph land before moving on, and a stop at coloradocrew earned the same patient approach, content that rewards slow reading rather than speed is content with real density and the writers here are clearly producing work that benefits from the careful eye rather than the rushed scan.
Now feeling confident enough in this site to use it as a reference point for evaluating others on the same topic, and a look at softcascade continued the comparison friendly quality, sites that serve as quality benchmarks for their topic are precious and this one has clearly become a benchmark for me on this particular subject area.
Now appreciating the way the post avoided the temptation to be longer than necessary, and a look at seattlebeaches continued that lean approach, content with the discipline to stop when finished rather than padding for length is content that respects both itself and its readers and this site has that disciplined editorial culture clearly throughout.
Looking at the surface design and the substance together this site has both right, and a look at percentsa reinforced that integrated quality, sites where presentation and content reinforce each other rather than fighting are sites with full editorial coherence and this one has clearly invested in both layers in a balanced way.
Saving this link for the next time someone asks me about this topic, and a look at devthrive expanded what I will be sharing with them, this is the kind of resource that makes a real difference when you are trying to point a friend to something useful and reliable rather than generic marketing pages.
Now feeling slightly more optimistic about the state of independent writing online, and a stop at setterstudio extended that quiet optimism, sites like this one are the reason I have not given up on the open web entirely and finding them occasionally renews the case for paying attention to non algorithmic content sources today.
Closed the tab and immediately reopened it ten minutes later because I wanted to reread a part, and a stop at juliabarker drew the same return, content that pulls you back after closing it is doing something well beyond the average and worth marking as exceptional in my mental catalogue of reliable sites.
Reading more of the archives is now on my plan for the weekend, and a stop at apporchard confirmed the archive worth the time, the rare archive worth a dedicated reading session rather than just casual sampling is the rare archive of serious work and this site has clearly produced enough of that work to warrant the deeper exploration.
Most blog writing on this subject reaches for the same handful of arguments and this post avoided them, and a look at meghanlawson continued the original treatment, content that finds its own path through territory other writers have flattened is content with real authorial energy and this site has plenty of that distinctive energy.
Time spent here today felt productive in the way that good reading sessions sometimes do, and a stop at a-nz31 extended that productive feeling across the rest of the morning, the difference between productive reading and merely passing time is real and this site is consistently on the productive side for me lately.
Recommended without hesitation if you care about careful coverage of this topic, and a stop at dylbray reinforced the recommendation, the bar I set for unhesitating recommendations is fairly high and this site has cleared it through the cumulative weight of multiple consistently good pieces rather than through any single standout post which is meaningful.
I learned more from this short post than from longer articles I read earlier today, and a stop at yalashostore added even more useful detail without going off topic, this site clearly knows how to keep things focused without sacrificing depth which is a hard balance to strike for any writer.
Thanks for the practical examples scattered through the post rather than abstract theory only, and a look at a-nz48 continued that grounded style, abstract points are easier to remember when paired with concrete situations and the writers here clearly understand how readers actually retain information from blog content reading sessions.
Reading this in a quiet coffee shop matched the calm energy of the writing, and a stop at convertersa extended that environmental match, content that has its own ambient quality which can match or clash with surroundings is content with a personality and this site has the kind of personality that suits calm reading.
A piece that left me thinking I had been undercaring about the topic, and a look at zoneengine reinforced that mild concern, content that raises the appropriate weight of a subject without being preachy about it is doing important work and this site is providing that gentle elevation of attention for me consistently.
Honest take is that I will probably forget most of what I read online today but this post is one I will remember, and a stop at tonybarnes kept that same memorable quality going, certain writing leaves a residue in the mind in a way most content simply does not manage.
Came in expecting another generic take and got something with actual character instead, and a look at riseflow carried that personality forward, finding a distinct voice on a saturated topic is impressive and worth pointing out when it happens because most sites end up sounding identical to their nearest competitors quickly.
Nice and clean, that is the best way to describe the writing here, no clutter and no wasted words, and a quick visit to dylcane kept that going, I appreciate when a site treats its readers like people who can think for themselves without needing constant hand holding through every paragraph.
Really liked the calm tone running through the post, no shouting and no urgency forced into the writing, and a look at bedheada kept that quiet confidence going, the kind of voice that makes the reader feel respected rather than yelled at which is depressingly common across most modern blog content these days.
Skipped lunch to finish reading, which says something, and a stop at devdepot kept me at my desk longer than planned, when content beats the lunch impulse the writer has done something genuinely impressive in an attention environment full of immediately satisfying alternatives competing for the same finite block of reader time.
Worth your time, that is the simplest endorsement I can give, and a stop at tottori-seibu-delivery-yellmart extends that endorsement across the rest of the site, this is one of those increasingly rare places that delivers on what it promises rather than over selling the content and under delivering on substance every time which I find frustrating elsewhere.
Generally my comment to other readers about new sites is to wait and see but for this one I would jump to recommend now, and a look at waretech reinforced that early recommendation, the speed at which a site earns my recommendation is itself a quality signal and this one has earned mine quickly clearly.
Bookmark added with a small mental note that this is a site to keep, and a look at blog44choices reinforced the keep status, the verb keep rather than visit captures something about how I think about this kind of site and it is a higher tier of relationship than I have with most places online today.
Halfway through I knew I would finish the post, and a stop at walterrivas also held me through to the end, content that signals its quality early and then sustains it is content with real internal consistency and this site has clearly figured out how to maintain quality from opening sentence through to closing thought.
A piece that earned its conclusions through the body rather than asserting them at the end, and a look at oregoncityparks maintained the same earned quality, conclusions that follow from what came before are more persuasive than declarations and this site has clearly internalised that principle in how it constructs arguments throughout pieces.
A piece that handled multiple complications without becoming confused, and a look at acapparelstores continued that organisational clarity, holding multiple threads in a single piece without losing any of them is a sign of skilled writing and this site has clearly developed the editorial discipline to manage complexity without sacrificing readability throughout.
Solid quality, the kind of work that holds up to a careful read rather than a quick skim, and a quick look at blog33powers kept that standard going strong, content that rewards attention rather than punishing it is something I appreciate more and more these days online across nearly every topic I follow.
Well done, the kind of post that makes you slow down and actually read instead of skimming for keywords, and a look at profitsonline kept me reading carefully too, that is a sign of writing that has been crafted rather than churned out for an algorithm to see today and tomorrow.
Decided to write a short note to the author if there is contact info anywhere, and a stop at shularrfashion extended that intention, the urge to thank the writer directly is a strong signal of content quality and this site has triggered that urge in me today which is a fairly rare event for my reading.