Word: sagan
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Other scientists who have reviewed UFO cases still agree with Astronomer Gerard Kuiper, a colleague of McDonald's at the University of Arizona, who insists that until better evidence is presented, the entire subject is "fanciful." Astronomer Carl Sagan of Harvard and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory says that "at the present time, there is no evidence that unambiguously connects the various flying-saucer sightings with extraterrestrial activity...
...fact, it is much harder to think that in all the universe man is the only advanced being.) Next, one would have to assume that these intelligent creatures are interested in Earth, and some scientists find this assumption particularly unlikely. "If saucers have been coming here regularly," reasons Astronomer Sagan, "this attaches some peculiar significance to our planet. Let's remember that the earth is in the galactic boondocks. I really doubt that the city slickers of the universe are all that interested in us." Earth is merely a minor planet orbiting around one of the 100 billion stars...
...saucer advocates who suggest that extraterrestrial beings accidentally discovered the earth's civilization during random exploration of the universe, Sagan has an answer: "If each of a million advanced technical civilizations in our galaxy launched at random an interstellar spacecraft each year, our solar system would, on the average, be visited only once every 100,000 years...
...This is very explicit evidence of life," Sagan noted, "but they could probably think of possible natural origins for the methane...
Then one member of the audience forth-rightly inquired about mining possibilities on the moon. "This would be very expensive" Sagan replied. "Even if there are lots of diamonds on the moon, it might not pay to bring them back. If anything were mined on the moon, it would have to be something not found anywhere on earth -- perhaps some terrific hallucinogen...