From Japan

Thank you. Yes, thank you indeed.

I am so grateful to Doctor Carl Sagan for his many gifts to us. One of his greatest talents was making the cosmos accessible, but more importantly, he made the infinite vacuum PERSONAL.

When I read, or hear his praises, they are often sung by people who sound like they are reminiscing about an old friend, colleague or family member. He has had this effect on me as well.

I am no scholar, and at the time of my first viewing of "Cosmos", I had little to no knowledge of physics, astronomy, the history of mathematics or the science of the stars. A few years later after reading more of his work, he has taught me how to love to learn. He shares his passion and wisdom as if I was sitting with him in a quiet restaurant, asking him wide-eyed questions about it all.

This intellectual journey; asking questions, using skepticism, exploring the possibilities of the cosmos is exploring our history in its most raw form. When Carl made the cosmos accessible, he made the dust and gas our ancestors and our future just as hopeful as it was when the first microbes began multiplying.

I have a lot of faith in his words. And in turn, I have a lot of faith in us all.

Ashley