He will be deeply missed by his colleagues and friends at Cornell and around the world.' He touched hundreds of millions of people and inspired young generations to pursue the sciences. He was, quite simply, the best science educator in the world this century. Yervant Terzian, chairman of Cornell's astronomy department, said: 'Carl was a candle in the dark.

Our thoughts go out to his wife and collaborator, Ann Druyan, and the entire Sagan family.' We will sorely miss him, but his legacy at Cornell will last for generations to come. He used these talents effectively in the public sector, becoming a major force in support not only of planetary exploration but also in behalf of environmental protection here on Earth. Through his writings and television productions, he brought the excitement and challenges of scientific discovery into the homes of millions of families here and abroad. 'A gifted scholar and researcher, Carl Sagan inspired thousands of students here in Ithaca and across the world to open their minds to the wonders of science and the universe. 'The entire Cornell community mourns the loss of our colleague Carl Sagan, the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences,' said Cornell President Hunter R. The accompanying book, Cosmos (1980), was on The New York Times bestseller list for 70 weeks and was the best-selling science book ever published in English. It was seen by more than 500 million people in 60 countries. He is well-known for his work on the PBS series Cosmos, the Emmy- and Peabody-award-winning show that became the most watched series in public-television history. Sagan continued to supervise undergraduate and graduate students and do research while recuperating from his illness, but returned unexpectedly to the Seattle hospital this month.Īstronomer, educator and author, Sagan was perhaps the world' s greatest popularizer of science, reaching millions of people through newspapers, magazines and television broadcasts.

He had received a bone marrow transplant from the center in April 1995 for the treatment of myelodysplasia, a pre-leukemic syndrome. Sagan, 62, was at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at the time of his death. The cause of death was pneumonia.Ī public memorial will be held Monday, Feb. 20, 1996, in Seattle, Wash., after a two-year battle with a bone marrow disease. Sagan, the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences and director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University, died today, Dec.

The Dragons of Eden by Carl Sagan