Storyline
The long-awaited second part of the unauthorized
documentary series based on Carl Sagan's groundbreaking
1994 book has arrived.
The
insightful 'Pale Blue Dot: Humility' examines how our
perspective on the vastness of the cosmos has shaped our
shifting sense of self through the ages.
Pieced together as a mosaic of pop culture clips,
historical stills and footage, appealing animations, and
Carl Sagan's own audio commentary, the film is a rebuke
against the plague of bloated self-importance, and the
need to claim superiority over others for control of
insignificant specks of territory.
Even
the field of science has not immune to these selfish
pursuits.
From that foundation, Sagan's probing commentary
provides a brief recap of our understanding of the
heavens and the Earth throughout history.
This
evolution of discovery represents an epic and ongoing
battle between our quest for supremacy and the reality
of our insignificance.
For many generations, the deeply
held belief that the Earth was the center of the
universe was impervious to reason or to revelations
obtained through further investigation.
Mainstream thinking was slow to evolve when it came to
the correlation between the Earth and the Sun, for
example, or the age of our planet in comparison to the
universe at large.
The
widespread and steadfast acceptance of various
'theologies' further clouded our capacity for reasoned
judgment.
But the ceaseless canvas of
the Universe - adorned with
hundreds of billions of galaxies, distant planets and
brilliant stars - provides the ultimate lesson in
humility.
Our
modern understanding of the universe demands a more
nuanced and less conceited perspective.
Yet
our yearning to give special meaning to our existence is
a barrier to these scientific discoveries. After all, we
have to be here for 'a reason.'
As
Sagan states during the course of the film, it is a
battle between our quest for,
"deep knowledge and shallow
reassurance".
It is obvious that great care went in to assembling the
film, and the flow of complex information is cleanly and
artfully presented.
'Pale
Blue Dot: Humility' is an affectionate representation and
tribute to Sagan's trailblazing intellect.
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