Astronomer and humanist Carl Sagan dies of pneumonia in Seattle at the age of 62. Sagan received his doctorate in astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Chicago and became a famous figure on television teaching about astronomy in a way which was accessible to popular audiences.
This same work ended up provoking jealousy among colleagues at Harvard, leading to his being denied tenure. This was fortunate for Cornell, which snatched him up.
Ever after, he made an effort to teach as many people as possible, not just about science but also about the scientific method. His goal was to help people understand how to think skeptically and critically about life generally and unusual claims specifically.
