Carl Sagan

ştiinţa ca lumină în întuneric

Lumea şi demonii ei

a chaotic library 

Started in December 2020, 4.25/5
I really enjoyed it, but I thought it had more scientific content, I didn't know it was an actual essay. However, I really liked reading about the historical and psychological aspects of pseudoscience, and I realised how sad it is that people think that pseudoscience is actual science and find it accurate. Being into pseudoscience is indeed easier than being into science, but you won't have any access to the truth. You will only live in a sweet fantasy (or better said, ignorance).
Also, The Witch Trials were absolutely disgusting (of course that I have already read about them, but I've found some new gross information): there were so many witch hunters, because they were obtaining a lot of money if they found a new witch, and that wasn't even hard, since the proofs were only simple signs, such as a simple mark on the supposed witch's body (oh, yes, they were even naked), or if they cried or didn't cry while they were under torture. Everything could have been a proof. And a man has been executed by the catholic church because he wanted to translate the Bible in English, so people could have their own opinions.
Another interesting facts discussed were the OZN problems and how many Americans 'saw' them or remembered them, and how in many cases it was about sexual assaults from childhood, and it's alarming how many girls have been raped by their fathers. And it's really interesting how the alien confessions are a modern variant of the succubus and incubus cases. And it was also disappointing how bad was the system of the American public schools in the '90s. 
One of my favourite chapters in the book was the one with the slave of colour Frederick Bailey (later known as Frederick Douglass), who learned by himself (and with the help of the owner's wife) how to read, and he felt free; he has escaped from that mental prison, and then he helped the other slaves to read as well, and held a discourse against slavery at 24 years, and convinced the guests that people of colour are humans who deserve to be free.
My most favourite chapter was 'Maxwell and the nerds', since it contained some science stuff and some of Maxwell's equations (electromagnetism: electric and magnetic fields), explained very well even for those who are not into mathematics. And I think that I kinda fit in the nerd stereotype...

Lumea şi demonii ei ştiinţa ca lumină în întuneric

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