Astrophysicist Dr Carl Sagan throughout his career aimed to encourage a wider understanding of the importance of science, how its influence on society and value to the future depended on skeptical curiosity. Published in 1995, his work The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark aimed to do just that — drawing on historical sources and the links to healthy political and educational progress. 

He discusses “The Fine Art of Baloney Detection,” a necessary skill for everyone; investigating manipulation and trickery, seeking evidence and certainty. Sagan argues that throughout human civilisation, we have gained ground by encouraging research, and taken steps backwards when reverting to superstitions and demagoguery. By emphasising that critical thinking is a skill for everyone and should be encouraged, through funding and supporting science and technology, Sagan urges us to see the light beyond a ‘demon-haunted world’.