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Introduction, Wanderers

• Sagan claims that humans have always been wanderers by nature and that being forced to settle into civilization caused us to express that desire in other ways, including stories, symbols, and religion.

• Ancient people knew about five planets which were visible to the naked eye and identifiable by their complex motions that differed greatly from the "fixed" motion of the stars.

• The United States and the Soviet Union have worked together to successfully explore all of the planets from Mercury to Saturn. Sagan was particularly involved in the exploration of Mars by the Viking probe.

• Sagan intends to argue against the positions that our planet and species are unique in the universe and that we should "solve the problems on Earth" before going to other planets.

• Sagan intends to address the questions of how and why human beings should explore space and distant worlds.

Chapter 1, You Are Here, Chapter 2, Aberrations of Light

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