Carl Sagan, the world-class astronomer and scientific researcher, once appeared on Johnny Carson’s “The Tonight Show” on 2nd March 1978. The two sat together to discuss their views on the classic sci-fi movie, “Star Wars.”
Carson is excited about his interview with the legendary astronomer and asks him in a jovial manner, “What’s new in space, Carl.” He further adds, “I really want to condense the subject down really quickly & don’t start too big,” and bursts out in laughter.
Carson, very smoothly, changes the topic and starts to talk about the science fiction movie “Star Wars – Close Encounters.” First, he asks Sagan about his opinion of the film. In reply, the distinguished guest points out several flaws in the movie.
Sagan says, “The 11-year-old in me really liked the movie, but they could have made a better effort to do things right.” For example, he is unhappy with the film’s portrayal of aliens. Humans have undergone a unique evolutionary sequence based on earth’s random events.
The talented astronomer argues that it is doubtful that humanoid forms shown in Star Wars would likely exist in any galaxy. As the climatic conditions in the other universes cannot be the same, it is improbable that there will be creatures like humans there.
The other flaw Sagan points out about space travel is depicting a faster-than-light journey. He also speaks about spaceships that can jump from one part to another of the galaxy in seconds, something very unreal under the laws of physics. Sagan wants movie makers to be careful about the scientific accuracy of their work. This is because several young minds are influenced by them.
Sagan & Carson further speak about extraterrestrial intelligence & the enormous universe. By the end of the interview, Carson was blown away by the response and theories Sagan had put forward. It is considered one of the most extraordinary interviews on Carson’s The Tonight Show.
