Why people recommend it
The Cold and the Dark by Paul R. Ehrlich, Carl Sagan, Donald Kennedy, and Walter Orr Roberts is a seminal scientific work that explores the catastrophic environmental and climatic consequences of nuclear war, specifically popularizing the theory of nuclear winter. The book was prominently featured on an episode of the Lex Fridman Podcast, where guest Annie Jacobsen discussed it while detailing the history of nuclear threat assessments and Cold War secrecy, noting that Carl Sagan co-wrote the amazing text with two scientific colleagues. Additionally, the book's co-author Carl Sagan was invoked during an appearance by Josh Szeps on The Joe Rogan Experience. Szeps reflected on reading Sagan's works during his youth, specifically recalling how influential those writings were in shaping his critical thinking, skepticism, and worldview. Joe Rogan joined in to confirm that he too had read Sagan's influential literature during his formative years. These podcast conversations demonstrate the lasting legacy of Carl Sagan and his collaborators in warning humanity about the existential dangers of atomic weaponry. By bridging rigorous scientific research with accessible public discourse, the text remains an essential historical artifact of nuclear-age anxiety and a powerful reminder of the fragility of Earth's climate.
Who recommended it
- Annie Jacobsen Recommended
- Josh Szeps Discussed
Annie Jacobsen — 2 mentions
“Carl Sagan talked about that in this amazing book that he wrote with two scientist colleagues called "The Cold and the Dark".”
“Carl Sagan talked about that in this amazing book he wrote with two scientist colleagues called "The Cold and the Dark."”
Josh Szeps — 1 mention
“but then a part of me is like like i read a great book in my teens which was uh carl sagan and it's it's one of his books called the demon haunted world Yes i read that book”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“okay our mutual friend the late great carl sagan has a great chapter in the demon hunter world on these kinds of experiments”