The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark is the astronomer Carl Sagan's defence of scientific thinking against superstition and pseudoscience. Its central claim is that the methods of science, evidence, skepticism, and self-correction, are humanity's best protection against deception, and that their erosion leaves a society vulnerable to a return of the "demon-haunted" worldview.

The argument moves between critique and instruction. Sagan examines popular beliefs, from alien abductions to faith healing, while supplying a "baloney detection kit," a set of tools for testing claims, weighing evidence, and recognising fallacies. He frames science not as a body of facts but as a disciplined way of distinguishing what is true from what merely feels true.

The book is a touchstone of public science advocacy and of the skeptical tradition that scrutinises paranormal and mind-power claims. It argues for wonder and rigour together, insisting that the genuine universe is more remarkable than its supernatural substitutes.