What is the theme in Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space by Carl Sagan?

Scientific discovery is another major theme of Pale Blue Dot but it is a theme in two ways. Scientific discovery for Sagan is both an intrinsic good and an instrumental good. First, scientific discovery is an intrinsic good because it is simply good to know what is true and what is false. Science is the only solid and valid method of uncovering what is true and false. It often yields shocking conclusions but a sober person, honest with themselves, prefers to believe the truth, however horrible, rather than a comforting lie.