A personal note...

Many decades ago, as a philosophy undergraduate at Cornell, I had the good fortune to take an introductory astronomy course taught by Carl Sagan. At the time, Sagan was only beginning to gain recognition through his appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson—this was before Cosmos would make him a household name. Yet many of the themes he later explored in that landmark series were already present in his lectures.

Why mention this now?

Because, decades later—and I admit this sheepishly—I’ve only just watched Cosmos for the first time. My impression? It feels as fresh, inspiring, and thought-provoking as when I first heard these ideas in his classroom. Coincidentally, I created this light sculpture, Henri Contemplates Carl’s Cosmos, while watching the series. The influence, both conscious and unconscious, is unmistakable. I dedicate this piece to the memory of a great educator and humanitarian: Carl Sagan.

But who is Henri?

Look closely and you’ll find his name carved into the protractor that holds the clock mechanism at the center of the sculpture. I found myself wondering: who was Henri? When did he live, and what prompted him to carve his name? Perhaps it was a simple claim of ownership—or something more defiant, a quiet recognition of mortality and the urge to leave a mark.

In my mind’s eye, I imagine him as a bored student in a rural French classroom, watching the clock, waiting for time to pass, when inspiration struck. The protractor became his canvas, his scissors the instrument of expression. If so, I feel a pang of sympathy for Henri. How unfortunate that he lacked the kind of teaching that could ignite curiosity—the kind of teaching Carl Sagan delivered so effortlessly.

“It is the birthright of every child to encounter the cosmos anew, in every culture and every age. When this happens to us, we experience a deep sense of wonder. The most fortunate among us are guided by teachers who channel this exhilaration. We are born to delight in the world. We are taught to distinguish our preconceptions from the truth. Then new worlds are discovered, as we decipher the mysteries of the cosmos.”

– Carl Sagan