Carl Sagan and Alien

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Alien
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Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan attended the premiere of "Alien", both he and Ridley Scott were by that time friends

Carl told Ridley, "Hmm, the premise is entirely ridiculous of course."

Ridley replied "Lighten up , Carl, it's only a movie."

Carl further explained "What you present here is actually impossible. There are no other aliens in the universe. However I am writing a book which goes against what I just said."

Ridley asked him "How, then, do you account for the fact that we're the only ones, the only accidental selected piece of biology since the big bang?"

Ridley's thoughts behind this were that our evolution, from the bang, to the earliest forms of life is so organically unlikely that it's actually impossible. There would have had to have been a billion decisions made by accident for that to have occurred, so one has to wonder, who is in charge?

Carl Sagan later went on to write the book "Contact" which Ridley would like because it ended before the aliens would arrive. So the main character would have 12 years to prepare herself. He thought it was a really smart way of doing it. it also must have meant that deep down, Carl believed it was possible.

Source Quotes

1. Ridley Scott: I remember talking to Carl Sagan at the premiere of “Alien.” At the end of the movie, he said, “Hmm, the premise is entirely ridiculous, of course.” I said to him, “Lighten up, Carl, it’s only a movie.” But then, later on, he wrote a bloody good book called “Contact.” The book was really smart, because it ended 12 years before the aliens would arrive. So, the main character would have 12 years to prepare herself. I thought that was a really smart way of doing it. It also must have meant that deep down, Carl really believed that’s possible. (http://entertainment.inquirer.net)
2. Ridley Scott: After a screening of Alien, I was told by Carl Sagan, who wrote the book Contact, "What you present here is actually impossible. There are no other aliens in the universe. However I am writing a book which goes against what I just said." So I asked him, "How, then, do you account for the fact that we're the only ones, the only accidental selected piece of biology since the big bang?" Our evolution, from the bang, to the earliest forms of life is so organically unlikely that it's actually impossible. There would have had to have been a billion decisions made by accident for that to have occurred, so one has to wonder, who is in charge? (www.theguardian.com/)