For Sagan the religious experience is more relevant to science than to religions themselves. He explains that while in religion, the experience is taken to be an end in itself, in science it is just the starting point. Moreover, it is experienced in nature. That is, if there is a God, then it is the God of Einstein, a God that is the incredible natural world around us. The sense of awe of the power of the universe is religious in its essence, and it impels us to try and investigate why and how it occurred, using the instruments that science has put at our disposal.

The crucial difference between Hawkins and Sagan is that while Dawkins is pure intelligence, Sagan was a scientist with a heart, a great sense of humour, and an openness to other viewpoints — something best appreciated in the Question and Answer sessions. Planet Earth to Carl Sagan: Are you out there? We need you.