# Knowledge Requires Pattern Seeking and Critical Analysis by Carl Sagan > "The search for patterns without critical analysis, and rigid skepticism without a search for patterns, are the antipodes of incomplete science. The effective pursuit of knowledge requires both functions." > **— Carl Sagan**, *The Dragons of Eden* ## Sources and Context - **Attributed work:** *The Dragons of Eden*. - **Verification record:** [Carl Sagan quotations with work citations](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan) and [The Carl Sagan Portal bibliography](https://carlsagan.com/books/) — The wording is independently matched to the work-specific quotation record on Wikiquote; the official Carl Sagan Portal confirms the work in Sagan’s bibliography. - **Exact original:** “The effective pursuit of knowledge requires both functions.” - **Editorial clarification:** Brackets restore the antecedent from the cited surrounding passage so the poster text can stand alone without changing Sagan’s claim. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Whole Earth|Whole Earth]] - **Article:** [[articles/The End Is Near — AI Doom, Anti-Science Panic, and the Primates Who Sell Technological Exile|The End Is Near — AI Doom, Anti-Science Panic, and the Primates Who Sell Technological Exile]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Greatest Transformation in Human History|The Greatest Transformation in Human History]] - **Article:** [[articles/Digital Darwinism and the Invisible World of Machine Evolution|Digital Darwinism and the Invisible World of Machine Evolution]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Carl Sagan|Carl Sagan]] ## Share on Social Media ``` "The search for patterns without critical analysis, and rigid skepticism without a search for patterns, are the antipodes of incomplete science. The effective pursuit of knowledge requires both functions." — Carl Sagan, The Dragons of Eden https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-carl-sagan-knowledge-needs-both-functions ```