Contact, and the Universe's Greatest Secret

Today we'll take a look at the novel Contact, by famed popular scientist Carl Sagan. Contact tells a story of humanity's first contact with an alien race, and a message which tells them how to build a machine of unknown use. All that and more in today's Science Fiction video!
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[@EckhartsLadder]

I've decided to make a new book-club for these sci-fi videos. You can vote on the next books and add your voice: www.patreon.com/EckhartsLadder

[@andrewbryant4259]

First 1984, now Contact. I like the branching out into other sci fi universes

[@9bang88]

1984 isn't scifi It's reality Newspeak, wrongthink, state censorship on a massive scale. It's all real.

[@adhdegrees]

Bro, when he did the 1984 video, I had just finished 1984, and now I’m halfway through contact and he drops a contact video😂

[@skorzalonsdale4426]

Let’s all hope 1984 remains sci-fi!

[@TheMadTube]

The John Hurt Universe, it seems.

[@9bang88]

@@skorzalonsdale4426 it ain't

[@ailite8673]

I absolutely love this movie, I showed it to my dad a few weeks ago. A professor showed it in class in college and it rocked my world. The third act of this movie and Jodie Foster’s acting makes me cry my eyes out, I lose it when she sees the celestial event and the alien civilization. “They should have sent a poet”. The novel is wonderful and certainly more complete and smarter but I adore the film too

[@mikedrop4421]

Love seeing you branch out Eck. You guys are killing it lately and I've been subbed for like 6-7 years now. Back when everyone was doing something "who is Rey? Who is Snoke?" videos.

[@pyropulseIXXI]

Your mom is Snoke

[@anotherHelldiver]

Too far @pyropulse Everyone knows it’s really yours

[@EckhartsLadder]

No guys! Just me on the channel. Thank you very much, though!

[@TheRezro]

@@pyropulseIXXI Luuke Skywalker...

[@Kelnx]

@@EckhartsLadder Yeah definitely branch out more. There's a LOT of science fiction that simply isn't talked about. I'd love to see someone like you do deep dives on the whole ExFor series for example.

[@EckhartsLadder]

Raw-dogged this one with no script, I liked the book so much. I'm going to try to do one of these sci-fi videos a month. Most recently, we had 1984: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJTalqCGfdp3iNE The rest of the playlist is here: kzbin.info/aero/PLPcRSJDFb1llVkzIEjDp_mVhP2DveoW2- What should I do next?

[@kenthehobo]

Asimov!

[@HCL_Plus]

Azimov, perhaps the End of Eternity?

[@taohnichols]

Project Hail Mary

[@macekreislahomes1690]

Star Trek, Warhammer 40K......

[@TheRezro]

As much as I like this movie. No one would build that. 1) They did not know if it is a doom machine. Or what it does? 2) They do not know if aliens are hostile or not. Maybe it is a beacon for invading fleet? 3) Or simply they do not know if it is fake or not. It would be kind of funny if it was hoax... In reality no one would build this device. If alians are so advanced, why they didn't come?

[@davidrose8336]

"For Carl" Without fail, absolute gut punch that gets me crying every time. He passed in the midst of filming. A gentle soul and tragic loss for contemporary Humanity.

[@kayinoue2497]

Contact was the most influential book in my life. I credit it for my desire to become an astrophysicist & astronomer. It's a very special, optimistic story.

[@EckhartsLadder]

That's awesome. I think if I had read it at the right time it might've done for me too

[@kayinoue2497]

@@EckhartsLadder i was very fortunate to have educators who saw my curiosity and nurtured it. I was also very influenced by the original Cosmos when it aired in syndication. Sagan was the best kind of science communicator. I'm really glad you made this video, Eck, thank you!

[@Astrogator1]

I might be a lowly biologist but I always looked up as well. when I was about 6 or 7 there was a book in school that talked about the planets (that got me hooked). later the book and the film rocked my very boring world at the time, if I had not already started in a different direction scientifically, who knows .... I totally agree its a very special story and when I need some motivation or inspiration I often put on the DVD, must have reread book 6 or 7 times and the film ...much more and its still fresh

[@truality8289]

A story closer to reality than most realize

[@Astrogator1]

@@truality8289 Meaning?

[@saschaschneider9157]

This book contains my favorite quote: "See, in all our searching, the only thing we've found that makes the emptiness bearable, is each other."

[@Slave2TheRhythm69]

Too bad we humans are losing contact, because of cellphones, depression and capitalism 😢

[@Mastermind2921]

Star Wars led me into astronomy and astronomy led me into Sagan's work. I first saw the movie a few years ago and didn't even knew that this movie was an adaptation of his book! Keep the sci-fi videos going! You're doing a great job!

[@imofage3947]

I remember this movie. Didn't know it was based on a Sagan Novel, but I remember enjoying it. And I especially liked the shoutout Blizzard gave it in Starcraft. "They should have sent a poet".

[@QuintusAntonious]

I didn't know it was a book either. It seems like some very popular sci fi series--Stargate, Mass Effect, and the Expanse to name three, all borrowed ideas from this book that aren't in the movie version.

[@imofage3947]

@@QuintusAntonious There are several common sci-fi tropes in this movie. Super-advanced long-extinct aliens leaving tech behind for all to use. An alliance of several friendly aliens. Earth being suddenly exposed to the wider galactic/universal community. Religion clashing with science. Aliens appearing as humans to communicate. Message from the stars.

[@wonder_platypus8337]

Pretty sure that's an older quote that he used.

[@Nuetral768]

Contact was a very underrated movie, and one of my top 10 favorites of all time. From the sounds of it the book was more rooted in thought, while the movie was more rooted in feeling. I get the feeling I would still like the movie better than the book (especially since I, in opposite fashion as most, prefer my books non-fiction and my videos fiction), but I appreciate your explaining many of the differences. :)

[@aliensoup2420]

I was fortunate to work on the movie VFX, and was on the Pod launch gantry set. I remember listening while they filmed the scenes of Ellie inside the pod before launch, and Jodie Foster's voice shaking from the vibration.

[@sergioruiz733]

Kinda neat seeing you branch out into other sci-fi franchises. You should do The Area X trilogy.

[@EckhartsLadder]

I've read Southern Reach many times. There's just a lot to condense with the three novels. I'll probably do it in the next few months after another re-read.

[@giannigiovanna5322]

PLEASE

[@SixshotRevan]

The timing of the video is interesting. My parents decided to watch Contact for the first time in years, maybe decades, just a few hours before you uploaded this Eck.

[@augiegirl1]

Something else interesting about the timing (since this book talks about intelligent design): the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America uses a lectionary the Bible readings, & this weekend, the Old Testament passage is the Creation story from Genesis.

[@aersla1731]

I really loved this movie, it's one of the few memories I have with my mom that was pretty happy. The ending was so good, and it has stuck with me ever since.

[@kevinpotts123]

I remember the 1st Cosmos series where Dr Sagan explained that evolution was real. I had been raised in rural Baptist Indiana and that was the first time I felt like maybe i hadnt been told the whole truth by the people I had been trusting.

[@t0var1shch8]

Love when you do the "MORE" of Si-Fi, not just Star Wars.

[@JergBizcochino]

I have very fond memories of this movie from my childhood. Very under appreciated. Thank you so much for this

[@UpliftedCapybara]

Love to see you going back to other sci-fi universes again like you did back in the earlier days! Are you familiar with Alastair Reynolds’ work? Those are packed with interesting concepts to cover.

[@carldooley9344]

If he does do this, I'd love to see what he thinks of Arthur C Clarke & Stephen Baxter's 'Light of Other Days'

[@Ntwolf1220]

House of Suns is one of the greatest sci-fi novels of all time ❤️ Reynolds

[@micah3209]

This should really be adapted into a series, or mini-series even. A film can rarely do justice to a book, as a film needs to be around 2 hours long and can only fit so much information into the finished product. A series could do a deeper dive into the story and characters, and ultimately it would be fascinating to see what the scientists were up to after the book left off.

[@charlie.on.youtube]

Love this idea

[@Astrogator1]

Sounds like a great idea, but for every good series like the expanse there are heap of insults to the original ideas. Sadly the odds of it being a miss are very high… and that they meet the quality of the film….not so good. Let it be!

[@Gbob96]

I really like these reviews you do of deeper sci-fi novels. A lot of these are on my tbr, but I have a similar problem with my love of reading being somewhat stifled from undergrad and graduate school. These types of videos are awesome and I really like your perspective you give.

[@TheLeatheryman]

FantaZtic! I saw the movie when it came out in the 90s. The endi g was way over my head I have to say. I had not a clue who Carl Sagan was until I'd lived on KZbin for 10 years. Thanks so much! I'd forgotten how incredible this movie was.

[@Woodman-Spare-that-tree]

Sagan was on TV all the time when I was younger. Loved his programmes. He was an excellent presenter (and not bad looking either!). As a Brit, he always made me laugh when he pronounced “human” as “yooman”.

[@absurdlybritish9541]

I had no idea this was a book, I'd only seen the film a few months ago. That was a very well spoken review, I enjoyed it a lot. I've found the structure of alien messages to be very interesting reading, how you would structure a message such that a civilisation with no knowledge whatsoever of earthly traditions of notation, and number structure could understand it. I would love to hear more about science fiction content like this, and I'm going to look into getting the book after watching that review. Have a good [timezone]!!

[@nathanaelrice7745]

I am so glad that you started doing videos on other Sci-Fi stories/universes. I had heard people talk about Contact and knew it was a legendary film, but this video made me go watch contact before I even finished this video and I gotta say, WOW it was amazing. Please keep doing these!

[@freekashyyyk896]

I loved this movie as a kid

[@zachspike3226]

This just popped up and hell yeah you should make more sci-fi vids like this

[@sam3drinks]

I read this book for a class and college and loved it, thanks for bringing it all back :)

[@rilers0452]

I've loved Contact ever since I was 7 years old. Eck, this video is so good!! I've never heard about the differences from the book.

[@connordwyer1836]

love different content like this!

[@bumpygarage4291]

You outta do a video on the Three Body Problem. It's a crazy interesting series!

[@enthusia492]

Will always be my #1 favorite movie, and I've seen a LOT of movies. Certainly not the BEST film out there. There are films with better production design, score, editing, etc. but THIS movie will always hold a special place in my heart. It is just so... hopeful We need more of that these days EDIT: okay, I've never read the book but HOLY SHIT that is an awesome revelation. I did always feel that the film ended on an uncertain note, not really saying one way or another whether they'd ever prove that the journey truly happened. I should go read that book

[@chopper-unofficial4935]

I love the more varied sci fi content

[@grindingbricks]

Really liked that movie when younger, never got to read the novel, guess it's time!

[@kenthehobo]

Love to see you branching out. More of this please

[@BubblegumCrash332]

I remember renting this on VHS and going in blind. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Even with that ending

[@liv4combat]

Excellent work Sir. One of the finest works of science fiction ever written. One thing often overlooked by those that have read the book, and watched the movie is.... "time'. More specifically, time travel, and the flawed human understanding of it. Time travel as we understand it is flawed. The moment the "machine" is activated, the signal that initiated its creation stopped being received. Meaning that it's transmission was terminated in the past, once its continued transmission was no longer deemed necessary. Why waste time. Statement, not question.

[@corbinclements2222]

This is why I love you Eck. You cover things that intrest me and speak your mind.

[@cris_j]

I'd love to see your take on The Mote in God's Eye by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven. it's another first contact novel. If you haven't read it, you really should.

[@SpottedHares]

Kind of reminds me how Stargate universe would go down a similar route, the microwave background radiation has a artificial singled embedded within it.

[@jedh116]

Would love more videos like these!

[@MiChowTime]

You should do more videos like this

[@noobyham7887]

Maybe the aliens we find is the friends we made along the way

[@TwoBs]

It’s been years since I’ve watched this movie … forgot about it there for a good minute. Going to rewatch it as soon as I’m done with this video. Forgot how much it brings about the feelgoods.

[@ascensionindustries9631]

"With a hundred billion stars in our galaxy alone, what would make us think we are the only life form?" Wernher von Braun. I've studied the alien phenomenon. The Greys are not here to help us. In the Revelations our angelic overlords basically burn us off the earth through multiple drops from the sky. We may be better off alone.

[@cy-one]

.... what?

[@cernstormrunner7263]

You just earned a subscriber

[@Mallory-Malkovich]

Everyone wishes there was really a God, even Carl Sagan. But our desperate, childlike desire for some cosmic parent to take care of us is perhaps the surest sign that such a thing does not exist.

[@tracyupshaw7862]

This movie was terribly underrated. When it came out I remember people were disappointed that there were no “aliens” in it.. this movie can capture your imagination..

[@btaylo24]

I maybe alone but I think its one of the greatest films ever made. Great story and the 'do you believe her' makes you question yourself.

[@charlie.on.youtube]

I think I saw it four or five times in the theater when it came out

[@TJtheINsomNiac]

Heh, I've never heard of this movie but 3mins into this video and I've already decided to watch it and return after a viewing, Thanks Ecks! Actually real excited to check out both the movie and book

[@snorlaxmunch8675]

Three body problem is another conct with alien species book. Really good read

[@ai_is_a_great_place]

Never heard of this but wow, I wish I had. This was so amazing!

[@Woodman-Spare-that-tree]

You must watch the film. It’s so gripping.

[@BlackMoonHowls]

that was great, loved the experience i had with your video, about contact.

[@PeerlessScarred01]

Rare case of when both the book and the movie are phenomenal.

[@Agamon]

Loving the non-standard content. Brought me back to the channel

[@benwood7475]

I love this book/movie! Such an amazing story written by a supremely scientifically literate person

[@jakeschantz9081]

I really enjoyed this video I love the fact that you cover a lot of Star wars content however a alternate space topic is always good every now and then and this one was very interesting thank you

[@h0rus_lupercal782]

This was awesome, love to see you branch out from star wars.

[@sharplydressedrabbit3604]

I love the book and movie! Some of the best Sci-Fi there is

[@ivanguliashki]

19:06 "Why are aliens so silent?" *cough* Dark Forest theory *cough*

[@tmiller375]

Contact was the first novel I read. That and Red Mars trilogy by KSR great books

[@Godwarrior2314]

Well done. This is an amazing analysis. Very much an enjoyable topic. Thanks

[@chrisserfass8635]

Thank you for talking about one of my favorite movies!! And getting into new areas of content.

[@DarkKitarist]

Everytime I see the running towards the mirror scene, even though I know it's coming and how it was made, I'm in awe... It's just sooo good!

[@marianconstantindumitriu6062]

I eagerly await you to cover the Expanse. Ty for covering one of my favourite films, Eck!

[@justfellover]

I liked the movie ending, because it shows Ellie teaching kids. Science has become top-heavy, with too much talent devoted to finding the ultimate theory and not enough to making science literacy available to all people, not just the few who are identified early as STEM students.

[@alycatblues27]

Star Wars is awesome, but hearing you dig into other sci-fis is really fun and I dig it a lot

[@brucwayn6403]

Great video

[@andrewcoulthard-clark]

Thanks for making this! I saw this again recently and it's still brilliant.

[@departed402]

I am not a great mathematician, but I always appreciated the idea of it being a universal language, that is true, that we might use to communicate with aliens species.

[@DarthFrayd]

I would love to see more non-Star Wars sci fi videos from you, really enjoyed this one!

[@TheCosmicNemesis]

This is crazy I just started reading the novel today

[@Ozzywozzy]

Contact the movie is the most accurate movie about extraterrestrials. I say this as an astronomy geek and movie lover.

[@jedramyst5613]

Dude amazing video. Can’t believe you raw dogged this without a script

[@Canadianvoice]

Fellow maritimer, and star wars fan. Been watching you in the begining Ek. Love your content and the direction your heading in. Keeping it real east coast stule.

[@cassiusprado3589]

This type of video is not what EckhartsLadder normally makes but I'm so glad he did. I knew of this movie but just hearing it again while I do my own thing so refreshing from the Star Wars and Halo and other fictional work he does (not to say that this movie fiction) I really enjoyed this video and hope there's more like in the works.

[@kakarotprime69]

Underated movie

[@StarScapesOG]

This was a fabulous movie. Unfortunately, I never read the book. Maybe I'll look into it more. Thanks for the awesome video!

[@terranceaskew3165]

Contact is one of my favorite movies; however, i've never read the book. Thanks for showing it, as now I have another book to add to the collection!

[@1wwtom]

I read the book after seeing the movie but confess I don't remember most of the book now after 20 some years. The film is in my library and I've rewatched it many times since. My own belief is that there is, has been and will be other Life and even advanced civilizations somewhere somewhen in the universe. The problem is that Distance + Time and vice versa. The universe is so Large and Old that the likelihood that any two advanced civilizations being Close enough at the same Time fo become Aware of another much less Communicate is Slim and None. We have only been emitting our own comparitively weak EM signatures for a little over 100 years and listening for about 1/2 that. Good Luck!

[@vorpalweapon4814]

Your book summaries are pretty good

[@CivilMind117]

Absolutely loving these branch-out vids!

[@Foxster_13]

I usually come here for Star Wars content, but this was actually a good watch, or I guess listen, I've not heard of either the novel or film of Contact but it sounds like it's right up my alley, I love almost anything to do with Space and something like this where it talks about a potential coalition between different Alien races in the universe all helping each other. Kind of reminds me of Mass Effect, which I guess Mass Effect was probably created because of this. It also allows me to think, "Hmm, what if there is something like that out there and maybe they've seen us but have seen that we're not ready yet, despite our advancements or are we really alone or will we be the first civilization that goes into Space and I guess become the Aliens to other worlds." Edit: I'd actually like to see more stuff like this that isn't about Star Wars but what you're interested in and think we'd might like too.

[@thefelipevaldes]

I still think this movie is not about life in other planets or aliens, but the 4th dimension. We live in a 3D dimension, so we are not able to see or feel the 4th dimension. She went to the 4th dimension through the machine and recorded everything with the camera. But we are not able to see anything that has been recorded because we can't see the 4th dimension. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5-4g3iieN96mZI&pp=ygUNNHRoIGRpbWVuc2lvbg%3D%3D

[@eloquent_redneck3719]

one of my favorite channels and one of my favorite books! what an epic crossover

[@nathanball99]

Super cool video! I think it is funny how systems engineers would probably say "of course it didn't work, we couldn't verify any of the components met requirements and fundamentally worked ahead of time because we don't know what the machine does!"

[@q25800]

Hey I'm just mention that near the end, the member that recorder on her head, it recorded some thing and those two people were discussing it say it'sclassified

[@TrevorAWilliams]

This is one of your best videos!

[@chaiwarrior11]

I got really excited seeing just the thumbnail and title, thanks, matey.

[@derekmcneil2030]

Thank you. This was great. Please do more.

[@jello_cudgel9213]

Haven’t read the book but watched the movie (again) after watching this. Good review of an enjoyable story.

[@oilerfreak]

You did an unbelievable job Eck, thank you.

[@lightyearsfromhome1165]

First time post, and this transition is great!

[@Faus4us]

It's going to be a blast for sure.

[@JohnJohn-yl4ko]

💀

[@jeanniefromtahini5197]

This was so refreshing! I like.

[@unbentcrayfish]

Loving these non starwars videos, great stuff

[@Cherb123456]

Enjoyed! Thank you!

[@CreepingTerror]

Really enjoyed this breakdown!

[@EnraEnerato]

I liked that movie, it's one of my favourites! Haven't read the book yet, now it's on the list though!

[@khandimahn9687]

The movie does a good job condensing the book. But a lot had to be trimmed, and I highly recommend the book to everyone who enjoyed the movie. Or even to anyone who likes these sorts of novels.

[@SeeHere2]

Now need to find that book and read some Sagan. Thanks ekart

[@Macil2018]

I really wish Sagan had written a sequel to this. I know it isn't necessary and the story he set out to tell was told... But maaaaan I want to know what would happen next in it! ^_^ In the movie, Ellie's space dad says this was the first step and in time mankind would take another. I want to know what that other step would have been. Also. I really wish Hollywood would stop cutting parts from books when they make movies. I think everything explained here that was in the book would have been amazing to see on screen!