Cosmos Zip-Pull

Many of you fellow thinkers out there, just like I did, fell in love with Carl Sagan’s Cosmos series when you were young (or are maybe falling in love with it now if you are of a younger generation). Carl utilized the burgeoning medium of television in the 80’s to bring us words and images that still inspire legions of science fans the world over today. One of the concepts he employed to help give our minds the wings we would need to follow this journey through the universe was the Ship of the Imagination. As is true for much of science exploration, we are only limited by our imaginations. That sense of wonder and openness to unpredictability are, in fact, often all we need to venture into the unknown and seek answers (think Einstein and his thought experiments) to the universe’s biggest (and smallest) questions.

As Carl notes in the initial episode…

“The surface of the Earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean. On this shore we have learned most of what we know. Recently, we’ve waded a little way out—maybe ankle-deep—and the water seems inviting. Some part of our being knows this is where we came from. We long to return. And we can. Because the cosmos is also within us. We’re made of star-stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.

The journey for each of us begins here. We’re going to explore the cosmos in a ship of the imagination unfettered by ordinary limits on speed and size, drawn by the music of cosmic harmonies. It can take us anywhere in space and time. Perfect as a snowflake, organic as a dandelion seed, it will carry us to worlds of dreams and worlds of facts. Come with me.”

Decades later, Ann Druyan (Carl’s wife and co-author of the series) brought us back to their labor of love with an updated series hosted by Neil DeGrasse Tyson, in which he again introduces the Ship of the Imagination and beckons us on the journey of a lifetime with a gentle Come With Me and a wistful launch of a more modern Ship of the Imagination. These wondrous works have a profound importance in my life and I bet in the lives of many others lives as well. To help pay a small homage and thank you to Carl’s memory, I created this zip-pull/dangle to celebrate those two key aspects of the series. The front of the pull features a humble dandelion seed floating forth into the universe as our Ship of the Imagination. The back invites us to follow his lead (and invite others along as well) to share in this journey into the universe, and more profoundly, ourselves, with the invitation to Come With Me (complete with Carl’s initials).

The pull measures approximately 2.75" x 1" x .11" (70mm x 25mm x 3mm) (includes dangle clasp). The tag portion is laser engraved cast acrylic which features beautiful, space/nebula-like hues embedded in the acrylic. The engravings are filled with silver oil-based paint so it will be more water resistant for a lifetime of color-fastness. Note - each acrylic substrate is unique in its patterning, so no two tags will be identical in their variations. The clasp is made of silver nickel-free iron for those with metal sensitivities.

WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD – Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs.