Did Carl Sagan see 2020 coming 25 years ago? Here’s why some people think he did. A certain excerpt from The Demon Haunted World has gone viral countless times in the last few years, often being called prophetic and frightening. What does it really mean, though? Did Carl Sagan predict the future? Science denial, conspiracy theories, power disparities, media influence, and authoritarianism were all things he showed great concern over, but did he have sufficient reason for concern in his own time?