Editing Ann Druyan

{{Short description|American author and producer }}
{{Redirect|Druyan|the asteroid named after Ann Druyan|4970 Druyan}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Ann Druyan
| image              = Ann Druyan Accepts Peabody Award for COSMOS A SpaceTime Odyssey.jpg
| caption            = Druyan in 2014
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1949|6|13}}
| birth_place        = New York City, New York, U.S.
| known_for          = Author, [[Activism|activist]], [[Film producer|producer]]
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Carl Sagan]]|1981|1996|end=died}}
| children           = 2, including [[Sasha Sagan|Sasha]]
}}

'''Ann Druyan''' ({{IPAc-en|d|r|iː|'|æ|n}} {{respell|dree|ANN}};<ref>In the revised edition of ''Cosmos: A Personal Voyage'', Ann Druyan introduces herself in a {{YouTube|L1-D2X5_9CQ|prologue to Episode No. 1}}.</ref> born June 13, 1949) is an American documentary producer and director specializing in the communication of science.  She co-wrote the 1980 [[PBS]] [[Documentary film|documentary]] series ''[[Cosmos: A Personal Voyage|Cosmos]]'', hosted by [[Carl Sagan]], whom she married in 1981. She is the creator, producer, and writer of the 2014 sequel, ''[[Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey]]'' and its sequel series, ''[[Cosmos: Possible Worlds]]'', as well as the book of the same name. She directed episodes of both series.

In the late 1970s, she became the creative director of NASA's [[Voyager Golden Record|Voyager Interstellar Message Project]], which produced the golden discs affixed to both the ''[[Voyager&nbsp;1]]'' and ''[[Voyager&nbsp;2]]'' spacecraft.<ref name="nasa.gov">{{Cite web | url=http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/apr/HQ_M11-084_Voyager_Update.html#.Vztu1pMrJE4 | title=NASA Invites Public to Take a Journey Toward Interstellar Space| date=June 6, 2013}}</ref> She also published a novel, ''A Famous Broken Heart'', in 1977, and later co-wrote several best selling non-fiction books with Sagan.

== Early life and education ==
Ann Druyan was born in [[Queens, New York]], the daughter of Pearl A. ({{nee|Goldsmith}}) and Harry Druyan, who co-owned a knitwear firm.<ref>{{cite news |title=On the trail of the meaning of life |newspaper=Toronto Star |page=J.8 |date=November 28, 1992 |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/460161891.html?FMT=ABS|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411162218/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/460161891.html?FMT=ABS|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 11, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00E3D61E31F932A35756C0A9639C8B63 | title=Deaths Druyan, Pearl A. (nee Goldssmith) | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=May 1, 2005 | access-date=February 27, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | url = https://archive.org/details/carlsaganlife00davi | url-access = registration | quote = Pearl Harry Druyan| title = Carl Sagan: A life | publisher = Wiley | isbn = 978-0471252863 | last1 = Davidson | first1 = Keay | last2 = Sagan | first2 = Carl | date = 1999}}</ref> Her family was Jewish.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.kveller.com/sasha-sagan-on-making-jewish-rituals-meaningful-for-secular-jews/ | title=Sasha Sagan on Making Jewish Rituals Meaningful for Secular Jews | date=October 23, 2019 }}</ref>

Druyan's early interest in math and science was, in her word, "derailed" when a junior high-school teacher ridiculed a question she asked about the universality of [[pi|{{pi}}]]. "I raised my hand and said, 'You mean this applies to every circle in the universe?', and the teacher told me not to ask stupid questions. And there I was having this religious experience, and she made me feel like such a fool. I was completely flummoxed from then on until after college." Druyan characterized her three years at [[New York University]] as "disastrous", and it was only after she left school without graduating that she discovered the [[pre-Socratic philosophers]] and began educating herself, thus leading to a renewed interest in science.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1992-11-15-9204130523-story.html |title=Lucky Ann Druyan Enjoys a Life of Curiosity  |last=Richman |first=Ruth |website=chicagotribune.com |date=November 15, 1992 |access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref>

==Career==
In the late 1970s, Druyan became the creative director of NASA's [[Voyager Golden Record|Voyager Interstellar Message Project]].<ref name="nasa.gov"/> As creative director, Druyan worked with a team to design a complex message, including music and images, for possible alien civilizations. These golden phonograph records affixed to the ''[[Voyager&nbsp;1]]'' and ''[[Voyager&nbsp;2]]'' spacecraft are now beyond the outermost planets of the [[Solar System]], and ''Voyager&nbsp;1'' has entered interstellar space. Both records have a projected shelf life of one billion years.<ref>{{cite web |title=Voyager The Interstellar Mission The Golden Record |url=http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/goldenrec.html |website=NASA JPL |access-date=June 13, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Wall |first1=Mike |title=Voyager 1 Has Left Solar System |url=http://www.space.com/22729-voyager-1-spacecraft-interstellar-space.html |website=Space.com |date=September 12, 2013 |access-date=June 13, 2016}}</ref>

Druyan's role on the project was discussed on the July 8, 2018, 60 Minutes segment "The Little Spacecraft That Could".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-the-little-spacecraft-that-could/ |title=The little spacecraft that could |website=Cbsnews.com |date=July 8, 2018 |access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref> In the segment, Druyan explained her insistence that Chuck Berry's "[[Johnny B. Goode]]" be included on the Golden Record, saying: "...''Johnny B. Goode'', rock and roll, was the music of motion, of moving, getting to someplace you've never been before, and the odds are against you, but you want to go. That was Voyager." The segment also discussed Sagan's suggestion, in 1990, that ''Voyager&nbsp;1'' turn its cameras back towards Earth to take a series of photographs showing the planets of the [[Solar System]]. The shots, showing Earth from a distance of 3.7 billion miles as a small point of bluish light, became the basis for Sagan's famous "[[Pale Blue Dot]]" passage, first published in ''[[Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space]]'' (1994).

During that time, Druyan also co-wrote (with [[Carl Sagan]] and [[Steven Soter]]) the 1980 [[PBS]] [[Documentary film|documentary]] series ''[[Cosmos: A Personal Voyage|Cosmos]]'', hosted by Carl Sagan. The thirteen-part series covered a wide range of scientific subjects, including the [[origin of life]] and a perspective of humans place in the universe. It was highly acclaimed, and became the most widely watched series in the history of American [[public television]] at that time. The series won two [[Emmy Awards|Emmys]] and a [[Peabody Award]], and has since been broadcast in more than 60 countries and seen by over 500 million people.<ref name =Starchild>{{cite web | url=http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/whos_who_level2/sagan.html | title=StarChild: Dr. Carl Sagan | publisher=[[NASA]] | access-date=October 8, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/information/biography/pqrst/sagan_carl.html |title=Carl Sagan |publisher=EMuseum@Minnesota State University |access-date=October 8, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528213538/http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/information/biography/pqrst/sagan_carl.html |archive-date=May 28, 2010  }}</ref><!-- Retaining two refs here as Wikipedia seems to have incorrectly stated 500 million for years... -->  A [[Cosmos (Sagan book)|book]] was also published to accompany the series. {{As of |2009}}, it is still the most widely watched PBS series in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cosmolearning.com/documentaries/cosmos/|title=CosmoLearning Astronomy|publisher=CosmoLearning|access-date=October 8, 2009|archive-date=May 29, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120529135421/http://www.cosmolearning.com/documentaries/cosmos/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Several revised versions of the series were later broadcast; one version, telecast after Sagan's death, opens with Druyan paying tribute to her late husband and the impact of ''Cosmos'' over the years.

[[File:Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson and Ann Druyan in Sydney.JPG|thumb|left| [[Neil deGrasse Tyson]] and Ann Druyan in Sydney]]

Druyan wrote and produced the 1987 [[Nova (American TV series)|PBS ''NOVA'']] episode "Confessions of a Weaponeer" on the life of [[President Eisenhower]]'s Science Advisor [[George Kistiakowsky]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Steven Spielberg Film and Video Archive Peace, Nuclear Arms|url=https://www.ushmm.org/online/film/display/detail.php?file_num=1707 |website=US Holocaust Memorial Museum |access-date=June 13, 2016}}</ref>

In 2000, Druyan, together with Steve Soter, co-wrote ''Passport to the Universe'', the inaugural planetarium show for the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Natural History Museum's Hayden Planetarium. The attraction is narrated by Tom Hanks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amnh.org/content/download/69848/1199020/version/1/file/passport|title=Passport to the Universe PDF program|website=Amnh.org|access-date=December 14, 2021|archive-date=December 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221201053825/https://www.amnh.org/content/download/69848/1199020/version/1/file/passport|url-status=dead}}</ref> Druyan and Soter also co-wrote ''The Search for Life: Are We Alone'', narrated by Harrison Ford, which also debuted at the Hayden's Rose Center.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.astrobio.net/alien-life/interview-with-ann-druyan-and-steven-soter/ |title=Interview with Ann Druyan and Steven Soter |date=June 24, 2002 |website=Astrobiology Magazine |access-date=May 6, 2019 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128055535/https://www.astrobio.net/alien-life/interview-with-ann-druyan-and-steven-soter/ |archive-date=January 28, 2021}}</ref>

In 2000, Druyan co-founded Cosmos Studios, Inc, with [[Joseph Firmage]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Press Release |url=http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=2831 |website=Space Ref |date=September 27, 2000 |access-date=June 13, 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> As CEO of Cosmos Studios, Druyan produces science-based entertainment for all media. In addition to ''[[Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey|Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey]]'', Cosmos Studios has produced ''Cosmic Africa'',<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rogers |first1=Ann |title=Cosmic Africa explores Africa's astronomy |url=http://www.scienceinafrica.com/astronomy/cosmic-africa-explores-africas-astronomy |website=Science in Africa |access-date=June 17, 2016 |archive-date=November 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114202129/http://www.scienceinafrica.com/astronomy/cosmic-africa-explores-africas-astronomy |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt'',<ref>{{cite web |last1=Boyle |first1=Alan |title=Lost Dinosaurs Rediscovered in Egypt |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/3077283/ns/technology_and_science/t/lost-dinosaurs-rediscovered-egypt/#.V182MuYrJE4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911101409/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3077283/ns/technology_and_science/t/lost-dinosaurs-rediscovered-egypt/#.V182MuYrJE4 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 11, 2016 |website=MSNBC |date=December 5, 2003 |access-date=June 13, 2016}}</ref> and the [[Emmy Awards|Emmy]]-nominated<ref>{{cite web |title=The 25th Annual News and Documentary Award Nominees\ |url=http://cdn.emmyonline.org/news_25th_nominations.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://cdn.emmyonline.org/news_25th_nominations.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |website=Emmy Online |access-date=June 13, 2016}}</ref> documentary ''Cosmic Journey: The Voyager Interstellar Mission and Message''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Press Release Documentary chronicles the decades-long travels of Voyagers 1 and 2 |url=http://www.swri.org/9what/releases/2003/voyager2.htm |website=Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) News |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811062754/http://www.swri.org/9what/releases/2003/voyager2.htm |archive-date=August 11, 2016}}</ref> In 2009, she distributed a series of [[podcasts]] called ''At Home in the Cosmos with Annie Druyan'', in which she described her works, the life of her husband, [[Carl Sagan]], and their marriage.

Druyan is credited, with Carl Sagan, as the co-creator and co-producer of the 1997 feature film ''[[Contact (1997 American film)|Contact]]''.<ref>{{Citation |title=Contact (1997) – IMDb |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118884/fullcredits |access-date=May 6, 2019}}.</ref>

In 2011, it was announced that Druyan would executive produce, co-write, and be one of the episodic directors for a sequel to ''[[Cosmos: A Personal Voyage]]'', to be called ''[[Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey]]'', which began airing in March 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vergano |first=Dan |title=Neil deGrasse Tyson tweets for science literacy |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/vergano/2012/10/20/neil-degrasse-tyson-sagan/1644383/ |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |access-date=October 29, 2012 |date=October 20, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://twitter.com/neiltyson/statuses/214467960528572417 |title=neiltyson |publisher=Twitter.com |access-date=June 22, 2012}}</ref> Episodes premiered on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] and also aired on [[National Geographic Channel]] on the following night.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Wallenstein |first=Andrew |title=TCA: Fox aims for repeat-free sked |url=https://variety.com/2011/tv/news/tca-fox-aims-for-repeat-free-sked-1118040962/ |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=October 29, 2012}}</ref> At the time of its release, Fox gave the series the largest global rollout of a television series ever, debuting it in 180 countries. The premiere episode was shown across nine of Fox's cable properties in addition to the broadcast network in a "roadblock" style premiere. The series went on to become the most-watched series ever for National Geographic Channel International, with at least some part of the 13-episode series watched by 135 million people, including 45 million in the U.S.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2014/tv/news/cosmos-draws-biggest-global-audience-ever-for-national-geographic-channel-1201257111/ |title='Cosmos' Draws Biggest Global Audience Ever for National Geographic Channel |last=Kissell |first=Rick |date=July 7, 2014 |website=Variety |access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref>

In March 2020, a third season of ''Cosmos'', named ''[[Cosmos: Possible Worlds]]'', for which Druyan was executive producer, writer, and director, premiered on [[National Geographic (American TV channel)|National Geographic]]. Druyan also said: "I very much have season four in mind, and I know what it's going to be. And I even know some of the stories that I want to tell in it."<ref name=Palmer/>

===Writing===
Druyan's first novel, ''A Famous Broken Heart'', was published in 1977.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Collins |first=Glenn |date=1985-09-30 |title=THE SAGANS: FICTION AND FACT BACK TO BACK |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/30/style/the-sagans-fiction-and-fact-back-to-back.html |access-date=2024-06-11 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Druyan co-wrote six [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' bestsellers]] with Carl Sagan, including: ''[[Comet (book)|Comet]]'',<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/02/02/books/best-sellers.html |title = Best Sellers|newspaper = [[The New York Times]]|date = February 2, 1986}}</ref> ''[[Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (Sagan and Druyan book)|Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors]]'',<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/11/books/best-sellers-october-11-1992.html |title = Best Sellers: October 11, 1992|newspaper = [[The New York Times]]|date = October 11, 1992}}</ref> and ''[[The Demon-Haunted World]]''.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/16/books/best-sellers-june-16-1996.html |title = Best Sellers: June 16, 1996|newspaper = [[The New York Times]]|date = June 16, 1996}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/159731/the-demon-haunted-world-by-carl-sagan/9780345409461|title=The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan: 9780345409461 &#124; PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books|website=PenguinRandomhouse.com|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> She is co-author, along with Carl Sagan, [[F. D. Drake]], [[Timothy Ferris]], [[Jon Lomberg]] and [[Linda Salzman Sagan]], of  ''Murmurs Of Earth: The Voyager Interstellar Record''.<ref>Sagan, Carl. ''Murmurs Of Earth : The Voyager Interstellar Record'' / Carl Sagan [... et al.]. n.p.: New York : Random House, 1978. {{ISBN|0394410475}}.</ref>  She also wrote the updated introduction to Sagan's book ''[[The Cosmic Connection]]'' and the epilogue of ''[[Billions and Billions]]''. She wrote the introduction to, and edited ''[[The Varieties of Scientific Experience]]'', published from Sagan's 1985 [[Gifford lectures]].

In February 2020, Druyan published ''Cosmos: Possible Worlds'',<ref name="Possible Worlds-Amazon">{{cite book |title=Cosmos: Possible Worlds Hardcover – February 25, 2020 |url=https://smile.amazon.com/Cosmos-Possible-Worlds-Ann-Druyan/dp/1426219083/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1587165744&sr=8-1 |website=Amazon.com | date=February 25, 2020 |publisher=Amazon | isbn=978-1-4262-1908-5 |access-date=April 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200417232408/https://www.amazon.com/Cosmos-Possible-Worlds-Ann-Druyan/dp/1426219083/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1587165744&sr=8-1&pldnSite=1 |archive-date=April 17, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> a companion volume to [[Cosmos: Possible Worlds|the television series of the same name]], which premiered in March 2020.<ref name=Palmer>{{cite web |last1=Palmer |first1=Rob |title=Exploring 'Possible Worlds' With Ann Druyan |url=https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/exploring-possible-worlds-with-ann-druyan/ |website=Skepticalinquirer.org |publisher=CFI |access-date=April 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200401031822/https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/exploring-possible-worlds-with-ann-druyan/ |archive-date=April 1, 2020 |date=March 31, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Work in science===
Druyan is a fellow of the [[Committee for Skeptical Inquiry|Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal]] (CSICOP).<ref>{{cite web |title=CSI Fellows and Staff |url=http://www.csicop.org/about/csi_fellows_and_staff |website=Committee for Skeptical Inquiry |access-date=June 13, 2016}}</ref>

Druyan served as program director of the first solar-sail deep-space mission, [[Cosmos 1]], launched on a Russian ICBM in 2005.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kaplan |first1=Mat |title=Press Release Cosmos 1, The World's First Solar Sail Spacecraft, Achieves Critical Milestone |url=http://www.planetary.org/press-room/releases/2004/0811_Cosmos_1_The_Worlds_First_Solar_Sail.html |website=The Planetary Society |access-date=June 13, 2016}}</ref>

Druyan is involved in multiple [[Breakthrough Initiatives]]. With [[Frank Drake]], Druyan is the co-chair of [[Breakthrough Message]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Breakthrough Initiatives Message Leaders |url=https://breakthroughinitiatives.org/?controller=Page&action=page&page_id=21 |access-date=June 13, 2016}}</ref> and also a member of [[Breakthrough Starshot]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://breakthroughinitiatives.org/?controller=Page&action=page&page_id=13|title=Breakthrough Initiatives|website=Breakthroughinitiatives.org|access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref>

She is a member of the advisory board of The [[Carl Sagan Institute]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Glaser |first1=Linda B. |title=Institute for Pale Blue Dots renamed in honor of Carl Sagan |url=http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2015/05/institute-pale-blue-dots-renamed-honor-carl-sagan |newspaper=Cornell Chronicle |access-date=June 13, 2016}}</ref>

==Activism==
Druyan has for many years been a vocal advocate for nuclear disarmament. She was arrested three times at the [[Mercury, Nevada]] nuclear test site during Mikhail Gorbachev's unilateral moratorium on underground nuclear testing, with which President Ronald Reagan did not cooperate. This included an arrest in June 1986, when she crossed a white painted line indicating the test site's boundary. Sagan, who attended the same protest with Druyan, was not arrested.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/06/03/Scores-arrested-at-nuclear-test-site/8569518155200/ |title=Scores arrested at nuclear test site |agency=UPI |access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref>

In the early 1990s, Druyan worked with Sagan and then-Senator Al Gore Jr. and a host of religious and scientific leaders to bring the scientific and religious worlds together in a unified effort to preserve the environment, resulting in the ''Declaration of the 'Mission to Washington{{'}}''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bnl.gov/envsci/schwartz/jointappeal.html |title=Declaration of the 'Mission to Washington' |website=Bnl.gov |access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref>

She was a founding director of the Children's Health Fund until the spring of 2004, a project that provides mobile pediatric care to homeless and disadvantaged children in more than half a dozen cities. She is currently a member of their advisory board.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.childrenshealthfund.org/advisory-council/|title=Children's Health Fund Advisory Council|website=Childrenshealthfund.org|access-date=December 14, 2021|archive-date=September 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190902143517/https://www.childrenshealthfund.org/advisory-council/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

She has been on the board of directors of the [[National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws]] (NORML) for over 10 years and was its president from 2006 to 2010.<ref>{{Cite web
  | title =About NORML, Ann Druyan
  | url =http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4493
  | access-date = December 26, 2007 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071213022754/http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4493| archive-date= December 13, 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
  | title =About NORML Foundation, Ann Druyan (President)
  | url =http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3439
  | access-date = December 26, 2007
  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104002920/http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3439
  | archive-date=  January 4, 2011
}}</ref>

==Honors==
[[File:Ann Druyan 1.jpg|thumb|Druyan in 2008]]
An asteroid discovered in 1988 was named in Druyan's honor by its discoverer [[Eleanor F. Helin]]. In a 2020 interview with ''[[Skeptical Inquirer]]'', Druyan discussed [[4970 Druyan]] and the asteroid named after her late husband, saying that [[4970 Druyan]] is in a "wedding ring orbit" around the Sun with [[2709 Sagan]]. Druyan was presented with a plaque on Sagan's sixtieth birthday, which is inscribed: "Asteroid 2709 Sagan in eternal companion orbit with asteroid 4970 Druyan, symbolic of their love and admiration for each other."<ref name = Palmer/>

In November 2006, Druyan was a speaker at "[[Beyond Belief: Science, Religion, Reason and Survival]]".

In January 2007, she was a juror at the [[2007 Sundance Film Festival]], responsible for selecting the winner of the [[Alfred P. Sloan Prize]] for films about science and technology.<ref>{{Cite web
  | title =2007 Sundance Film Festival Jurors
  | url =http://festival.sundance.org/2007/festival/jurors.aspx
  | work =[[Sundance Film Festival]]
  | access-date = October 1, 2007 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070907180052/http://festival.sundance.org/2007/festival/jurors.aspx| archive-date= September 7, 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref>

In November 2007, Druyan was awarded the title of "Humanist Laureate" by the International Academy of Humanism.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.humanisthub.org/release-10-1-18/ |title=Humanist Hub : Press Release: Humanist Hub Announces Humanist of the Year Recipient |website=Humanisthub.org |access-date=May 6, 2019 |archive-date=May 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506213026/http://www.humanisthub.org/release-10-1-18/ |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

In October 2019, the [[Center for Inquiry]] West opened the [[Carl Sagan]]–Ann Druyan Theater in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news |title=Grand Opening of the New CFI West {{!}} CFI West |url=https://cfiwest.org/event/grand-opening-of-the-new-cfi-west/ |date=July 24, 2019}}</ref>

==Religious and philosophical views==
In an interview with [[Joel Achenbach]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'', Druyan said that her early interest in science stemmed from a fascination with [[Karl Marx]]. Achenbach commented that "She had, at the time, rather vaporous standards of evidence", a reference to her belief in the [[ancient astronauts]] of [[Erich von Däniken]] and the theories of [[Immanuel Velikovsky]] pertaining to the solar system.<ref>{{cite book |author=Achenbach, Joel |title=Captured by Aliens: the search for life and truth in a very large universe |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |location=New York |year=1999 |isbn=0684848562 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/capturedbyaliens00joel/page/95 95–96] |quote=Her interest in science came primarily from her interest in the philosophy of Karl Marx. ... Druyan herself had, at the time, rather vaporous standards of evidence for her many sundry beliefs (as she later acknowledged). She believed ... that Immanuel Velikovsky in the 1950s had correctly deduced the truth about the solar system. ... She believed in the ancient astronauts of Erich von Daniken. |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/capturedbyaliens00joel/page/95 }}</ref>

Concerning the death of her husband she stated:<ref>{{cite journal |last=Druyan |first=Ann | author-link=Ann Druyan |date=November–December 2003 |title=Ann Druyan Talks About Science, Religion, Wonder, Awe&nbsp;... and Carl Sagan |journal=Skeptical Inquirer |volume=27 |issue=6 |issn=0194-6730 |access-date=July 27, 2010 |url= http://www.csicop.org/si/show/ann_druyan_talks_about_science_religion/}}</ref>
<blockquote>
When my husband died, because he was so famous and known for not being a believer, many people would come up to me—it still sometimes happens—and ask me if Carl changed at the end and converted to a belief in an [[afterlife]]. They also frequently ask me if I think I will see him again. Carl faced his death with unflagging courage and never sought refuge in illusions. The tragedy was that we knew we would never see each other again. I don't ever expect to be reunited with Carl.
</blockquote>

==Personal life==

Druyan and Sagan's working and resulting romantic relationship has been the subject of numerous treatments in popular culture, including the [[Radiolab]] episode "Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan's Ultimate Mix Tape",<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2010/02/12/123534818/carl-sagan-and-ann-druyans-ultimate-mix-tape |title=Carl Sagan And Ann Druyan's Ultimate Mix Tape |website=NPR.org |access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref> a segment of the Comedy Central program ''[[Drunk History]]''{{'}}s episode "Space",<ref>{{Citation |title=Space |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4998726/ |access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref> and the song "Sounds of Earth" by [[Jim Moray]]. The asteroid [[4970 Druyan]], which is in a companion orbit with asteroid [[2709 Sagan]] named after Druyan's late husband, is named after Druyan.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://science.howstuffworks.com/dictionary/famous-scientists/10-cool-things-carl-sagan10.htm |title=10 Cool Things About Carl Sagan |date=May 5, 2014 |website=HowStuffWorks |access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref><ref name = Palmer/> In 2015, it was announced that Warner Brothers was in development on a drama about Sagan and Druyan's relationship, to be produced by producer Lynda Obst and Druyan.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.thewrap.com/carl-sagan-ann-druyan-cosmos-warner-brothers-movie-drama/ |title=Warner Bros. Developing Drama About 'Cosmos' Author Carl Sagan and Wife Ann Druyan |date=August 18, 2015 |website=TheWrap |access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref>

In 2020, Sagan and Druyan's daughter [[Sasha Sagan]] released a book ''For Small Creatures Such As We: Rituals for Finding Meaning in our Unlikely World'', which discusses life with her parents and her father's death when she was fourteen years old.<ref name="Ruth Frazier">{{cite journal |last1=Frazier |first1=Ruth |title=Finding Science and Wonder, Making Meaning |journal=Skeptical Inquirer |date=2019 |volume=43 |issue=6 |pages=62–63}}</ref>

Druyan also gave Sasha a recurring role in ''[[Cosmos: Possible Worlds]]'', where she played her own grandmother, including in the episode ''Man of a Trillion Worlds'', which featured the life of Carl Sagan.<ref name = Palmer/>

==Awards==
* 2004 [[Richard Dawkins Award]]
* 2014 Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming Primetime Emmy Award
* 2015 The Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television from [[Producers Guild of America]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.producersguild.org/page/2015PGAWinners|title=2015 PGA Awards Winners|website=Producers Guild of America|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160222020032/http://www.producersguild.org/page/2015PGAWinners|archive-date=February 22, 2016|url-status=dead|access-date=April 2, 2017}}</ref>
* 2015 Writers Guild Award for "Documentary Script – Other than Current Events"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/wga-awards-winners-2015-screenplay-tv-drama-comedy-1201434302/|title='Grand Budapest Hotel,' 'True Detective' Top WGA Awards|last=McNary|first=Dave|date=February 15, 2015|website=Variety|access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref>
* 2017 Harvard Humanist of the Year Award<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.humanisthub.org/events/anndruyan/|title=Ann Druyan: Harvard Humanist of the Year Award|website=Humanisthub.org|access-date=May 6, 2019|archive-date=May 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506214956/http://www.humanisthub.org/events/anndruyan/|url-status=usurped}}</ref>
* 2020 National Geographic Further Award<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://abc7news.com/entertainment/cosmos-creator-recognized-for-pushing-boundaries/6090058/|title=National Geographic's 'Cosmos' creator scores award for pushing boundaries of television|date=April 9, 2020|work=ABC News|access-date=April 14, 2020}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Women in science]]
* [[List of peace activists]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Ann Druyan}}
* Ann Druyan: [http://anndruyan.typepad.com/ The Observatory]
* {{IMDb name}}

{{Carl Sagan}}
{{Voyager Golden Record}}
{{Interstellar messages}}
{{EmmyAward NonfictionProgrammingWriting}}
{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:Activists from New York (state)]]
[[Category:American agnostics]]
[[Category:American cannabis activists]]
[[Category:American science writers]]
[[Category:American skeptics]]
[[Category:American women novelists]]
[[Category:Carl Sagan]]
[[Category:Hugo Award–winning writers]]
[[Category:Interstellar messages]]
[[Category:Jewish agnostics]]
[[Category:Jewish skeptics]]
[[Category:Jewish American novelists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People associated with the American Museum of Natural History]]
[[Category:People from Queens, New York]]
[[Category:Sagan family]]
[[Category:Scientists from New York (state)]]
[[Category:20th-century American Jews]]
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]
[[Category:American science communicators]]