Nepal and Sagan? Maybe because it is closer to the stars

This weekend as part of a broader strategy to allow users to better screen accounts they follow, X began rolling out account nation of origin identification.  Whichever accounts you follow, you can now see where they are based, how they connect to X, how many times they change their handle, etc.  

Saturday onwards there was a flood of discoveries of accounts heavily involved in political discourse and various shades of activism which were based in Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Russia, etc.  There was a lot of crowing on the right because they have lately been dealing with seeming grassroots members of their coalition who were driving extremist positions and these were suddenly shown to be foreign accounts.  

The MSM has been making much of how extreme Republicans and MAGA were becoming by citing these hateful fringe accounts.  Now it has become apparent that most these accounts originate overseas from less than respectable locales.  Conservatives are delighted to be vindicated.  

Why these accounts are doing this remains unclear to me.  Certainly a viable hypothesis is that they are funded psyops by enemy nation states seeking to cause disruption in America but at first blush it is hard to see clear patterns.  They seem to come from all over and cover so many different discussions.  A possible hypothesis but competing with a variety of other plausible ones.  It might become clearer soon.

Of course, as soon as I saw that this feature had been turned on, I started vetting accounts I follow.  

I have always used X as a complement to books, magazines, newspapers and conversations.  It is a source of information, ideas, and aesthetics.  I follow some 2,000 accounts covering almost everything from maritime commerce to medieval cathedrals to paleo-rock art to applied economic theory to deep space photography.  I generally unfollow accounts which shift from content to rank opinions.  Ideas, information and aesthetics is what I am after.  

I am reasonably pleased with the curated garden of ideas and information but it always needs tending as accounts evolve their focus and new accounts come on line.

Most accounts I follow are people I know to be in the US.  A good number are people I know to be in specific other countries such as Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, Australia, etc.  

After a day and a half of vetting I have not come up with any of the rage bot accounts others are finding or accounts which are clear manipulators of others (beyond the benchmark of all human interaction.)

Until this morning.  Not an account I follow but not unreasonable that I might have.  

Robin Hanson is an economics professor at George Mason and an author.  I have read and enjoyed his books and I follow his X account.

He responds to someone else's account.

@ProfCarlSagan account seems innocuous.  

There are lots of accounts which post quotes or excerpts from well known individuals.  I follow several which respectively keep me routinely supplied with material from Shakespeare, Adam Smith, Hayek, Machiavelli, P.G. Wodehouse, Sun Tzu, Immanuel Kant, Aristotle, and the like.

But the supposed quote from Sagan seemed too glib and pat to be credible.  In terms of an argument, seemingly on the wrong end of a nuanced stick.  Aristotle should not have served Philip II of Macedon or taught Alexander the Great?  

The role of intellectuals is to challenge authority, not to serve it.

Doesn't quite sound like Sagan.  Sure enough, it is not a quote by Sagan but is usually attributed to Noam Chomsky (and while reasonably consonant with Chomsky's work, I can't find a source for that attribution either.)  

Hanson responds with the far better claim:

The role of intellectuals is to tell the truth whether that opposes or supports authority.  

But in terms of investing time?  The whole thread seemed anemic.  An exercise in algorithmic manipulation to attract attention without constructive effort or goals.  

But since I am vetting accounts and do like Sagan, I took a look at @ProfCarlSagan. About 45,000 followers so a moderate sized following.  Seemingly more than enough to raise red flags if there is anything nefarious going on.

If the goal is gain attention, then mission accomplished.  

45,000 followers but 750,000 views and 17,000 likes, 5,000 shares and a lively engagement among 275 commenters.  

Grok's characterization of @ProfCarlSagan:

Overview

The X account @ProfCarlSagan is a tribute and educational profile dedicated to the legacy of astronomer, cosmologist, and science communicator Carl Sagan (1934–1996). It positions itself as a modern extension of Sagan's work, emphasizing scientific literacy, rational inquiry, and humanistic values. With a focus on inspiration rather than original content, the account has cultivated a niche following among science enthusiasts, skeptics, and fans of Sagan's books like Cosmos and The Demon-Haunted World. As of November 24, 2025, it boasts nearly 45,000 followers and maintains steady engagement through visually appealing, quotable posts.

Key Profile Details

Username: @ProfCarlSagan

Display Name: Prof. Carl Sagan

User ID: 1433755540505595907

Bio: "Science is more than a body of knowledge. It is a way of thinking. Tweets about Scientific Wonder, Skepticism, Critical thinking and Carl Sagan's Legacy." (Directly echoes Sagan's famous definition of science from his writings.)

Avatar: A black-and-white portrait of Carl Sagan in a thoughtful pose, evoking his iconic scholarly demeanor (viewable at: https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1558633224447766528/-nEMbaOU.jpg).

Verification: Blue Verified (X Premium subscriber, lending credibility to its educational bent).

Followers: 44,795 (moderate influence, primarily organic growth from science and philosophy communities).

Account Creation: September 2021, shortly after a resurgence in interest in Sagan's work amid global discussions on science denial and existential risks.

Content Style and Themes

Tone: Poetic, reflective, and urgent—blending Sagan's awe for the cosmos with calls to action against misinformation, authoritarianism, and environmental neglect. Posts are concise, often under 280 characters, prioritizing impact over verbosity.

Primary Topics: 

 

Skepticism and Critical Thinking: Warnings about "unchallenged ideas" becoming "dangerous myths" @ProfCarlSagan  or the perils of credulity in a high-stakes world. @ProfCarlSagan

Humanism and Ethics: Quotes on intellectual responsibility, like "It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and expose lies," @ProfCarlSagan  or challenging authority. @ProfCarlSagan

Scientific Wonder and Legacy: Tributes to Sagan's life, such as a 1981 photo of him playing cards with his wife Ann Druyan, @ProfCarlSagan  or critiques of societal priorities echoing his views on government spending. @ProfCarlSagan

Broader Philosophy: Inspirational lines from thinkers like Tolstoy ("Your whole life should be lived as a heroic deed") @ProfCarlSagan  or Voltaire, often paired with cosmic imagery.

Posting Habits: 1–3 posts daily, mostly original quotes or Sagan excerpts, frequently with high-quality images (e.g., starry skies, archival photos) or short videos. No heavy promotion; engagement spikes on timely or viral themes like AI ethics or climate action.

Engagement: Solid interaction—posts average 200–500 likes, with outliers reaching 5,000+ (e.g., a Einstein quote on inaction garnered 1,912 likes). 

@ProfCarlSagan  Views range from 4,000 to over 700,000, driven by shares in science Twitter circles.

Influence and Role

@ProfCarlSagan  serves as a digital "pale blue dot" reminder of Sagan's message: humanity's fragility and potential in an indifferent universe. It's not an official estate account but a passionate homage, fostering discussions on X about pseudoscience, social justice, and cosmic perspective. Compared to broader science accounts (e.g., @NASA or @neiltyson), it stands out for its literary, quote-driven format, appealing to readers over visual spectacle. Its growth reflects enduring demand for Sagan's voice in polarized times, encouraging users to "think for yourselves." 

OK.  Reasonable enough.  Still seems reasonably legit other than posting at least the occasional falsely attributed quote.  Legitimate quotes being its raison d'etre.  

But with the new location feature, what does that tell us? 

Well, well, well, who's that a-callin'?  

Based in Nepal?  

The plot thickens.  Could there be some Sagan enthusiast camped out in the mountains and valleys of Nepal busily finding and posting Sagan content everyday for the world's edification?  Obviously - possible.

But probable?  Once you move into the world of probabilities the probability that this is some real person in Nepal posting because of a heart felt interest in Sagan seems low.

Some Bot driving attention harvesting seems much more likely.

Still, doesn't seem nefarious but now we are in much different territory than when we started.  If you want real content from real people with real interests, then definitely not the account to follow.  

In the meanwhile, I will keep my eyes open for anything among the accounts I actually do follow.  So far, nothing but I am guessing there will be at least a surprise or two among the 2,000.