In a world in which time is a circle, every handshake, every kiss, every birth, every word, will be repeated precisely.
Alan LightmanMost people have learned to live in the moment. The argument goes that if the past has uncertain effect on the present, there is no need to dwell on the past. And if the present has little effect on the future, present actions need not be weighed for their consequence. Rather, each act is an island in time, to be judged on its own. ... It is a world of impulse. It is a world of sincerity. It is a world in which every word spoken speaks just to that moment, every glance given has only one meaning.
Alan LightmanAs a scientist, I don't believe science will ever discover whether God exists. Nor do I believe religion will ever prove it.
Alan LightmanWhere are the one billion people who lived and breathed in the year 1800, only two short centuries ago?
Alan LightmanExcept for a God who sits down after the universe begins, all other gods conflict with the assumptions of science.
Alan LightmanIn a world without future, each parting of friends is a death. In a world without future, each loneliness is final. In a world without future, each laugh is the last laugh. In a world without future, beyond the present lies nothingness, and people cling to the present as if hanging from a cliff.
Alan Lightman