The Big Bang banged, and for some reason we’re here. And that’s astonishing. And that we can understand that, that’s the most astonishing.

Science is the best idea humans have ever had. The more people who embrace that idea, the better.

For me, the meaning of life is pretty clear: Living things strive to pass their genes into the future.

Some of the most wonderful aspects and consequences of evolution have been discovered only recently. This is in stark contrast to creationism, which offers a static view of the world, one that cannot be challenged or tested with reason. And because it cannot make predictions, it cannot lead to new discoveries, new medicines, or new ways to feed all of us.

I always say when you see that old black-and-white footage of the rocket on the launch pad and it falls over and explodes, that's because people had slide rules. Not having the decimal point is a real drawback. You want the decimal point, take it from me.

One of the drawbacks of English is you can't spell things by hearing them.

You stop planetary exploration, those people who do that extraordinary work are going to have to go do something else.