Feudal societies don't create great cinema; we have great theatre. The egalitarian societies create great cinema. The Americans, the French. Because equality is sort of what the cinema deals with. It deals with stories which don't fall into 'Everybody in their place and who's who,' and all that. But the theatre's full of that.

An explorer of the universe is sexier than a musician.

Science is different to all other systems of thought because you dont need faith in it, you can check that it works.

What scientists are attached to is journeys into the unknown and discovering things that are completely unexpected and baffling and surprising.

For me, Woody Allen's 'Manhattan' defines New York. Both New York and Manhattan Island should be in black in white! I always hear the soundtrack of Gershwin in my head every time I go over the Queensboro Bridge, or come in from JFK because of it!

There is so much left of it to explore.

When you fall into a black hole you will be literally spaghettified.