What is called for is an exquisite balance between two conflicting needs: the most skeptical scrutiny of all hypotheses that are served up to us and at the same time a great openness to new ideas. If you are only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you. On the other hand, if you are open to the point of gullibility and have not an ounce of skeptical sense in you, then you cannot distinguish useful ideas from the worthless ones.

Science is merely an extremely powerful method of winnowing what's true from what feels good.

When we look up at night and view the stars, everything we see is shinning because of distant nuclear fusion.

We are made of starstuff.

Every kid starts out as a natural-born scientist, and then we beat it out of them. A few trickle through the system with their wonder and enthusiasm for science intact.

Our ancestors lived out of doors. They were as familiar with the night sky as most of us are with our favorite television programs.

Not all bits have equal value.