It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.

Curiosity and the urge to solve problems are the emotional hallmarks of our species.

We can judge our progress by the courage of our questions and the depth of our answers, our willingness to embrace what is true rather than what feels good.

Religions contradict one another-on small matters, such as whether we should put on a hat or take one off on entering a house of worship, or whether we should eat beef and eschew pork or the other way around, all the way to the most central issues, such as whether there are no gods, one God, or many gods.

A single message from space will show that it is possible to live through technological adolescence. . . . It is possible that the future of human civilization depends on the receipt of interstellar messages.

As the ancient myth makers knew, we are children equally of the earth and the sky.

For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love.