In our time, we have sifted the sands of Mars, we have established a presence there, we have fulfilled a century of dreams!

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena.

Cosmos is a Greek word for the order of the universe. It is, in a way, the opposite of Chaos. It implies the deep interconnectedness of all things. It conveys awe for the intricate and subtle way in which the universe is put together.

But, Jefferson worried that the people - and the argument goes back to Thucydides and Aristotle - are easily misled. He also stressed, passionately and repeatedly, that it was essential for the people to understand the risks and benefits of government, to educate themselves, and to involve themselves in the political process. Without that, he said, the wolves will take over.

Any faith that admires truth, that strives to know God, must be brave enough to accommodate the universe.

It does no harm to the romance of the sunset to know a little bit about it.

My parents were not scientists. They knew almost nothing about science. But in introducing me simultaneously to skepticism and to wonder, they taught me the two uneasily cohabiting modes of thought that are central to the scientific method.