Religions are often state-protected nurseries of pseudoscience, although there's no reason why religions have to play that role. In a way, it's an artefact from times long gone.

For a long time the human instinct to understand was thwarted by facile religious explanations.

The universe is not required to be in perfect harmony with human ambition.

We on Earth have just awakened to the great oceans of space and time from which we have emerged.

This oak tree and me, we're made of the same stuff.

But down deep, at the molecular heart of life we're essentially identical to trees.

A tiny blue dot set in a sunbeam. Here it is. That's where we live. That's home. We humans are one species and this is our world. It is our responsibility to cherish it. Of all the worlds in our solar system, the only one so far as we know, graced by life.