Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.

If we can't think for ourselves, if we're unwilling to question authority, then we're just putty in the hands of those in power.

I believe our future depends powerfully on how well we understand this cosmos in which we float, like a mote of dust in the morning sky.

One trend that bothers me is the glorification of stupidity, that the media is reassuring people it's alright not to know anything. That to me is far more dangerous than a little pornography on the Internet.

[Science] is not perfect. It can be misused. It is only a tool. But it is by far the best tool we have, self-correcting, ongoing, applicable to everything. It has two rules. First: there are no sacred truths; all assumptions must be critically examined; arguments from authority are worthless. Second: whatever is inconsistent with the facts must be discarded or revised. ... The obvious is sometimes false; the unexpected is sometimes true.

Those afraid of the universe as it really is, those who pretend to nonexistent knowledge and envision a Cosmos centered on human beings will prefer the fleeting comforts of superstition.

Whatever the reason you're on Mars, I'm glad you're there, and I wish I was with you.