Like a snowplow in overdrive, a supernova shockwave might sweep away any gas clouds in its path.

We are in the universe and the universe is in us.

I remain unconvinced that anything other than rapid decomposition is the fate of my body and mind after death.

Any astrophysicist does not feel small looking up at the universe; we feel large.

Once you've got the makings of a star, gravity draws leftover gas and dust into a giant swirling disk. The dust continues to stick together, clumping into rocky asteroids, which eventually become orbiting rocky planets. And voila: a solar system!

Facts are true whether or not you believe them.

Science is a philosophy of discovery. Intelligent design is a philosophy of ignorance. You cannot build a program of discovery on the assumption that nobody is smart enough to figure out the answer to a problem.