Plenty of people get excited about the universe.

In the end, it's the people who are curious who change the world.

When we see animals doing remarkable things, how do we know if we're simply seeing tricks or signs of real intelligence? Are talented animals just obeying commands, or do they have some kind of deeper understanding? One of the biggest challenges for animal researchers is to come up with tests that can distinguish between the two.

Only when you question does society move or advance at all.

I'm not writing for myself. I'm writing as an educator, I'm writing to stimulate others.

The universe has really never made things in ones. The Earth is special and everything else is different? No, we’ve got seven other planets. The sun? No, the sun is one of those dots in the night sky. The Milky Way? No, it’s one of a hundred billion galaxies. And the universe - maybe it’s countless other universes.

Science is basically an inoculation against charlatans.