Plenty of people get excited about the universe.

If we're going to affect policy, or affect attitudes, for me, the adults have always been the target population.

The greatest teachers are the ones that turn a B student into an A student, or a failing student into a B student.

You know, there's black holes and what - could there be wormholes? Could - might there be a multi-verse? These are all fascinating frontiers. What is the nature of dark matter and dark energy? And what was around before the universe? And do we have access to higher dimensions?

We are star dust in the highest exalted way, called by the universe, reaching out to the universe

Astronomers do not commonly use Venereal, in favor of the less contagious-sounding Venutian. Blame the medical community, who snatched the word long before astronomers had any good use for it. I suppose you can't blame the doctors. Venus is the goddess of beauty and love, so she ought to be the goddess of its medical consequences.

... there is no shame in not knowing. The problem arises when irrational thought and attendant behavior fill the vacuum left by ignorance.