Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the Universe going.

It is no good getting furious if you get stuck. What I do is keep thinking about the problem but work on something else. Sometimes it is years before I see the way forward. In the case of information loss and black holes, it was 29 years.

There is no prescribed route to follow to arrive at a new idea. You have to make the intuitive leap.

The intelligent beings in these regions should therefore not be surprised if they observe that their locality in the universe satisfies the conditions that are necessary for their existence. It is a bit like a rich person living in a wealthy neighborhood not seeing any poverty.

I am damned if I'm going to die before I have unraveled more of the universe

When the going gets tough, the tough take a coffee break.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm as famous for my wheelchair and disabilities as I am for my discoveries.