science

"Jasnah had once defined a fool as a person who ignored information because it disagreed with desired results."

"Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality."

"If we wish to draw philosophical conclusions about our own existence, our significance, and the significance of the universe itself, our conclusions should be based on empirical knowledge. A truly open mind means forcing our imaginations to conform to the evidence of reality, and not vice versa, whether or not we like the implications."

"A society's competitive advantage will come not from how well its schools teach the multiplication and periodic tables, but from how well they stimulate imagination and creativity."

"Science, I am told, is making great strides, experimenting, groping after things which no sane man has ever dreamed of before – without being burned alive for it."

"Big whirls have little whirls,That feed on their velocity;And little whirls have lesser whirls,And so on to viscosity."

"Without art, we should have no notion of the sacred; without science, we should always worship false gods."

"One possibility is: God is nothing but the power of the universe to organize itself."

"Many of us saw religion as harmless nonsense. Beliefs might lack all supporting evidence but, we thought, if people needed a crutch for consolation, where's the harm? September 11th changed all that."

"Every time you understand something, religion becomes less likely. Only with the discovery of the double helix and the ensuing genetic revolution have we had grounds for thinking that the powers held traditionally to be the exclusive property of the gods might one day be ours. . . ."

"This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change."

"Words, too, have genuine substance -- mass and weight and specific gravity."

"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it."

"Perhaps eggs are like neurons, which also are not replenished in adulthood: they know too much. Eggs must plan the party. Sperm need only to show up- wearing top hat and tails, of course."

"People say we are playing God. My answer is: If we don't play God, who will?"

"Nobody gets everything in this life. You decide your priorities and you make your choices. I'd decided long ago that any cake I had would be eaten."

"The atoms of the earth are formed inside of stars. Nothing really dies, everything is transformed."

"Science is an attempt, largely successful, to understand the world, to get a grip on things, to get hold of ourselves, to steer a safe course. Microbiology and meteorology now explain what only a few centuries ago was considered sufficient cause to burn women to death."

"The assumption of an absolute determinism is the essential foundation of every scientific enquiry."

"My view is that if your philosophy is not unsettled daily then you are blind to all the universe has to offer."