[In the Universe it may be that] Primitive life is very comm... - Stephen Hawking

"We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special."

"I hope I have helped to raise the profile of science and to show that physics is not a mystery but can be understood by ordinary people."

"I believe the simplest explanation is, there is no God. No one created the universe and no one directs our fate. This leads me to a profound realization that there probably is no heaven and no afterlife either. We have this one life to appreciate the grand design of the universe and for that, I am extremely grateful."

"[In the Universe it may be that] Primitive life is very common and intelligent life is fairly rare. Some would say it has yet to occur on Earth."

"I regard the afterlife to be a fairy story for people that are afraid of the dark"