Empirical explorations ultimately change our understanding of which questions are important and fruitful and which are not.

The lack of understanding of something is not evidence for God. It's evidence of a lack of understanding.

The purpose of education is not to validate ignorance but to overcome it.

I like to say that while antimatter may seem strange, it is strange in the sense that Belgians are strange. They are not really strange; it is just that one rarely meets them.

Without science, everything is a miracle.

As a scientist, I don't believe anything. Science shouldn't use the word belief. There are things more likely and less likely. Science can say nothing with absolute certainty.

[The writers of the holy books] did not even know the earth revolves around the sun. Why are we listening?

Forget Jesus. The stars died so that you could be here today.

Keeping religion immune from criticism is both unwarranted and dangerous.

Whatever the evolutionary basis of religion, the xenophobia it now generates is clearly maladaptive.

It is a shame when nonsense can substitute for fact with impunity.

Love life. Live your life with joy so you may fill the world with joy. Let no one leave your presence without feeling the joy of life.

My activism does not need proof to be real. It exists in the work of my bones against weight in the morning.

Chance or fate has, yes, participation in your life. But how much it happens, it's up to you.

You should always control the strengths you have available to you, never let them languish or, worse, allow others to control them for you.

We were fighting about nothing important while dreaming of the same things.

If somebody has a monopoly position, and wants to keep that monopoly position, it means that you are effectively shutting out competition from other sources.

Miserliness is a capital quality to run in families; it's the safe side for madness to dip on.

If I wasn't so insecure about myself I wouldn't work as hard as I do. I am constantly seeking approval.

I don't like ostentatious galas and stuff like that, but if you get to the Oscars, you'd better get used to it and you'd better enjoy it.

I wanted to become me, totally me. The more me, the better. I instinctively knew this and I was right.