Probably the single most important thing about the Nobel Prize for most people is whether they get the coveted parking space on campus.

There are still so many questions to answer. When you look at any part of the universe, you have to feel humbled.

Your job as a scientist is to figure out how you're fooling yourself.

It seemed like my favourite kind of job - a wonderful chance to ask something absolutely fundamental: the fate of the Universe and whether the Universe was infinite or not

From our point of view, the most exciting thing would be if we discovered something really fundamental in our understanding was just off a bit - and that now we have a chance to revisit it

So it's possible that someday, by understanding a little bit more about how the world works, it will come back to help us in some other way that will be surprising

Astronomers ought to be able to ask fundamental questions without accelerators

I was one of those kids who always thought that we should know how the world works around us

Nobody really expects a Nobel Prize call

It is a tough choice between ending up in the cold or ending up in a fiery blast.

We have a remarkably complete picture in many ways - and it could be that we're not accounting for something that's almost three-quarters of the entire universe

Here there was no monster greater than the ragged mountains.

That man who lives for self alone Lives for the meanest mortal known.

When I was younger, I just thought that my plans were probably going to be more exciting than my parents' plans or the establishment. I sort of got by on being a little bit of a rebel.

Knowing that something is wrong and doing it anyway happens very often in life, and I doubt I will ever know why.

I write every day. I'm always in the process of writing my last book, until the next one.

The Royall Crowne cures not the head-ach. [The Royal Crown cures not the headache.]

I love Lady Gaga. She's not afraid to take risks and be herself.

To have slaved so many years for nothing!

I'm a mama's boy above all.

Once a decision is reached, stop worrying and start working.