Religion is an insult to human dignity. Without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things.But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.

With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.

A physicist friend of mine once said that in facing death, he drew some consolation from the reflection that he would never again have to look up the word "hermeneutics" in the dictionary.

It does not matter whether you win or lose, what matters is whether I win or lose!

Science doesn't make it impossible to believe in God, it just makes it possible not to believe in God

All logical arguments can be defeated by the simple refusal to reason logically

I think one of the great historical contributions of science is to weaken the hold of religion. That's a good thing.

Anything that we scientists can do to weaken the hold of religion, should be done and may, in fact, in the end, be our greatest contribution to civilization.

This is one of the great social functions of science - to free people from superstition

The whole history of the last thousands of years has been a history of religious persecutions and wars, pogroms, jihads, crusades. I find it all very regrettable, to say the least.

If there is a God that has special plans for humans, then He has taken very great pains to hide His concern for us. To me it would seem impolite if not impious to bother such a God with our prayers.

Every great leader once fell down from a tall ladder. You don't become a star until you get the scar. Take that risk now.

Many a time, we let go of some really good ideas just because we feel they are too controversial.

Some people go shopping - I cut myself.

A woman has a right to an abortion. That's a decision that's up to the pregnant woman, not up to the pope or some do-gooders or the Religious Right.

It's as certain that as long as fossil fuels are the cheapest energy, we will just keep burning them.

Wars of aggression are the most barbarous of all human endeavors and are, more often than not, the instruments of insane tyrants who hear voices.

There's one overriding issue, namely, that we live in a police state so long as the police get to police themselves. And that is why cops go unindicted.

My summer tip is to taste the freedom given by the long days - and by the holidays!

If I subscribed to the efficient market theory I would still be delivering papers

My best work is always done... when I'm experimenting. If I stop experimenting I feel it just becomes a drudgery.