When we discover New Earth - a planet we could call home - the question of the plurality of worlds will come front and center, reminding us yet again that we are not the center of the universe.

My parents gave me a small telescope, then I built my own, and one thing led to another. So thats how I ended up going from being a hobby astronomer to a professional astronomer.

Deep and elegant explanations relate to natural or social phenomena and the observer often has no place in them.

In science, it is rare that a transformational change occurs during our lifetimes.

It feels great to discover a planet, just like any discovery in science, except that it has more of the feel of exploration - you can go back and look at it. However, I can never visit.

Life and the universe compare to each other like a child and a parent, parent and offspring.

We love our planet Earth. We should - it is our home, and there's no place like home. There can't ever be a better place than Earth.

In life, some laugh, some cry, some live, some die. The choice is ours to crawl or to fly.

Tell a female she's thin and she's yours for life.

I generally think debates within a party should not be treated as a scandal. They should be treated as a sign of strength, to be honest.

America's drug war is so stupid that if you pay close attention to just how stupid it is -- it'll drive you to use drugs.

I think the perception of peace is what distracts most people from really having it.

The experience of happiness is a direct means of replenishing life energy and revitalizing the mind.

It had taken years to put themselves back together, and so what if some things didn’t get put back in the right place? At least they could hold themselves up.

Responsibility cannot be shared.

That's one of the major lessons: no president should ever take this nation to war without full public debate in the Congress and/or in the public.

The script is really always the main attraction, and then there's whether there is an interesting character and great people around you. Those are the key elements that I look for.