Stephen Hawking

I believe that there is no heaven or afterlife. That is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.

The universe is a great place to be, and I'm glad to be a part of it. But it's also a very dangerous place, and we need to be careful.

I have always been fascinated by the big questions: Where did we come from? How did the universe begin? What is the nature of reality?

The universe is a symphony of mathematical harmonies.

I believe that human beings have a duty to explore the universe.

The universe is a vast and complex place, and we are only just beginning to understand it.

I believe that we are alone in the universe, but I hope we are not.

The universe is a beautiful and dangerous place, and I'm glad to be a part of it.

The universe is a very strange place, and I'm still trying to figure it out.

I believe that the human race has a great future ahead of it, if we can avoid destroying ourselves.

The universe is a place of wonder and mystery, and I'm glad to be a part of it.

The universe is a giant puzzle, and I'm trying to put the pieces together.

We are very, very small, but we are capable of understanding the universe.

People who boast about their IQ are losers.

The downside of my celebrity is that I cannot go anywhere in the world without being recognized. It is not enough for me to wear dark sunglasses and a wig. The wheelchair gives me away.

When I gave a lecture in Japan, I was asked not to mention the possible re-collapse of the universe, because it might affect the stock market. However, I can reassure anyone who is nervous about their investments that it is a bit early to sell: even if the universe does come to an end, it won't be for at least twenty billion years.

In the proof stage, I nearly cut that last sentence of the book. Had I done so, the sales might have been halved.

Wrong again, Albert.

Black holes ain't as black as they are painted. They are not the eternal prisons they were once thought. Things can get out of a black hole, both to the outside, and possibly, to another universe. So, if you feel you are in a black hole, don't give up. There's a way out.

Einstein was wrong when he said, 'God does not play dice'. Consideration of black holes suggests, not only that God does play dice, but that he sometimes confuses us by throwing them where they can't be seen.