The more comprehensible the universe becomes the more pointless it seems.

The more comprehensible the universe becomes the more pointless it seems.

Steven Weinberg

For good people to do evil things, it takes religion.

For good people to do evil things, it takes religion.

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

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

As for me, I have just enough confidence about the multiverse to bet the lives of both Andrei Linde and Martin Rees’s dog.

As for me, I have just enough confidence about the multiverse to bet the lives of both Andrei Linde and Martin Rees’s dog.

Journalists generally have no bias toward one cosmological theory or another, but many have a natural preference for excitement.

Journalists generally have no bias toward one cosmological theory or another, but many have a natural preference for excitement.

My advice is to go for the messes - that's where the action is.

My advice is to go for the messes - that's where the action is.

On balance the moral influence of religion has been awful.

On balance the moral influence of religion has been awful.

Maybe nature is fundamentally ugly, chaotic and complicated. But if it's like that, then I want out.

Maybe nature is fundamentally ugly, chaotic and complicated. But if it's like that, then I want out.

Our job in physics is to see things simply, to understand a great many complicated phenomena in a unified way, in terms of a few simple principles.

Our job in physics is to see things simply, to understand a great many complicated phenomena in a unified way, in terms of a few simple principles.

If language is to be of any use to us, then we ought to try and preserve the meaning of words, and 'god' historically has not meant the laws of nature.

If language is to be of any use to us, then we ought to try and preserve the meaning of words, and 'god' historically has not meant the laws of nature.

Elementary particles are terribly boring, which is one reason why we're so interested in them.

Elementary particles are terribly boring, which is one reason why we're so interested in them.

A theorist today is hardly considered respectable if he or she has not introduced at least one new particle for which there is no experimental evidence.

A theorist today is hardly considered respectable if he or she has not introduced at least one new particle for which there is no experimental evidence.

In science we don't have prophets. We have heroes, but not prophets.

In science we don't have prophets. We have heroes, but not prophets.

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

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

It is positively spooky how the physicist finds the mathematician has been there before him or her.

It is positively spooky how the physicist finds the mathematician has been there before him or her.

I enjoy being at a meeting that doesn't start with an invocation!

I enjoy being at a meeting that doesn't start with an invocation!

The more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless.

The more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless.

Most scientists I know don't care enough about religion even to call themselves atheists.

Most scientists I know don't care enough about religion even to call themselves atheists.

As you learn more and more about the irrelevance of human life to the general mechanism of the universe, the idea of an interested god becomes increasingly implausible.

As you learn more and more about the irrelevance of human life to the general mechanism of the universe, the idea of an interested god becomes increasingly implausible.