Carl Sagan

"The future depends on what we do in the present."

"Knowledge is power, but only if it is coupled with wisdom."

"We are the consciousness of the cosmos. This is our greatest privilege and our greatest burden."

"Every atom in your body was once in a distant star. We are truly made of stardust."

"The question is not whether there is life elsewhere. The question is how much."

"Wonder and humility are the hallmarks of a mature mind."

"We are capable of so much more than we realize. Our potential is nearly infinite."

"In the face of the vast universe, our quarrels seem petty. Yet we must still strive for peace."

"A civilization that destroys its environment destroys itself."

"The greatest gift a parent can give a child is a sense of wonder about the world."

"Science is not a body of facts, but a method for finding truth."

"We are, in a very real sense, made of the cosmos. We are part of it."

"The pursuit of truth requires humility and openness to being wrong."

"Every person should understand at least the rudiments of science."

"Death is the price we pay for having lived at all."

"The universe is indifferent to our suffering, but we need not be indifferent to each other."

"To understand ourselves, we must understand the universe. To understand the universe, we must understand ourselves."

"Skepticism is not cynicism. It is a commitment to truth."

"We are conscious beings in an unconscious universe. This is remarkable."

"The most precious resource is not oil or gold, but knowledge and wisdom."

"A species that cannot cooperate will not survive."

"The future is not yet written. We have the power to shape it."

"To be human is to be connected to everything that came before and everything that will come after."

"Science gives us a way to test our beliefs against the world."

"We must teach our children to think critically and to question authority."

"The most important journeys are journeys of the mind."

"Every moment is a miracle when you truly understand what it means to be alive."

"We are alone in the universe, and yet we are not. Everything is connected."

"The stars do not judge us. They simply shine."

"To create something beautiful requires both knowledge and imagination."