“Faith, n. Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel.”

“Tell people there’s an invisible man in the sky who created the universe, and the vast majority will believe you. Tell them the paint is wet, and they have to touch it to be sure.”

“The most confused you will ever get is when you try to convince your heart and spirit of something your mind knows is a lie.”

“I like the scientific spirit—the holding off, the being sure but not too sure, the willingness to surrender ideas when the evidence is against them: this is ultimately fine—it always keeps the way beyond open—always gives life, thought, affection, the whole man, a chance to try over again after a mistake—after a wrong guess.”

“Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash.”