---
title: "22 Our Quotes By Martin Rees"
description: "22 Our quotes by Martin Rees. Plus more from Martin Rees and more Our sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/martin-rees-3002_brain_from-the-growth-of-the-internet-through_1308347.jpg"
---

> [From the growth of the Internet through to the mapping of the human genome and our understanding of the human brain, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/from-the-growth-of-the-internet-through-to-the-mapping-of-the-human/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/martin-rees-3002_brain_from-the-growth-of-the-internet-through_1308347.jpg)

> [Space and time may have a structure as intricate as the fauna of a rich ecosystem, but on a scale far larger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/space-and-time-may-have-a-structure-as-intricate-as-the-fauna-of-a/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/martin-rees-3002_ecosystem_space-and-time-may-have-a-structure-as-i_1080484.jpg)

> [General writing about science, even if we do it badly, helps us to see our work in perspective and broadens our vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/general-writing-about-science-even-if-we-do-it-badly-helps-us-to-see/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3db/martin-rees-3002_about_general-writing-about-science-even-if-we_1039843.jpg)

> [Indeed, evolutionists don't agree on how divergently our own biosphere could have developed if such contingencies as ice ages and meteorite impacts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/indeed-evolutionists-don-t-agree-on-how-divergently-our-own-biosphere/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/937/martin-rees-3002_ages_indeed-evolutionists-don-t-agree-on-how_848562.jpg)

> [There are at least as many galaxies in our observable universe as there are stars in our galaxy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/there-are-at-least-as-many-galaxies-in-our-observable-universe-as/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/martin-rees-3002_astronomy_there-are-at-least-as-many-galaxies-in-o_1434327.jpg)

> [Whether it is to reduce our carbon-dioxide emissions or to prepare for when the coal and oil run out, we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/whether-it-is-to-reduce-our-carbon-dioxide-emissions-or-to-prepare/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/martin-rees-3002_climate_whether-it-is-to-reduce-our-carbon-dioxi_767840.jpg)

> [If you represent the Earth's lifetime by a single year, say from January when it was made to December, the 21st-century would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/if-you-represent-the-earth-s-lifetime-by-a-single-year-say-from/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/martin-rees-3002_21st-century_if-you-represent-the-earth-s-lifetime-by_430372.jpg)

> [The stupendous time spans of the evolutionary past are now part of common culture (though maybe not in the United States Bible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-stupendous-time-spans-of-the-evolutionary-past-are-now-part-of/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d2/martin-rees-3002_belt_the-stupendous-time-spans-of-the-evoluti_1454037.jpg)

> [Stars that become supernovae start off at least eight times heavier than our sun. They're so short-lived that, even if they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/stars-that-become-supernovae-start-off-at-least-eight-times-heavier/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4de/martin-rees-3002_astronomy_stars-that-become-supernovae-start-off-a_3006156.jpg)

> [Advances in technology - hugely beneficial though they are - render us vulnerable in new ways. For instance, our interconnected world depends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/advances-in-technology-hugely-beneficial-though-they-are-render-us/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/martin-rees-3002_advances_advances-in-technology-hugely-beneficial_1797551.jpg)

> [Some global hazards are insidious. They stem from pressure on energy supplies, food, water and other natural resources. And they will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/some-global-hazards-are-insidious-they-stem-from-pressure-on-energy/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a15/martin-rees-3002_billion_some-global-hazards-are-insidious-they-s_2838919.jpg)

> [The scientific community should work as hard as possible to address major issues that affect our everyday lives such as climate change,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-scientific-community-should-work-as-hard-as-possible-to-address/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/537/martin-rees-3002_address_the-scientific-community-should-work-as_845619.jpg)

> [We are 'nuclear waste' from the fuel that makes stars shine; indeed, each of us contains atoms whose provenance can be traced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/we-are-nuclear-waste-from-the-fuel-that-makes-stars-shine-indeed-each/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc6/martin-rees-3002_astronomy_we-are-nuclear-waste-from-the-fuel-that_324549.jpg)

> [It is foolish to claim, as some do, that emigration into space offers a long-term escape from Earth's problems. Nowhere in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/it-is-foolish-to-claim-as-some-do-that-emigration-into-space-offers-a/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/martin-rees-3002_claim_it-is-foolish-to-claim-as-some-do-that-e_2158121.jpg)

> [There are strong reasons for believing that space goes on beyond the limits of our observational horizon. There are strong reasons because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/there-are-strong-reasons-for-believing-that-space-goes-on-beyond-the/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/martin-rees-3002_because_there-are-strong-reasons-for-believing-t_578039.jpg)

> [Indeed, the night sky is the part of our environment that's been common to all cultures throughout human history. All have gazed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/indeed-the-night-sky-is-the-part-of-our-environment-that-s-been/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/248/martin-rees-3002_been_indeed-the-night-sky-is-the-part-of-our_1331822.jpg)

> [And we should keep our minds open, or at least ajar, to concepts on the fringe of science fiction. Flaky American futurologists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/and-we-should-keep-our-minds-open-or-at-least-ajar-to-concepts-on-the/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/026/martin-rees-3002_always_and-we-should-keep-our-minds-open-or-at_2267960.jpg)

> [There's now, for the first time, a huge gulf between the artefacts of our everyday life and what even a single expert,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/there-s-now-for-the-first-time-a-huge-gulf-between-the-artefacts-of/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/115/martin-rees-3002_alone_there-s-now-for-the-first-time-a-huge-gu_2780758.jpg)

> [A monkey is unaware that atoms exist. Likewise, our brainpower may not stretch to the deepest aspects of reality. The bedrock nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/a-monkey-is-unaware-that-atoms-exist-likewise-our-brainpower-may-not/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/martin-rees-3002_aspects_a-monkey-is-unaware-that-atoms-exist-lik_4876.jpg)

> [Darwin and his successors taught us how our biosphere evolved, and thereby transformed our conception of humanity's place in nature. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/darwin-and-his-successors-taught-us-how-our-biosphere-evolved-and/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/martin-rees-3002_astronomy_darwin-and-his-successors-taught-us-how_1322709.jpg)

> [The first arrival of earthly life on another celestial body ranks as an epochal event not only for our generation, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-first-arrival-of-earthly-life-on-another-celestial-body-ranks-as/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b6/martin-rees-3002_another_the-first-arrival-of-earthly-life-on-ano_1139548.jpg)

> [Space doesn't offer an escape from Earth's problems. And even with nuclear fuel, the transit time to nearby stars exceeds a human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/space-doesn-t-offer-an-escape-from-earth-s-problems-and-even-with/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7a/martin-rees-3002_design_space-doesn-t-offer-an-escape-from-earth_1184800.jpg)

## Other authors on Our

## More by Martin Rees

> [A monkey is unaware that atoms exist. Likewise, our brainpower may not stretch to the deepest aspects of reality. The bedrock nature of space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/a-monkey-is-unaware-that-atoms-exist-likewise-our-brainpower-may-not/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [When scientists are asked what they are working on, their response is seldom 'Finding the origin of the universe' or 'Seeking to cure cancer.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/when-scientists-are-asked-what-they-are-working-on-their-response-is/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [The advance of science spares us from irrational dread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-advance-of-science-spares-us-from-irrational-dread/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [“The Sun contains about a thousand times more mass than Jupiter. If it were cold, gravity would squeeze it a million times denser than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-sun-contains-about-a-thousand-times-more-mass-than-jupiter-if-it/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [“We, and the visible universe around us, may exist only because of a difference in the ninth decimal place between the numbers of quarks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/we-and-the-visible-universe-around-us-may-exist-only-because-of-a/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [Crucial to science education is hands-on involvement: showing, not just telling; real experiments and field trips and not just 'virtual reality.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/crucial-to-science-education-is-hands-on-involvement-showing-not-just/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [I have no religious belief myself, but I don't think we should fight about it. In particular, I think that we should not rubbish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/i-have-no-religious-belief-myself-but-i-don-t-think-we-should-fight/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [“More energy is needed to rise a millimetre above a neutron star's surface than to break completely free of Earth's gravity. A pen dropped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/more-energy-is-needed-to-rise-a-millimetre-above-a-neutron-star-s/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [The next humans to walk on the moon may be Chinese. Only China seems to have the resources, the dirigiste government, and the willingness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-next-humans-to-walk-on-the-moon-may-be-chinese-only-china-seems/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [If we ever established contact with intelligent life on another world, there would be barriers to communication. First, they would be many light years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/if-we-ever-established-contact-with-intelligent-life-on-another-world/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [There is an ever-widening gap between what science allows and what we should actually do. There are many doors science can open that should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/there-is-an-ever-widening-gap-between-what-science-allows-and-what-we/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [An insect is more complex than a star..and is a far greater challenge to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/an-insect-is-more-complex-than-a-star-and-is-a-far-greater-challenge/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [The physicist is like someone who's watching people playing chess and, after watching a few games, he may have worked out what the moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-physicist-is-like-someone-who-s-watching-people-playing-chess-and/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [We are 'nuclear waste' from the fuel that makes stars shine; indeed, each of us contains atoms whose provenance can be traced back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/we-are-nuclear-waste-from-the-fuel-that-makes-stars-shine-indeed-each/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [Just as there are many Jews who keep the Friday ritual in their home despite describing themselves as atheists, I am a 'tribal Christian,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/just-as-there-are-many-jews-who-keep-the-friday-ritual-in-their-home/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

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                        "text": "If you represent the Earth's lifetime by a single year, say from January when it was made to December, the 21st-century would be a quarter of a second in June - a tiny fraction of the year. But even in this concertinaed cosmic perspective, our century is very, very special: the first when humans can change themselves and their home planet.",
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                        "text": "The stupendous time spans of the evolutionary past are now part of common culture (though maybe not in the United States Bible Belt, nor in parts of the Islamic world). Most people are at ease with the idea that our present biosphere is the outcome of four billion years of Darwinian evolution.",
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                        "text": "Stars that become supernovae start off at least eight times heavier than our sun. They're so short-lived that, even if they have planets, there is unlikely to be time for life to get started. The surface is 40,000C and, as a result, the colouring will be extremely blue.",
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                        "text": "Advances in technology - hugely beneficial though they are - render us vulnerable in new ways. For instance, our interconnected world depends on elaborate networks: electric power grids, air traffic control, international finance, just-in-time delivery, and so forth.",
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                        "text": "Some global hazards are insidious. They stem from pressure on energy supplies, food, water and other natural resources. And they will be aggravated as the population rises to a projected nine billion by mid-century, and by the effects of climate change. An 'ecological shock' could irreversibly degrade our environment.",
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                        "text": "The scientific community should work as hard as possible to address major issues that affect our everyday lives such as climate change, infectious diseases and counterterrorism; in particular, 'clean energy' research deserves far higher priority. And science and technology are the prime routes to tackling these issues.",
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                        "text": "We are 'nuclear waste' from the fuel that makes stars shine; indeed, each of us contains atoms whose provenance can be traced back to thousands of different stars spread through our Milky Way.",
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                        "text": "It is foolish to claim, as some do, that emigration into space offers a long-term escape from Earth's problems. Nowhere in our solar system offers an environment even as clement as the Antarctic or the top of Everest.",
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                        "text": "There are strong reasons for believing that space goes on beyond the limits of our observational horizon. There are strong reasons because if you look in opposite directions, conditions are the same to within one part in 100,000. So if we are part of some finite structure then, if the gradient is so shallow, it is likely to go on much further.",
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                        "text": "Indeed, the night sky is the part of our environment that's been common to all cultures throughout human history. All have gazed up at the 'vault of heaven' and interpreted it in their own way.",
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                        "text": "And we should keep our minds open, or at least ajar, to concepts on the fringe of science fiction. Flaky American futurologists aren't always wrong. They remind us that a superintelligent machine is the last instrument that humans may ever design - the machine will itself take over in making further steps.",
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                        "text": "There's now, for the first time, a huge gulf between the artefacts of our everyday life and what even a single expert, let alone the average child, can comprehend. The gadgets that now pervade young people's lives, iPhones and suchlike, are baffling 'black boxes' - pure magic to most people.",
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                        "text": "A monkey is unaware that atoms exist. Likewise, our brainpower may not stretch to the deepest aspects of reality. The bedrock nature of space and time, and the structure of our entire universe, may remain 'open frontiers' beyond human grasp.",
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                        "text": "Darwin and his successors taught us how our biosphere evolved, and thereby transformed our conception of humanity's place in nature. In the twenty-first century, space scientists are setting Darwin in a grander cosmic context - probing the origins of Earth, stars, atoms and the universe itself.",
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                        "text": "The first arrival of earthly life on another celestial body ranks as an epochal event not only for our generation, but in the history of our planet. Neil Armstrong was at the cusp of the Apollo programme. This was a collective technological effort of epic scale, but his is the one name sure to be remembered centuries hence.",
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                        "text": "Space doesn't offer an escape from Earth's problems. And even with nuclear fuel, the transit time to nearby stars exceeds a human lifetime. Interstellar travel is therefore, in my view, an enterprise for post-humans, evolved from our species not via natural selection, but by design.",
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