--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I suppose my interest in looking for life…" description: "\"I suppose my interest in looking for life elsewhere in the universe really dates back to my teens. What teenager doesn't look up at the sky at night an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e86/paul-davies-3810_astrobiology_i-suppose-my-interest-in-looking-for-lif_1491335.png" --- # I suppose my interest in looking for life elsewhere in the… ![“I suppose my interest in looking for life elsewhere in the universe really dates back to my teens. What teenager doesn't look up at the sky at night and think am I alone in the universe? Well most people get over it, but I never did and though I made a career more in physics and cosmology than…” quote by Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e86/paul-davies-3810_astrobiology_i-suppose-my-interest-in-looking-for-lif_1491335.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e86/paul-davies-3810_astrobiology_i-suppose-my-interest-in-looking-for-lif_1491335.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e86/paul-davies-3810_astrobiology_i-suppose-my-interest-in-looking-for-lif_1491335.png) > “I suppose my interest in looking for life elsewhere in the universe really dates back to my teens. What teenager doesn't look up at the sky at night and think am I alone in the universe? Well most people get over it, but I never did and though I made a career more in physics and cosmology than astrobiology I've always had a soft spot for the subject of life because it does seem so mysterious.” [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on a lifelong fascination with extraterrestrial life, noting that while many lose interest, his curiosity persisted and shaped his career in physics and cosmology. **In simple terms:** A teen’s wonder about life beyond Earth stayed with him, influencing his work. Key Takeaway Nurture enduring curiosity. Themes curiosity science existence Mood wonderful reflective Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - research - public talks - education - science outreach Key Concepts astrobiology cosmology philosophy of mind Questions to Reflect On - How does personal wonder drive scientific inquiry? - What balance should be struck between speculative and practical research? A Different Perspective Some may argue that focusing on unknown life diverts resources from pressing Earth issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Astrobiology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astrobiology/) [Cosmology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cosmology/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mysterious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mysterious/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sky/) [Sky At Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sky-at-night/) [Soft spot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soft-spot/) [Teenager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teenager/) [Teens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teens/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [For me, science is already fantastical enough. Unlocking the secrets of nature with fundamental physics or cosmology or astrobiology leads you into a wonderland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/for-me-science-is-already-fantastical-enough-unlocking-the-secrets-of/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [The real question is not are there other forms of life in the universe, but are there other intelligent forms of life out there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bremmer/the-real-question-is-not-are-there-other-forms-of-life-in-the/) [Ian Bremmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-bremmer/) > [If we're looking for intelligence in the universe I think everybody assumes that this has to start with life and so the question is:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/if-we-re-looking-for-intelligence-in-the-universe-i-think-everybody/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [“I was reading a book about the cosmos recently,” he says, and then he looks around and goes, “Hold on, trust me, this relates.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-jenkins-reid/i-was-reading-a-book-about-the-cosmos-recently-he-says-and-then-he/) [Taylor Jenkins Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-jenkins-reid/) > [“Again with the physical universe stuff. What exactly do you think you are? What exactly do you think this place is? You want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-yu/again-with-the-physical-universe-stuff-what-exactly-do-you-think-you/) [Charles Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-yu/) > [I soon became convinced... that all the theorizing would be empty brain exercise and therefore a waste of time unless one first ascertained what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-zwicky/i-soon-became-convinced-that-all-the-theorizing-would-be-empty-brain/) [Fritz Zwicky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-zwicky/) > [The word universe is supposed to mean everything that exists. Today, we're almost certain that our universe is not all there is. There really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/the-word-universe-is-supposed-to-mean-everything-that-exists-today-we/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [That is, you can have nothingness, absolute nothingness for maybe a tiny fraction of a second, if a second can be defined in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/that-is-you-can-have-nothingness-absolute-nothingness-for-maybe-a/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [The universe is really playing hard game with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-ardianti/the-universe-is-really-playing-hard-game-with-me/) [Nina Ardianti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-ardianti/) > [So long as the universe had a beginning, we could suppose it had a creator. But if the universe is really completely self-contained, having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/so-long-as-the-universe-had-a-beginning-we-could-suppose-it-had-a/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/for-me-it-is-far-better-to-grasp-the-universe-as-it-really-is-than-to/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [I think the WWE Universe have really accepted me, because they know I'm one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-strauss/i-think-the-wwe-universe-have-really-accepted-me-because-they-know-i/) [Nita Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-strauss/) > [A hydrogen bomb, for me, was puny compared to the Big Bang - the creation of the universe. That's what I really wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/a-hydrogen-bomb-for-me-was-puny-compared-to-the-big-bang-the-creation/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [“You can't photograph the hugest mysteries of the universe that really have nothing to do with what shows up before your eyes, under a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-plum-ucci/you-can-t-photograph-the-hugest-mysteries-of-the-universe-that-really/) [Carol Plum-Ucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-plum-ucci/) > [It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-far-better-to-grasp-the-universe-as-it-really-is-than-to/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## More by Paul Davies > [“When I was a child, I often used to lie awake at night, in fearful anticipation of some unpleasant event the following day, such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/when-i-was-a-child-i-often-used-to-lie-awake-at-night-in-fearful/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [So how can we test the idea that the transition from nonlife to life is simple enough to happen repeatedly? The most obvious and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/so-how-can-we-test-the-idea-that-the-transition-from-nonlife-to-life/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [I think if we're going to send messages to the stars then it needs a great deal of thought that it's something that should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/i-think-if-we-re-going-to-send-messages-to-the-stars-then-it-needs-a/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [Cosmologists have attempted to account for the day-to-day laws you find in textbooks in terms of fundamental 'superlaws,' but the superlaws themselves must still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/cosmologists-have-attempted-to-account-for-the-day-to-day-laws-you/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [Studying cancer could provide huge insights for astrobiologists into the nature of life itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/studying-cancer-could-provide-huge-insights-for-astrobiologists-into/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [Cancer cells come pre-programmed to execute a well-defined cascade of changes, seemingly designed to facilitate both their enhanced survival and their dissemination through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/cancer-cells-come-pre-programmed-to-execute-a-well-defined-cascade-of/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [It may seem bizarre, but in my opinion science offers a surer path to God than religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/it-may-seem-bizarre-but-in-my-opinion-science-offers-a-surer-path-to/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [“Until now, I've been writing about "now" as if it were literally an instant of time, but of course human faculties are not infinitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/until-now-i-ve-been-writing-about-now-as-if-it-were-literally-an/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [A permanent base on Mars would have a number of advantages beyond being a bonanza for planetary science and geology. If, as some evidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/a-permanent-base-on-mars-would-have-a-number-of-advantages-beyond/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [Although the elusive 'cure' may be a distant dream, understanding the true nature of cancer will enable it to be better controlled and less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/although-the-elusive-cure-may-be-a-distant-dream-understanding-the/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [Through conscious beings the universe has generated self-awareness. This can be no trivial detail, no minor byproduct of mindless, purposeless forces. We are truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/through-conscious-beings-the-universe-has-generated-self-awareness/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [The birth of science as we know it arguably began with Isaac Newton's formulation of the laws of gravitation and motion. It is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/the-birth-of-science-as-we-know-it-arguably-began-with-isaac-newton-s/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [“Can a truly absurd universe so convincingly mimic a meaningful one?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/can-a-truly-absurd-universe-so-convincingly-mimic-a-meaningful-one/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [Astronauts have been stuck in low-Earth orbit, boldly going nowhere. American attempts to kick-start a new phase of lunar exploration have stalled amid the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/astronauts-have-been-stuck-in-low-earth-orbit-boldly-going-nowhere/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [Even if we don't have a precise idea of exactly what took place at the beginning, we can at least see that the origin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/even-if-we-don-t-have-a-precise-idea-of-exactly-what-took-place-at/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) [Explore all 121 Paul Davies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) ## More Astrobiology quotes > [“The toxicity of medical and industrial gas to the human depends on where it is used. A gas that is regarded as safe in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-toxicity-of-medical-and-industrial-gas-to-the-human-depends-on/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Industrial liquid gas containers were left open and venting gas into the indoor environment in high altitude astronomy. On reflection, I realized that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/industrial-liquid-gas-containers-were-left-open-and-venting-gas-into/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Very high altitude astronomy only works by ignoring established biological science”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/very-high-altitude-astronomy-only-works-by-ignoring-established/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Life is not a miracle. It is a natural phenomenon, and can be expected to appear whenever there is a planet whose conditions duplicate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-urey/life-is-not-a-miracle-it-is-a-natural-phenomenon-and-can-be-expected/) [Harold Urey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-urey/) > [I intend to apply the perspective of astrobiology, which is a deep-time way of looking at life on Earth, towards the question of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grinspoon/i-intend-to-apply-the-perspective-of-astrobiology-which-is-a-deep/) [David Grinspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grinspoon/) > [“Astronomy staff that routinely discharged industrial gas into the indoor environment at high altitudes did not wear oxygen deficiency monitors or protective breathing respirators.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/astronomy-staff-that-routinely-discharged-industrial-gas-into-the/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [It's one of the big mysteries about Venus: How did it get so different from Earth when it seems likely to have started so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grinspoon/it-s-one-of-the-big-mysteries-about-venus-how-did-it-get-so-different/) [David Grinspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grinspoon/) > [“When the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) found out that Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were going to visit the site to assist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/when-the-national-optical-astronomy-observatory-noao-found-out-that/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“When I worked in astronomy, I routinely observed young college and university students working with liquid nitrogen and breathing nitrogen gas as they discharged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/when-i-worked-in-astronomy-i-routinely-observed-young-college-and/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“In high altitude astronomical facilities we routinely discharged large amounts of nitrogen gas into closed spaces. We were never informed by the astronomy management…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/in-high-altitude-astronomical-facilities-we-routinely-discharged/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“At the W.M. Keck Observatory on the very high altitude summit of Mauna Kea, there was no routine monitoring of mental functioning, blood oxygen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/at-the-w-m-keck-observatory-on-the-very-high-altitude-summit-of-mauna/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Astrobiology simply presumes that a planet in the Goldilocks zone containing liquid water will somehow produce life. This leads to the “follow-the-water” strategy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cris-putnam/astrobiology-simply-presumes-that-a-planet-in-the-goldilocks-zone/) Cris Putnam > [“My memories of my time in high altitude astronomy indicate that there were no oxygen concentration monitors or alarms in the areas that liquid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/my-memories-of-my-time-in-high-altitude-astronomy-indicate-that-there/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“When discharging industrial gas into the indoor environment in high altitude astronomy, we never wore breathing respirators that fed us oxygenated air at above…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/when-discharging-industrial-gas-into-the-indoor-environment-in-high/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“One of the biggest lies that is currently being told in the USA workplace is on the legally required OSHA poster: All workers have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/one-of-the-biggest-lies-that-is-currently-being-told-in-the-usa/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) [Browse all 28 Astrobiology quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astrobiology/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I suppose my interest in looking for life elsewhere in the universe really dates back to my teens. 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