“The United States is definitely ahead in culture of innovation. If someone wants to accomplish great things, there is no better place than the U.S.”

When people really understand it’s do or die . If we work hard and pull through, it’s going to be a great outcome; people will give it everything they’ve got.

Math jokes have a small audience.

Patience is a virtue, and I’m learning patience. It’s a tough lesson.

I wouldn’t say I have a lack of fear. In fact, I’d like my fear emotion to be less because it’s very distracting and fries my nervous system.

No I don’t ever give up. I would have to be dead or completely incapacitated.

The thing that’s worth doing is trying to improve our understanding of the world and gain a better appreciation of the universe and not to worry too much about there being no meaning.

Life is too short for long-term grudges.

People should pursue what they’re passionate about. That will make them happier than pretty much anything else.

If humanity doesn’t land on Mars in my lifetime, I would be very disappointed.

You want to do things you’re passionate about but also are useful to other people.

Government isn’t that good at rapid advancement of technology. It tends to be better at funding basic research. To have things take off, you’ve got to have commercial companies do it.

I could either watch it happen or be a part of it.

Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.

Great differences in technology exist in the world about which even hardcore technologists are unaware.

Many things are improbable, only a few are impossible.

The future of humanity is going to bifurcate in two directions: Either it’s going to become multiplanetary, or it’s going to remain confined to one planet and eventually there’s going to be an extinction event.