“Once upon a time, people identified the god Neptune as the source of storms at sea. Today we call these storms hurricanes.... The only people who still call hurricanes acts of God are the people who write insurance forms.”

American astrophysicist and science communicator of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, he bridges complex cosmic concepts for broad audiences. His work on the Cosmos television series and public lectures makes astronomy accessible, while his writings and media appearances champion evidence-based reasoning and critical thinking.