One of the nice things about science fiction is that it lets us carry out thought experiments. – Rudy Rucker
Some ideas you have to chew on, then roll them around a lot, play with them before you can turn them into funky science fiction. – Rudy Rucker
A permanent base on Mars would have a number of advantages beyond being a bonanza for planetary science and geology. If, as some evidence suggests, exotic micro-organisms have arisen independently of terrestrial life, studying them could revolutionise biology, medicine and biotechnology. – Paul Davies