The news came in early this morning that loved physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking died today. He was 76 years old. He was diagnosed with ALS when he was 21 years old. The doctors told him then that he only had 2 years left of his life. Hawking clearly defied all the odds and led a long life where he continued to bring incredible insights into science, space and life itself.

Instead of being sad about Hawking’s death, we should celebrate his life! Hawking brought so many brilliant concepts into the world. Below are 10 of his most inspiring and brilliant quotes to help keep Hawking’s insights alive and thriving today!

1) “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.”

Stephen Hawking at the Centre of Applied Maths and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge in 2013. (Source: Tom Pilston/Panos)

2) “We are all now connected by the Internet, like neurons in a giant brain.”

3) “However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.”

4) “We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.”

5) “I am just a child who has never grown up. I still keep asking these ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions. Occasionally, I find an answer.”

6) “In my opinion, there is no aspect of reality beyond the reach of the human mind.”

7) “Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.”

8) “Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.”

9) “My expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21. Everything since then has been a bonus.”

10) “For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination. We learned to talk and we learned to listen. Speech has allowed the communication of ideas, enabling human beings to work together to build the impossible. Mankind’s greatest achievements have come about by talking, and its greatest failures by not talking. It doesn’t have to be like this. Our greatest hopes could become reality in the future. With the technology at our disposal, the possibilities are unbounded. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking.”