Once we see, however, that the probability of life originating at random is so utterly miniscule as to make it absurd, it becomes sensible to think that the favorable properties of physics on which life depends are in every respect deliberate ... . It is therefore almost inevitable that our own measure of intelligence must reflect ... higher intelligences ... even to the limit of God ... such a theory is so obvious that one wonders why it is not widely accepted as being self-evident. The reasons are psychological rather than scientific.

Two key colleagues in this war work were Hermann Bondi and Thomas Gold and the three had many and deep discussions on cosmology. In addition to his work as an astronomer Hoyle was a writer of science fiction including a number of books co-written with his son Geoffrey Hoyle. Hoyle compared the random emergence of even the simplest cell without panspermia to the likelihood that "a tornado sweeping through a junk-yard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials therein.

Sir Fred Hoyle FRS (24 June 1915 – 20 August 2001) was an English astronomer and mathematician noted primarily for his contribution to the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis and his often controversial stance on other cosmological and scientific matters—in particular his rejection of the "Big Bang" theory a term originally coined by him on BBC radio. In addition to his work as an astronomer Hoyle was a writer of science fiction including a number of books co-written with his son Geoffrey Hoyle. He died in Bournemouth England after a series of strokes.