# Life is rarer than we hoped, but that does not prove the universe is lifeless by Freeman Dyson > "Life is rarer than we hoped, but that does not prove the universe is lifeless." > **— Freeman Dyson**, *New Scientist forecast (2006), compressed candidate wording* Verification Status: Unverified — exact wording/source has not yet been independently confirmed against a primary source; source clue: New Scientist forecast (2006), compressed candidate wording.