Homo sapiens, the first truly free species, is about to decommission natural selection, the force that made us. Soon we must look deep within ourselves and decide what we wish to become.

Most people believe they know how they themselves think, how others think too, and even how institutions evolve. But they are wrong. Their understanding is based on folk psychology, the grasp of human nature by common sense ¾ defined (by Einstein) as everything learned to the age of 18 ¾ shot through with misconceptions, and only slightly advanced over ideas employed by the Greek philosophers

Hands-on experience at the critical time, not systematic knowledge, is what counts in the making of a naturalist. Better to be an untutored savage for a while, not to know the names or anatomical detail. Better to spend stretches of time just searching and dreaming.

Once I feel I'm right, I have enjoyed provoking.

The variety of genes on the planet in viruses exceeds, or is likely to exceed, that in all of the rest of life combined.

To the extent that philosophical positions both confuse us and close doors to further inquiry, they are likely to be wrong.

People respect nonfiction but they read novels.