Sometimes a concept is baffling not because it is profound but because it is wrong.

Science is not marginal. Like art, it is a universal possession of humanity, and scientific knowledge has become a vital part of our species' repertory. It comprises what we know of the material world with reasonable certainty. . . . Thanks to science and technology, access to factual information of all kinds is rising exponentially.

In the end ... success or failure will come down to an ethical decision, one on which those now living will be judged for generations to come.

In the early stages of creation of both art and science, everything in the mind is a story.

Humanity is exalted not because we are so far above other living creatures, but because knowing them well elevates the very concept of life.

We don't know nearly enough about the complexities of Nature. If we think we can eliminate natural ecosystems and substitute prosthetic devices, i.e. clean air or water with fusion energy - we are kidding ourselves.

What's been gratifying is to live long enough to see molecular biology and evolutionary biology growing toward each other and uniting in research efforts.