Perhaps our greatest distinction as a species is our capacity, unique among animals, to make counter-evolutionary choices.

The United States has long thought of itself as the land of infinite plenty, and historically we did have abundant resources. But now we are gradually exhausting our fisheries, our topsoil, our water. On top of that, we're coming to the end of world resources.

Perhaps our greatest distinction as a species is our capacity, unique among animals, to make counter-evolutionary choices.

All human societies go through fads in which they temporarily either adopt practices of little use or else abandon practices of considerable use.

The main thing that gives me hope is the media. We have radio, TV, magazines, and books, so we have the possibility of learning from societies that are remote from us, like Somalia. We turn on the TV and see what blew up in Iraq or we see conditions in Afghanistan.

One way to explain the complexity and unpredictability of historical systems, despite their ultimate determinacy, is to note that long chains of causation may separate final effects from ultimate causes lying outside the domain of that field of science.

Australia is the most isolated continent.