While human nature largely determines how we hear the notes, it is nurture that lets us hear the music.

[It's] troubling because it reminds us how difficult it is to prove anything. We like to pretend that our experiments define the truth for us. But that's often not the case. Just because an idea is true doesn't mean it can be proved. And just because an idea can be proved doesn't mean it's true. When the experiments are done, we still have to choose what to believe.

People assume that they perceive reality as it is, that our senses accurately record the outside world. Yet the science suggests that, in important ways, people experience reality not as it is, but as they expect it to be.

...new ideas are merely several old thoughts that occur at the exact same time.

Just because an idea is true doesn't mean it can be proved. And just because an idea can be proved doesn't mean it's true.

In fact, the only way to remain creative over time--to not be undone by our expertise--is to experiment with ignorance, to stare at things we don't fully understand.

Design is the conscious imposition of meaningful order.