Paul Levinson has outdone himself: The Plot to Save Socrates is a philosophically rich gem full of big ideas and wonderful time-travel tricks.

That natural selection can produce changes within a type is disputed by no one, not even the staunchest creationist. But that it can transform one species into another — that, in fact, has never been observed.

Secrecy was the problem; transparency the obvious cure.

Virtual reality is just air guitar writ large.

Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace.

The right things to do are those that keep our violence in abeyance; the wrong things are those that bring it to the fore.

It is either coincidence piled on top of coincidence," said Hollus, "or it is deliberate design.