"It's natural to think that living things must be the handiwork of a designer. But it was also natural to think that the sun went around the earth. Overcoming naive impressions to figure out how things really work is one of humanity's highest callings.[Can You Believe in God and Evolution? Time Magazine, August 7, 2005]"
"There's a misconception that survival of the fittest means survival of the most aggressive. The adjective 'Darwinian' used to refer to ruthless competition; you used to read that in business journals. But that's not what Darwinian means to a biologist; it's whatever leads to reproductive success."
"I would argue that nothing gives life more purpose than the realization that every moment of consciousness is a precious and fragile gift."
"Many artists and scholars have pointed out that ultimately art depends on human nature."
"We will never have a perfect world, but it’s not romantic or naïve to work toward a better one."
"The rules of friendship are tacit, unconscious; they are not rational. In business, though, you have to think rationally."