It's all too easy to dismiss the future. People confuse what's impossible today with what's impossible tomorrow.
George M. ChurchRead
We have the ability to completely change our environment to go... to take on... to inherit, in a certain sense, things far beyond our DNA, and that's inheritable. And we can see evolution in action as our ideas evolve and undergo a kind of Darwinian selection not at the DNA level. And we can go off into space.
Interpretation
What this quote means
We can transform our environment and ideas beyond our genetic makeup.
This quote emphasizes humanity's power to evolve not just biologically, but also through our thoughts and innovations. It suggests that our ideas can undergo a process similar to natural selection, allowing us to shape our future and explore beyond our current limitations, including the potential for space exploration.
Themes
EvolutionChangeIdeasInnovationEnvironment
In practice
Example use cases
During a conference about future technologies, this quote can inspire discussions on human potential.
More from George M. Church
All quotes →You can't just hoard your ideas inside the ivory tower. You have to get them out into the world.
George M. ChurchRead
Clearly, we are a species that is well connected to other species. Whether or not we evolve from them, we are certainly very closely related to them. A series of mutations could change us into all kinds of intermediate species. Whether or not those intermediate species are provably in the past, they could easily be in our future.
George M. ChurchRead
We have a love affair with the idea of the 'natural,' even though we, as a species, are about as unnatural as you can imagine.
George M. ChurchRead
At some point, someone will come up with an airtight argument as to why they should have a cloned child. At that point, cloning will be acceptable.
George M. ChurchRead
Most people are excited about themselves. Personal genome will deliver for inexpensively something about science to which you can relate. Just like computers are becoming something to which you can relate. It should be even easier to relate to your own biology, and I hope that will be one of the ways we get broader literacy in science.
George M. ChurchRead
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