Stephen Jay Gould

The human condition is a testament to the power of adaptation, the ability to find meaning and flourish in an indifferent universe.

The most erroneous stories are those in which a little truth is mixed with a great deal of falsehood.

Evolution is a series of fits and starts, not a smooth incline.

The human brain is an organ, not a computer.

Science is not a body of facts, but a way of thinking.

We are not the pinnacle of evolution, but merely one twig on a vast and sprawling bush.

The idea of progress is a cultural construct, not a biological reality.

The concept of 'race' is a social construct, not a biological reality.

Biological determinism is a dangerous and misleading ideology.

Science is a human endeavor, subject to human biases and errors.

The history of science is not a steady march of progress, but a series of revolutions and paradigm shifts.

The concept of 'punctuated equilibrium' challenges the gradualist view of evolution.

Evolutionary theory is not about individual organisms, but about populations and species.

The 'survival of the fittest' is a tautology, not an explanation.

Natural selection is not the only mechanism of evolution.

Contingency plays a major role in the history of life.

If you could rewind the tape of life, the outcome would be vastly different.

The human mind is not a blank slate, but a product of evolution.

The concept of 'intelligence' is culturally biased and often misused.

Science and religion are 'non-overlapping magisteria' (NOMA).