"Fiction is not merely a distraction. It is what allows us to cooperate on a large scale."

"The most important technology of the 21st century will be biotechnology."

"We are more powerful than ever before, but have very little idea what to do with all that power."

"Democracy is in crisis because it no longer provides answers to the big questions of the day."

"We are entering an era of 'useless class' where many people will be economically redundant."