Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded–here and there, now and then–are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty. This is known as “bad luck.”

Notebooks of Lazarus Long (Intermission)
from Robert A. Heinlein

Of all the strange „crimes“ that human beings have legislated out of nothing, „blasphemy“ is the most amazing – with „obscenity“ and „indecent exposure“ fighting it out for second and third place.

Notebooks of Lazarus Long (Intermission)
from Robert A. Heinlein

Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons.

R. Buckminster Fuller

It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.

Albert Einstein

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

Notebooks of Lazarus Long (Intermission)

from Robert A. Heinlein