To deal with the true causes of war one must begin by recognizing as of prime relevancy to the solution of the problem the familiar fact that civilization is a partial incomplete and to a great extent superficial modification of barbarism.

A man has no religion who has not slowly and painfully gathered one together adding to it shaping it and one's religion is never complete and final it seems but must always be undergoing modification.

I mean we're really making a quantum change in our relationship to the plant world with genetic modification.

Something I've realized lately to my shock is that I am an optimist in that I think humans are almost infinitely capable of self-change and self-modification and that we really can build the future that we want if we're smart about it.

I tried a dozen different modifications that were rejected. But they all served as a path to the final design.