“Protoplasm is protean; any simple protoplasm can become any complex form of life under mutation and selection.”

“The essential basis of life itself, namely, protoplasm, is a substance composed largely of water and having the physical constitution of a viscid liquid.”

“As many more individuals of each species are born than can possibly survive; and as, consequently, there is a frequently recurring struggle for existence, it follows that any being, if it vary however slightly in any manner profitable to itself, under the complex and sometimes varying conditions of life, will have a better chance of surviving, and thus be naturally selected. From the strong principle of inheritance, any selected variety will tend to propagate its new and modified form.”

“There is no spirit-driven life force, no throbbing, heaving, pullulating, protoplasmic, mystic jelly. Life is just bytes and bytes and bytes of digital information.”

“As many more individuals of each species are born than can possibly survive; and as, consequently, there is a frequently recurring struggle for existence, it follows that any being, if it vary however slightly in any manner profitable to itself, under the complex and sometimes varying conditions of life, will have a better chance of surviving, and thus be naturally selected.”

“Any darn fool can make something complex; it takes a genius to make something simple.”

“Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to make something simple.”

“Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple, and the simple thing is the right thing.”

“Life at any time can become difficult: life at any time can become easy. It all depends upon how one adjusts oneself to life.”

“Mutation may be random, but selection definitely is not.”