Danny Hillis Quotes

Are we at some kind of evolutionary equipoise as a species? Or, are we destined to become something different - something, perhaps, even better adapted to the environment?

Humans are mutants, everything's a mutant - things that evolve.

For any species to change, if they are unable and are unwilling to do so - I might, for example, have suggested to the dinosaurs that heavy armor and great size was a sinking ship, and that they do well to convert to mammal facilities - it would not lie in my power or desire to reconvert a reluctant dinosaur.

Man is a transitional animal. He is not the climax of creation

My contention is, all kids have tremendous talents. And we squander them, pretty ruthlessly.

God has already lined up the right people for you, people that will inspire you, challenge you and motivate you. If you’ll let go of the wrong people, then the right people will show up.

Only speak words that make souls stronger -\-\ for once words are spoken, they may be forgiven, but may be not forgotten.

You'd go in the magic shop [as an 8-year-old ], and you'd walk up to the magicians doing stuff, and they'd turn their back on you. "Oh my gosh, I wish they would accept me." It really lit a fire. I really wanted to succeed.

When you see them be successful, however small, you say to yourself, wow. And everything becomes possible. Never denigrate, to say we will not succeed.

One of the secrets to success is ideas mixed with inspiration

Approach difficult tasks with a positive attitude - you'll inspire others and feel better about what's ahead

Danger, the spur of all great minds.

Through the years, I have learned there is no harm in charging oneself up with delusions between moments of valid inspiration.

Be passionate. If you are passionate, you will ultimately succeed.

If we don't pay attention to [nonviolent protests], they are invisible, and it's as if they never happened. But I have seen first hand that if we do, they will multiply.

That's what I tried to share in this book, Back From The Dead, the ability to learn, to dream, to hope. In a world that is far too often selling fear and death, I'm selling hope and life and success and that's why I chose to be part of the Grateful Dead.

If you go out and make some things happen, you will fill the world with hope.

So to any of us, whatever those things are: whatever it is we look up to, whatever it is we look forward to, and whoever it is we're chasin'. To that I say: Amen. To that I say: Alright, alright, alright. To that I say: Just keep livin'. Thank you.

[Facebook and Twitter] aren't the real problems in the office. The real problems are what I like to call the M&Ms, the Managers and the Meetings.

I think just all girls are my mentors. I feel like I've learned everything I know from just being around other women and learning from them.

You can't move people to action unless you first move them with emotion. The heart comes before the head.

I'm motivated by solving new and challenging problems, especially ones that people say can't or shouldn't be tackled.

The purpose of leadership is to take others to the top. And when you take others who might not make it to the top otherwise, there's no other feeling like it in the world. To those who have never had the experience, you can't explain it. To those who have, you don't need to.

Inspiration, hunger: these are the qualities that drive good schools. The best we educational planners can do is to create the most likely conditions for them to flourish, and then get out of their way.

I tell young people to reach for the stars. And I can't think of a greater high than you could possibly get than by inventing something.