I believe consistency and orthogonality are tools of design not the primary goal in design.

There is a group of individuals who are radical jihadists. We need to call them by name. They believe it is OK to kill people in the name of their religion. It is not all of Islam. It is not all Muslims. But there is a subgroup who believe it is OK. In fact it is their plan and design to kill people.

I do believe that there are some universal cognitive tasks that are deep and profound - indeed so deep and profound that it is worthwhile to understand them in order to design our displays in accord with those tasks.

How can you look at the Texas legislature and still believe in intelligent design?

I believe the death of Bobby Kennedy was in many ways the death of decency in America. I think it was the death of manners and formality the death of poetry and the death of a dream.

I think about death a lot I really do because I can't believe I won't exist. It's the ego isn't it? I feel that I should retreat into a better form of Zen Buddhism than this kind of ego-dominated thing. But I don't know I mean I want to come back as a tree but I suspect that it's just not going to happen is it?

You know I've never actually really believed that death is inevitable. I just think it's a rumor.

I am politically pro-choice but personally pro-life. I have my faith but refuse to force it on the world at large - especially this world so brutal and unjust. I cannot make these wrenching personal life and death decisions for others - nor do I believe they should be made by a church run by childless men.

I'm not supposed to be able to speak clearly and decipher what's going on in the media. I'm supposed to be the typical amateur who's 22 and scared to death and can't believe he won the Olympics.

Nobody with an IQ higher than emergency-room temperature could ever believe that 'death panels' would be appointed to nudge the elderly toward euthanasia. Yet for idle entertainment it's hard to beat Sarah Palin's ignorant nattering on the subject.