Let an ultraintelligent machine be defined as a machine that can far surpass all the intellectual activities of any man however clever. Since the design of machines is one of these intellectual activities, an ultraintelligent machine could design even better machines; there would then unquestionably be an “intelligence explosion,” and the intelligence of man would be left far behind. Thus the first ultraintelligent machine is the last invention that man need ever make, provided that the machine is docile enough to tell us how to keep it under control.

— Nick Bostrom, Superintelligence

When you cling too tightly to one identity, you become brittle. Lose that one thing and you lose yourself.

— James Clear, Atomic Habits

…fear is a hideous kind of fun.

— Aldous Huxley, Huxley trusts and heirs, The Genius and the Goddess

Design is among the most commonly used words of engineering, whereas it is uncommon in science. Design in engineering is a process of finding practical, safe, cost-effective implementations.

— Peter J. Denning and Matti Tedre, Computational Thinking

In my experience most of the complexities which are encountered in systems work are symptoms of organizational malfunctions. Trying to model this reality with equally complex programs is actually to conserve the mess instead of solving the problems.

— Frederick P. Brooks Jr., The Mythical Man-Month