Algorithms Quote by David Eagleman
“We are nothing but the product of billions of years of molecules coming together and ratcheting up through natural selection, we are composed only of highways of fluids and chemicals sliding along roadways within billions of dancing cells, trillions of synaptic conversations hum in parallel, this vast egglike fabric of micron-thin circuitry runs algorithms undreamt of in modern science, and these neural programs give rise to our decision making, loves, desires, fears, and aspirations. That understanding would be a numinous experience, better than anything ever proposed in anyone's holy text.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Runaway Species, 2017
Human consciousness arises from complex molecular interactions, producing thoughts, emotions, and aspirations beyond current scientific understanding.
In simple terms: Our minds are built from tiny chemical processes.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the wonder of our biological origins.
Themes
biology
consciousness
evolution
complexity
Mood
awe
curiosity
humble
Type
scientific
philosophical
When to use this quote
- education
- science communication
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
neuroscience
philosophy
systems theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How does knowing our biological basis affect meaning?
- Can we ever fully map consciousness?
A Different Perspective
Science may never fully explain subjective experience.
![“With recidivism algorithms, for example, I worry about racist outcomes. With personality tests [for hiring], I worry about filtering out people with mental health problems from jobs. And with a teacher value-added model algorithm [used in New York City to score teachers], I worry literally that…” quote by Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7df/cathy-o-neil-11478_algorithms_with-recidivism-algorithms-for-example-i_18212.jpg)
![“The classes of problems which are respectively known and not known to have good algorithms are of great theoretical interest. [...] I conjecture that there is no good algorithm for the traveling salesman problem. My reasons are the same as for any mathematical conjecture: (1) It is a legitimate…” quote by Jack Edmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/43a/jack-edmonds-61996_algorithms_the-classes-of-problems-which-are-respec_50487.jpg)
![“Object-oriented programming aficionados think that everything is an object… this [isn't] so. There are things that are objects. Things that have state and change their state are objects. And then there are things that are not objects. A binary search is not an object. It is an algorithm” quote by Alexander Stepanov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ef9/alexander-stepanov-55292_algorithms_object-oriented-programming-aficionados_89704.jpg)
![“[The Euclidean algorithm is] the granddaddy of all algorithms, because it is the oldest nontrivial algorithm that has survived to the present day.” quote by Donald Knuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/880/donald-knuth-8762_algorithms_the-euclidean-algorithm-is-the-granddadd_96085.jpg)
