---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Exchange is to technology as sex is to…"
description: "\"“Exchange is to technology as sex is to evolution. It stimulates novelty”\" — Matt Ridley (Author"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/matt-ridley-author-94722_biology_exchange-is-to-technology-as-sex-is-to-e_3095112.jpg"
---

#  Exchange is to technology as sex is to evolution. It…

![“Exchange is to technology as sex is to evolution. It stimulates novelty” quote by Matt Ridley (Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/matt-ridley-author-94722_biology_exchange-is-to-technology-as-sex-is-to-e_3095112.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/matt-ridley-author-94722_biology_exchange-is-to-technology-as-sex-is-to-e_3095112.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/matt-ridley-author-94722_biology_exchange-is-to-technology-as-sex-is-to-e_3095112.jpg)

> ““Exchange is to technology as sex is to evolution. It stimulates novelty””

[Matt Ridley (Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley-author/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Technology drives exchange similarly to how sex drives evolution, fostering novelty and progress.

**In simple terms:** Technology fuels exchange like sex drives evolution.

Key Takeaway

Leverage tech to create new possibilities.

Themes

technology exchange evolution innovation novelty

Mood

inquisitive optimistic

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- business strategy
- research development
- creative industries
- education programs

Key Concepts

biology sociology economics

Questions to Reflect On

- How does technology truly shape evolution?
- What novel outcomes arise from this exchange?

A Different Perspective

Analogy may oversimplify complex processes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Evolution Stimulates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution-stimulates-5339635/) [Exchange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exchange/) [Exchange Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exchange-technology-5339636/) [Stimulates Novelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stimulates-novelty-5339637/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Technology Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology-sex-3210219/)

## Related quotes

> [Technology is run by sex, because it's very important to people, both technology and sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/technology-is-run-by-sex-because-it-s-very-important-to-people-both/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [One of the ultimate challenges of biology is to understand how the brain becomes consciously aware of perception, experience and emotion. But it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/one-of-the-ultimate-challenges-of-biology-is-to-understand-how-the/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

> [I think theater will always be my first love. I've been doing it since I was nine, and there's nothing quite like being on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracie-thoms/i-think-theater-will-always-be-my-first-love-i-ve-been-doing-it-since/)

[Tracie Thoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracie-thoms/)

> [“I'm in a hole because at some point I found a shovel and started digging. Maybe I should trade my shovels for ladders and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/i-m-in-a-hole-because-at-some-point-i-found-a-shovel-and-started/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [If you imagine that everything is an exchange, then we're supposed to just transact and walk away. If we haven't walked away and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/if-you-imagine-that-everything-is-an-exchange-then-we-re-supposed-to/)

[David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/)

> [An 'exchange' would allow everyone to choose their health care insurance from a broad range of options - just like federal employees and Congress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-p-harris/an-exchange-would-allow-everyone-to-choose-their-health-care/)

[Andrew P. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-p-harris/)

> [There was no Internet, not even many cookbooks except the old reference books. So we would sit down at night, a group of six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-boulud/there-was-no-internet-not-even-many-cookbooks-except-the-old/)

[Daniel Boulud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-boulud/)

> [International educational exchange is the most significant current project designed to continue the process of humanizing mankind to the point, we would hope, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/international-educational-exchange-is-the-most-significant-current/)

[J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/)

> [I don't get what my signature is supposed to mean if we haven't had some kind of exchange.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nana-visitor/i-don-t-get-what-my-signature-is-supposed-to-mean-if-we-haven-t-had/)

[Nana Visitor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nana-visitor/)

> [Progress is always an exchange. We gain something, we give something else up. I'm interested in looking at some of what we are losing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-leonard/progress-is-always-an-exchange-we-gain-something-we-give-something/)

[Zoe Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-leonard/)

> [I make a deal with the audience every time I direct a movie. The deal always is this: I'm showing you this world in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-oz/i-make-a-deal-with-the-audience-every-time-i-direct-a-movie-the-deal/)

[Frank Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-oz/)

> [I've always liked the format of YouTube, sharing things for free, which is a nice exchange between people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/i-ve-always-liked-the-format-of-youtube-sharing-things-for-free-which/)

[Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/)

> [“An exchange of leaders was necessary. It was the only way to bridge the gap.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/an-exchange-of-leaders-was-necessary-it-was-the-only-way-to-bridge/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [We have the Fine Guidance Sensors, one of which we will exchange out of three. Another one we changed on the last servicing mission,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-nicollier/we-have-the-fine-guidance-sensors-one-of-which-we-will-exchange-out/)

[Claude Nicollier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-nicollier/)

> [Exchange of breeding individuals between two populations tends to homogenize their gene pools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-grant/exchange-of-breeding-individuals-between-two-populations-tends-to/)

[Peter R. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-grant/)

## More by Matt Ridley (Author

> [“The story of a briefly abundant hairless primate originating in Africa is but a footnote in the history of life, but in the history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley-author/the-story-of-a-briefly-abundant-hairless-primate-originating-in/)

[Matt Ridley (Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley-author/)

[Explore all 2 Matt Ridley (Author quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley-author/)

## More Biology quotes

> [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/)

[Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/)

> [“Genetics is a science full of gods, Mr. Sanchez.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valeria-luiselli/genetics-is-a-science-full-of-gods-mr-sanchez/)

[Valeria Luiselli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valeria-luiselli/)

> [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. We've done all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangechi-mutu/we-became-homo-sapiens-not-that-long-ago-from-the-scientific/)

[Wangechi Mutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangechi-mutu/)

> [Evolution happens in jumps, very rapidly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/evolution-happens-in-jumps-very-rapidly/)

[Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/)

> [“Toshiaki learned that all living organisms were governed by their DNA. He was impressed by perfection of this system.Why did existence have the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideaki-sena/toshiaki-learned-that-all-living-organisms-were-governed-by-their-dna/)

[Hideaki Sena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideaki-sena/)

> [I'm all about evolution. I'm the first person to judge myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-weeknd/i-m-all-about-evolution-i-m-the-first-person-to-judge-myself/)

[The Weeknd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-weeknd/)

> [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/)

[Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/)

> [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/)

[Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/)

> [Biochemists and biologists who adhere blindly to the Darwinism theory search for results that will be in agreement with their theories and consequently orient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-paul-grasse/biochemists-and-biologists-who-adhere-blindly-to-the-darwinism-theory/)

[Pierre-Paul Grasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-paul-grasse/)

> [“A note of caution: epigenetics is also on the verge of transforming into a dangerous idea. Epigenetic modifications of genes can potentially superpose historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/a-note-of-caution-epigenetics-is-also-on-the-verge-of-transforming/)

[Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/)

> [Natural history is not taught in seminary. This is curious, as most people in pastoral ministry are about 567 times more likely to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-maitland/natural-history-is-not-taught-in-seminary-this-is-curious-as-most/)

[Sara Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-maitland/)

> [We are coming to a place where the road ends. From here on out, we will be making the road as we walk it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-atlee/we-are-coming-to-a-place-where-the-road-ends-from-here-on-out-we-will/)

[Tom Atlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-atlee/)

> [I've always been interested in medicine and was pleased when my brother became a doctor. But after thinking seriously about that field, I realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-medicine-and-was-pleased-when-my/)

[Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/)

> [Evolution... is the most powerful and the most comprehensive idea that has ever arisen on Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-huxley/evolution-is-the-most-powerful-and-the-most-comprehensive-idea-that/)

[Julian Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-huxley/)

> [History employs evolution to structure biological events in time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/history-employs-evolution-to-structure-biological-events-in-time/)

[Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/)

[Browse all 3,034 Biology quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Exchange is to technology as sex is to evolution. It stimulates novelty”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Matt Ridley (Author"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley-author/exchange-is-to-technology-as-sex-is-to-evolution-it-stimulates-novelty/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Biology"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley-author/exchange-is-to-technology-as-sex-is-to-evolution-it-stimulates-novelty/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/matt-ridley-author-94722_biology_exchange-is-to-technology-as-sex-is-to-e_3095112.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/matt-ridley-author-94722_biology_exchange-is-to-technology-as-sex-is-to-e_3095112.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/matt-ridley-author-94722_biology_exchange-is-to-technology-as-sex-is-to-e_3095112.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Exchange is to technology as sex is to evolution. It stimulates novelty” — Matt Ridley (Author",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Matt Ridley (Author",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley-author/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Exchange is to technology as sex...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley-author/exchange-is-to-technology-as-sex-is-to-evolution-it-stimulates-novelty/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley-author/exchange-is-to-technology-as-sex-is-to-evolution-it-stimulates-novelty/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
