John Brunner Quotes

If you trace the history of mankind, our evolution has been mediated by technology, and without technology it's not really obvious where we would be. So I think we have always been cyborgs in this sense.

Is the human race a universal constructor?

I think after a time there won't be anything left to be interesting for mankind. Computers are about to do everything for us. Cellphones are smarter than we are. We'll embrace spirituality because we'll be bored of everything else.

If you run from technology, it will chase you.

We are gods. Our tools make us gods. In symbiosis with our technology, our powers are expanding exponentially and so, too, our possibilities.

The Internet is part of this ongoing, species-long project we've been working on since we climbed down out of the trees in the savanna. We've been working on it without really knowing it.

If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger.

Technology is a wonderful tool, but also if used incorrectly a horrible tool. We're fascinated by all aspects of it, whatever makes our human lives easier on the planet, but eventually there will have to be some sort of merger. The fascination isn't going to die down.

We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.

With science, technology and globalization, man is changing the world faster than his evolution can keep up with the new dangers.

The building of ships is antediluvian; the building of aircraft is of the 20th century, But there are similarities: both activities have to do with security as well as economy; almost everyone wants some capacity in the field, usually more than can be sustained by ordinary commerce.

In some ways, technology keeps on enhancing us, and we embrace it.

I truly hope that we can evolve with technology, and use it for the benefit of all mankind, but history might suggest otherwise.

We've been merging with tools since the beginning of human evolution, and arguably, that's one of the things that makes us human beings.

I grew up using maps and having a sense of direction, and now I have a phone. I used to try to remember numbers, and now I... can just call them up instantly. And that's great. But what's happening right now is that we're in a phase of human evolution where we're merging with machines.

Man has existed for about a million years. He has possessed writing for about 6,000 years, agriculture somewhat longer, but perhaps not much longer. Science, as a dominant factor in determining the belief of educated men, has existed for about 300 years; as a source of economic technique, for about 150 years. In this brief period it has proved itself an incredibly powerful revolutionary force. When we consider how recently it has risen to power, we find ourselves forced to believe that we are at the very beginning of its work in transforming human life.

The modern technologist is less 'sorcerer' and more 'sorcerer's apprentice'.

For better or worse, man is the tool-using animal, and as such he has become the lord of creation. When he is lord also of himself, he will deserve his self-chosen title homo sapiens.

Our intellect has created a new world that dominates nature, and has populated it with monstrous machines.

Technology and tools are useful and powerful when they are your servant and not your master.

Civilization has run on ahead of the soul of man, and is producing faster than he can think and give thanks.

Run for your lives-the computers are invading. Awesomely powerful computers tackling ever more important tasks with awkward, old-fashioned interfaces. As these machines leak into every corner of our lives, they will annoy us, infuriate us, and even kill a few of us. In turn, we will be tempted to kill our computers, but we won't dare because we are already utterly, irreversibly dependent on these hopeful monsters that make modern life possible.

Computers make excellent and efficient servants, but I have no wish to serve under them.

I think that human beings have gotten as far as we've gotten because of our adaptability, our ability to adapt, and our ability to dovetail our technologies - our brains to our tools. With the Industrial Revolution, we transcended the limits of our muscles. With the digital revolution, we transcend the limits of our minds.