On the compounded challenges of COVID-19 and substance abuse:
“[Among] people who are surveyed during the pandemic who use drugs, we’ve seen a 13% increase in the number of people who have increased their use of substances.”

On discovering that organisms can survive in unexpectedly severe undersea conditions:
“Water boils on the (Earth’s) surface at 100 degrees Celsius, and we found organisms living in sediments at 120 degrees Celsius.”

On his work in solving technological inequities for people with disabilities:
“In general, people with disabilities face a severe disparity in the cybersecurity solutions available to them.”

On COVID-19 and its impact on stock prices in the short and long term:
“In the long run, if the impact of COVID turns out to be more long-lasting or if the monetary policy changes unexpectedly, there is a risk of a very big correction.”

On the passage of ballot initiatives around the nation last fall:
“In many ways this has sparked a national conversation on race, and I think we’ve seen a lot of people who are more willing to take concrete steps to address racism than they were in the past.”

On the Biden administration’s open-door policy for Muslims, after years of not being able to leave the country without fear of being denied reentry:
“I feel like I have been in a cage for four years.”

On Rome’s “creepiest” emperor, on the occasion of his infamous imperial gardens being opened to the public:
“Caligula was young and had absolutely no relevant experience for the job, which might have seemed like a breath of fresh air at first, but soon turned into a nightmare as he proved to be a cruel and incompetent ruler.”