Robert Lanza Quotes

Powerful Robert Lanza for Daily Growth

About Robert Lanza

Robert Lanza is an esteemed American scientist, best known for his groundbreaking work in the fields of stem cell research, tissue nanotransfection (TNT), and bio-reconstruction. Born on March 16, 1956, in Boston, Massachusetts, Lanza grew up with a strong interest in science, particularly biology, fostered by his father's passion for nature. After earning his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Lanza went on to complete his Ph.D. at Brown University. His academic journey led him to the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, where he began his career as a postdoctoral fellow under renowned embryologist Ralph Brinster. Lanza's life took a transformative turn when he collaborated with Ian Trounson on the creation of the first cloned mammal, Dolly the Sheep. This groundbreaking achievement at the Roslin Institute in Scotland made international headlines and catapulted Lanza into the limelight as a pioneer in stem cell research. In 1995, Lanza joined Advanced Cell Technology (ACT), where he made significant strides in human therapeutic cloning. Notably, in 2001, his team at ACT produced the first human embryonic stem cells without destroying an embryo, a discovery that earned him the nickname "Frankenstein of biology." In 2005, Lanza co-founded BioTime, where he continued his revolutionary work in stem cell research and TNT technology. His most recent book, "Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness are Intrinsic to the Universe," explores the philosophical implications of biology and challenges our understanding of reality. Throughout his career, Robert Lanza has challenged conventional scientific wisdom, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the field of life sciences. His contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including being named one of Time Magazine's "Heroes for the Planet" and receiving the Albert Einstein World Award of Science.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality."

Robert Lanza's quote emphasizes that science, which is based on empirical observation and rational inquiry, can provide a profound understanding of the universe and its underlying principles, thus inspiring a sense of wonder, awe, and spirituality. This perspective suggests that science and spirituality are not mutually exclusive but rather complementary approaches to exploring and gaining insights into the nature of existence, reality, and our place within it.


"Death is just shuffling cards, really... changing forms, shedding old cells, putting on new ones, over and over, like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly."

This quote suggests that the process of life and death are analogous to reshuffling cards or metamorphosis in nature. Just as a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, we are constantly shedding old cells and acquiring new ones throughout our lives. In this view, death is simply a part of the cycle, not an ending but rather a transition or transformation. It emphasizes the continuity and cyclical nature of life, implying that even though physical forms may change, the essence or spirit continues in some form.


"In the beginning, there was only potentiality - a sea of information, a sea of energy, waiting to become something."

This quote suggests that in the origin of the universe or creation, there existed an immense, undifferentiated state - a "sea" or reservoir of information (knowledge) and energy (power or capability). This potentiality was poised to manifest into various forms or realities over time. In simpler terms, it implies that at the start, everything had the possibility to become anything, waiting to be shaped by the unfolding of events and the course of time.


"Consciousness is not a thing, it's a doing, a verb, an action."

Robert Lanza suggests that consciousness isn't a static entity or object; instead, it represents an active process, something we do rather than possess. In other words, consciousness is the act of perceiving, thinking, feeling, and experiencing, not a fixed state or quality. This perspective encourages us to view consciousness as a dynamic, interactive aspect of existence, not a static property of certain beings.


"We are more than our bodies, we are multidimensional beings, and the universe is not dead matter but living information."

This quote suggests that human beings are not limited to our physical bodies, but encompass multiple dimensions beyond our tangible existence. In other words, we have an intrinsic connection with the universe, where our consciousness or spirit transcends the material world. Additionally, Robert Lanza posits that the universe is not merely inert matter, but a living entity full of information, implying a level of sentience or intelligence in the cosmos. This perspective challenges the traditional view of the universe as a cold and lifeless expanse, instead advocating for a more spiritual and interconnected understanding of reality.


Physics tells us observations can't be predicted absolutely. Rather, there's a range of possible observations each with a different probability.

- Robert Lanza

Rather, Probability, Range, Observations

I think it's science and physics are just starting to learn from all these experiments. These experiments have been carried out hundreds and hundreds of times in all sorts of ways that no physicist really questions the end point. I think that these experiments are very clearly telling us that consciousness is limitless and the ultimate reality.

- Robert Lanza

Been, Very, Telling, Physicist

The universe bursts into existence from life, not the other way around as we have been taught. For each life there is a universe, its own universe. We generate spheres of reality, individual bubbles of existence. Our planet is comprised of billions of spheres of reality, generated by each individual human and perhaps even by each animal.

- Robert Lanza

Own, Other, Been, Our Planet

We are more than the sum of our biochemical functions. Even the tiniest flea is an incredibly complex living creature, with mouth-parts adapted to feeding on the blood of your cat or dog.

- Robert Lanza

Living, More, Functions, Flea

Our science fails to recognize those special properties of life that make it fundamental to material reality. This view of the world - biocentrism - revolves around the way a subjective experience, which we call consciousness, relates to a physical process. It is a vast mystery and one that I have pursued my entire life.

- Robert Lanza

Relates, Fundamental, Entire, Revolves

When you turn from one room to the next, when your animal senses no longer perceive the sounds of the dishwasher, the ticking clock, the smell of a chicken roasting - the kitchen and all its seemingly discrete bits dissolve into nothingness - or into waves of probability.

- Robert Lanza

Chicken, Next, Ticking, Dissolve

Amazingly when you add life and consciousness to the equation you can actually explain some of the biggest puzzles of science.

- Robert Lanza

Amazing, Explain, Add, Puzzles

So someday in the near future hopefully rather than having a foot or a leg amputated we'll just give you an injection of the cells and restore the blood flow. We've also created entire tubes of red blood cells from scratch in the laboratory. So there are a lot of exciting things in the pipeline.

- Robert Lanza

Rather, Amputated, Entire, Exciting Things

I think the answer of course is that space and time are not these hard external objects. Again we're, scientists have been building from one side of nature (physics) without considering the other side (life in consciousness). Neither side exists without the other. They cannot be divorced from one another or else there is no reality.

- Robert Lanza

Other, Been, I Think, External

The farther we peer into space, the more we realize that the nature of the universe cannot be understood fully by inspecting spiral galaxies or watching distant supernovas. It lies deeper. It involves our very selves.

- Robert Lanza

Nature, Very, Galaxies, Understood

The laws of nature are structured so that we grow and change, and get to experience the full spectrum of biological existence.

- Robert Lanza

Nature, Grow, Laws, Biological

We have failed to protect science against speculative extensions of nature, continuing to assign physical and mathematical properties to hypothetical entities beyond what is observable in nature.

- Robert Lanza

Nature, Against, Failed, Extensions

Until we recognize the essential role of biology, our attempts to truly unify the universe will remain a train to nowhere.

- Robert Lanza

Biology, Will, Role, Train

Today's preoccupation with physical theories of everything takes a wrong turn from the purpose of science - to question all things relentlessly. Modern physics has become like Swift's kingdom of Laputa, flying absurdly on an island above the earth and indifferent to what is beneath.

- Robert Lanza

Purpose, Turn, Modern, Absurdly

We're living through a paradigm shift. People are going to look back at us and say, 'They used to cut people's legs off.' Then they'll just give an injection and the blood flow will be restored and the limb saved.

- Robert Lanza

Through, Cut, Paradigm, Flow

When science tries to resolve its conflicts by adding and subtracting dimensions to the Universe like houses on a Monopoly board, we need to examine our dogmas.

- Robert Lanza

Resolve, Like, Tries, Board

As children we were bombarded by competing answers. Church says one thing, school another. Now as adults it's no surprise that if we discuss the nature of it all, we generally spout some combination of the two, depending on our individual inclination and mood.

- Robert Lanza

Church, Mood, Some, Discuss

In whatever form it takes, life sings because it has a song. The meaning is in the lyrics.

- Robert Lanza

Song, Sings, Form, Lyrics

In fact when you combine stem cell technology with the technology known as tissue engineering you can actually grow up entire organs, so as you suggest that sometime in the future you get in an auto accident and lose your kidney, we'd simply take a few skin cells and grow you up a new kidney. In fact this has already been done.

- Robert Lanza

Been, Sometime, Auto, Combine

Perhaps, if science is clever enough to see, it will realize that religion may not be too far off with its concrete imagery; and that relative to the supreme creator, we humans are much like the microorganisms we scrutinize under the microscope.

- Robert Lanza

See, Concrete, Microscope, Imagery

We have these words 'space' and 'time,' but you can't touch them. They're not objects, they're not things, they go forever. Space and time are really tools of animal sense perception, the way we organize and construct information.

- Robert Lanza

Go, Objects, Space And Time, Organize

Without consciousness, space and time are nothing.

- Robert Lanza

Time, Nothing, Consciousness, Space And Time

Sometime in the future, science will be able to create realities that we can't even begin to imagine. As we evolve, we'll be able to construct other information systems that correspond to other realities, universes based on logic completely different from ours and not based on space and time.

- Robert Lanza

Science, Other, Sometime, Space And Time

Space and time, not proteins and neurons, hold the answer to the problem of consciousness. When we consider the nerve impulses entering the brain, we realize that they are not woven together automatically, any more than the information is inside a computer.

- Robert Lanza

Inside, Woven, Automatically, Space And Time

So for instance it becomes clear why space and time and even the properties of matter itself depend on the observer in consciousness. In fact when you take this point of view it even explains why the laws of the universe themselves are fine tuned for the existence of life.

- Robert Lanza

Fact, Depend, Instance, Space And Time

We take for granted how our mind puts everything together.

- Robert Lanza

How, Puts, Take, Take For Granted

For example, if the big bang had been one-part-in-a billion more powerful, it would have rushed out too fast for the galaxies to form and for life to begin.

- Robert Lanza

Big, Been, Galaxies, Bang

We don't have time to wait for President Bush to change his mind. How many breakthroughs have been missed as a result of this policy?

- Robert Lanza

Mind, Wait, Been, Breakthroughs

I do not think that there is a reputable scientist on this planet who would advocate using this technology to generate a human child as was just announced.

- Robert Lanza

Think, Scientist, Using, Generate

Reality is observer-determined - it's a spatio-temporal process, which fortunately means that things must change.

- Robert Lanza

Process, Which, Means, Fortunately

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