# Paleolithic Emotions Meet Godlike Technology by E. O. Wilson > “We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology.” > **— E. O. Wilson**, *2009 interview with Alice Dreger, published 2021* ## Sources and Context - **First-person interview transcript and surrounding exchange:** [Alice Dreger, “A Conversation with E.O. Wilson,” interview conducted August 24, 2009, published December 29, 2021](https://quillette.com/2021/12/29/speaking-with-e-o-wilson/). **Exact source clause:** “we have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology.” The Reminder capitalizes the initial “we” for a standalone sentence; no substantive words change. Wilson calls this a problem and continues by arguing that research and revision of institutions are possible. The article’s general Wilson book reference is not the provenance of this precise formulation. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Greatest Transformation in Human History|The Greatest Transformation in Human History]] - **Article:** [[articles/We Were Never Going to Make It|We Were Never Going to Make It]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley|The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/E. O. Wilson|E. O. Wilson]] - [[wiki/Dignitarian Predictive Civilization|Dignitarian Predictive Civilization]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology.” — E. O. Wilson, 2009 interview with Alice Dreger, published 2021 https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-eo-wilson-paleolithic-emotions ```