# Life and Intelligence Do Not Fulfill a Cosmic Plan by Sean Carroll > “Life on Earth doesn't arise in fulfillment of a grand scheme, but rather as a byproduct of the increase of entropy in an environment very far from equilibrium. Our impressive brains don't develop because life is guided toward greater levels of complexity and intelligence, but from the mechanical interactions between genes, organisms, and their surroundings.” > **— Sean Carroll**, *“The Pointless Universe,” Edge Annual Question, 2011* ## Sources and Context - **Original or near-original source:** [“The Pointless Universe,” Edge Annual Question, 2011](https://www.edge.org/response-detail/10164) — Carroll rejects teleology in natural history while explicitly allowing that people create purpose and meaning; the quote is not a claim that human life has no value. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Article:** [[articles/Digital Darwinism and the Invisible World of Machine Evolution|Digital Darwinism and the Invisible World of Machine Evolution]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley|The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley]] - **Wiki map:** [[wiki/Darwinian Evolution|Darwinian Evolution]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Darwinian Evolution|Darwinian Evolution]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “Life on Earth doesn't arise in fulfillment of a grand scheme, but rather as a byproduct of the increase of entropy in an environment very far from equilibrium. Our impressive brains don't develop because life is guided toward greater levels of complexity and intelligence, but from the mechanical interactions between genes, organisms, and their surroundings.” — Sean Carroll, “The Pointless Universe,” Edge Annual Question, 2011 https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-sean-carroll-life-intelligence-cosmic-plan ```