Authors:
  • Each civilization may choose one of two roads to travel, that is, either fret itself to death, or pet itself to death. And in the course of doing one or the other, it eats its way into the Universe, turning cinders and flinders of stars into toilet seats, pegs, gears, cigarette holders and pillowcases, and it does this because, unable to fathom the Universe, it seeks to change that Fathomlessness into Something Fathomable.

    "The Cyberiad: Fables for the Cybernetic Age". Book by Stanisław Lem, translated by Michael Kandel. "Tale of the Three Storytelling Machines of King Genius", §10, 1974.