He was a professional trouble-shooter. That was a fancy name for an idiot. - Charles Sheffield

D'you know what homeostasis is?"
"I used to, before I rotted my brain with politics.

Could it wipe out life on Earth?"
"Oh, I very much doubt that. Single-celled and oceanic forms will presumably survive. But it might make life impossible for humans."
"Actually, that tends to be my primary concern. Sponges and oysters will have to take care of themselves.

The prevailing theory to resolve this paradox comes from limited studies of Lo’tfian physiology. The male brain, it is believed, is highly organized and possesses powerful intelligence. However, it contains an unknown physical inhibitor, chemical in nature, that forbids the employment of that intelligence when in the presence of a Lo’tfian female. Confronted by such a female, the reasoning ability of the male Lo’tfian simply switches off. (A much weaker form of this phenomenon has been attributed to other species. See Human entry of this catalogue.) —From the Universal Species Catalog (Subclass: Sapients)