The Time Vault was filled; filled far beyond the available seating capacity, and men lined the back of the room, three deep. - Isaac Asimov

All sources of energy in our Universe run down. We can't help that. Everything is
downhill in just one direction, and we can force a temporary uphill, backward, only by
taking advantage of some greater downhill in the vicinity. If we want useful energy
forever, we need a road that is downhill both ways. That is a paradox in our Universe; it
stands to reason that whatever is downhill one way is uphill going back.

The religion we have is our all-important instrument towards that end. With it we have brought the Four Kingdoms under our control, even at the moment when they would have crushed us. It is the most potent device known with which to control men and worlds.

The human mind works at low efficiency. Twenty percent is the figure usually given. When, momentarily, there is a flash of greater power, it is termed a hunch, or insight, or intuition.