How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"Okay then. You were a smart guy. You have a lot to learn, but I'm betting you'll get those smarts back. Don't panic if you can't remember something. Don't push too hard, either. Practically every day the docs are going to restore some additional capability. The theory is that this will be less disturbing for you. Whether that's right or wrong won't matter if you keep cool. Remember you have a whole loving family here." Lena. Robert lowered his head for a moment. Not a return to childhood, but a kind of second chance. If he could come all the way back from the Alzheimer's, if, if ... then he might have another twenty years left, time to make up for what he had lost. So two goals: his poetry, and ... "Lena." (3.38)
Here, Reed Weber (physician's assistant) tries to get Robert used to the idea of regaining certain abilities he's lost in his old age. Notice that Robert's "Return" (the name of the chapter) is controlled by doctors who have a schedule to "restore some additional capability" day-by-day instead of all at once. Also, note that Robert doesn't think of all the cool new things he could do—he's just interested in getting back what he lost. Is that because he's old and he's looking to the past instead of the future?
Quote #5
"Ah, that's the problem. Whoever is at the top of my affiliance is coy. We're just collecting information. Basically, some of these senior citizens used to be bigshots."
"If they were so big, how come they're in our classes now?" It was just the question the kids asked at school. (4.77-8)
Big Lizard (really Chumlig) has just told Juan to make nice with the senior citizens in school, since they might once have been important. Of course, as we'll see when Juan tries to make friends with Xiu Xiang, Winston Blount, and—shudder—Robert Gu, just because they were important once doesn't mean they're important now. Here's another effect of getting old: not only does your body get old, but you're no longer as important as you once were. Which brings us to—
Quote #6
And then there was Xiu Xiang. PhD physics, PhD electrical engineering; 2010 Winner of the President's Medal for Secure Computation. Overall the hotstuff index on her was almost Nobel quality. Dr. Xiang sat hunched over, looking at the table in front of her. She was trying to keep up on a view-page! Poor lady. But for sure she would have connections. (4.121)
Xiu is one of our favorite oldsters, probably because she builds cool toys that can destroy self-driving cars. However, when we meet her, our first view is pretty sad: first we hear how great she was, with her two PhDs and near Nobel-quality work. Then, we see how far she's fallen: she's "hunched over" (never a position of power or health, so note-to-self: sit up straight please); and she's using a view-page instead of wearable computers. The book really starts out associating "old age" with "old technology." Even low-self-esteem Juan pities Xiu with that "Poor lady" comment, so we can see how badly off she is.