The meeting included exceptional talks by leaders in the field and new investigators alike that synthesized concepts spanning microevolution in experimental settings to macroevolution across clades and kingdoms.
The Americans have replaced working to be exceptional with talking about how exceptional they still are.
It is possible because a lot of Americans feel the incumbent in the White House has undersold the United States, diminished its distinctive and exceptional nature, talked down its power, and so diluted its greatness and abdicated its responsibility for the well-being of the free world.
Two exceptional women, talking about one exceptional woman's life, with the help of a few really exceptional friends.
When the president was first elected, he did an exceptional job talking to the American people explaining what he and his administration were doing to keep the nation from going into a depression.
It describes the book as "exceptional"; his editor talks of an English Updike.
Arthur, the former South Africa and Australia head coach, said: "Woakes has been exceptional – we were talking about this in the dressing room.
"There is that madness-genius gene in him because as a player he's exceptional, with people talking about him being player of the year, but what he did today, is indefensible," said the former Liverpool player Jamie Redknapp, a Sky Sports analyst.
The "G" word, as in genius, was dismissed as romantic fetishism; and talk of exceptional originality not explainable by historical or social context was written off as starry-eyed mush.
"He is exceptional - you could talk about him forever," he added.
Beyond the headlines, President Obama went on talk about exceptional leadership which is not "power over" but leadership on global security, "expanding exchanges and collaborations in areas that people often admire most about America -- our innovation, our science, our technology".
