Richard Willstätter

Humor in the lab: when a reaction fails, blame the glassware.

Education is the legacy we leave for future chemists.

The pigments of flowers are invitations to pollinators, lessons in evolution.

I have no last words; my work speaks for me.

Organic synthesis requires the patience of a gardener.

The banishment from academia was a personal tragedy, but science endures.

Every error in calculation is a step toward precision.

Carotenoids bridge the gap between light and life.

In letters to friends, I confide the frustrations of research.

The Nobel is a milestone, not the destination.

Chemistry's elegance lies in its predictability and surprises.

Life's meaning is found in the pursuit of knowledge.

A witty comeback to a critic: Your doubt fuels my determination.

Plant chemistry reveals the poetry of nature.

The war interrupted my research, but not my passion.

Synthesis is creation; analysis is understanding.

In old age, I reflect on the beauty of unanswered questions.

To students: Question everything, especially authority.

The structure of my career: built on pigments and perseverance.

A joke among colleagues: Chlorophyll is green with envy for hemoglobin.