Peter Medawar

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

Transplantation teaches us the fragility of life.

Doubt is the origin of wisdom.

The elderly are not to be pitied, but envied for their wisdom.

Science progresses by a series of small steps and occasional leaps.

Love and science both require trust.

The brain is wider than the sky, but biology grounds it.

Wit is educated insolence.

Evolution is not a force, but a process.

Personal reflection: My stroke was a reminder of human vulnerability.

In letters to colleagues, I often emphasized collaboration over competition.

From a speech: The future of biology lies in interdisciplinary approaches.

Interview: I believe in the immortality of ideas, not bodies.

Witty remark: Scientists are like artists, but with fewer colors and more equations.

Professional observation: Immunology reveals the self's boundaries.

On life: Happiness is the harvest of a quiet mind.

Aphorism: Truth in science is provisional, but pursuit eternal.

Key passage: The individual is the unit of biological interest.

Correspondence: Dear friend, science demands humility.

Speech excerpt: Let us celebrate the unknown in biology.