Jacques Monod
A molecular biologist who, with François Jacob, elucidated the mechanisms of gene regulation, particularly the operon model.
Most quoted
"Man must at last wake out of his millenary dream; and in doing so, wake to his total solitude, his fundamental isolation. He must realize that, like a gypsy, he lives on the boundary of an alien world; a world that is deaf to his music, just as indifferent to his hopes as it is to his sufferings or his crimes."
— from Chance and Necessity, 1970
"Pure chance, absolutely free but blind, at the very root of the stupendous edifice of evolution: this central concept of modern biology is no longer one among other possible or even conceivable hypotheses. It is today the sole conceivable hypothesis, the only one compatible with observed and tested fact."
— from Chance and Necessity, 1970
"And man must at last wake out of his millenary dream and discover his total solitude, his fundamental isolation. He must realize that, like a gypsy, he lives on the boundary of an alien world; a world that is deaf to his music, and as indifferent to his hopes as it is to his suffering or his crimes."
— from Chance and Necessity, 1970
All quotes by Jacques Monod (353)
The most important discovery of the 20th century was that there is no God.
The more we know, the more we realize how much we don't know.
The only way to do great work is to love what you do.
Man must at last wake up to his total solitude, his fundamental isolation. He must realize that, like a gypsy, he lives on the boundary of an alien world.
Science is a dialogue with nature, not a monologue.
The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge.
The universe is not hostile, nor is it friendly. It is simply indifferent.
To be a scientist, you have to be a bit of a gambler.
The only good theory is a dead theory.
Biology is the science of life. Life is a process, not a thing.
The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.
The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, but one who asks the right questions.
The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.
Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.
The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.
The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.
The only constant in life is change.
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'
Contemporaries of Jacques Monod
Other Biologys born within 50 years of Jacques Monod (1910–1976).