James Watson

You don't have to be a genius to do great science. You just have to be curious and persistent.

The goal of the Human Genome Project is to find out what makes us human.

I'm inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa because all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours—whereas all the testing says not really.

People say it would be terrible if we made all girls pretty. I think it would be great.

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. That's what Truman said, and that's what I say.

The idea that we should all be equal is a very dangerous one.

The double helix is a structure that is aesthetically appealing and immediately suggests a mechanism for replication.

I was very lucky to be at the right place at the right time with the right people.

The major driving force in science is not truth, but credit.

You don't start out standing on the shoulders of giants. You start out standing on the feet of giants.

The genetic code is not just about disease. It's about talent, about personality, about potential.

I turned against the left wing because they don't like genetics. Genetics implies that sometimes in life we fail because we have the wrong genes.

The most important thing is to have a good enemy.

I think people who are ugly should be made to have ugly children.

The pursuit of happiness is a meaningless phrase. The pursuit of understanding, that is what is meaningful.

We are not equal. Our genes make us different.

The double helix is the icon of modern biology.

I don't think we're here for anything. We're just products of evolution. You can say, 'Gee, your life must be pretty bleak if you don't think there's a purpose.' But I'm anticipating a good lunch.

The key to success in science is to have a big ego and a small ego at the same time.

The most important discoveries are often the simplest.