Barbara McClintock

I was just so interested in what I was doing. I just couldn't wait to get up in the morning to do what I was doing. And I just loved it. I never thought of it as work.

If you know every gene in an organism, you don't know that organism.

I never had a moment's doubt that I was doing what I wanted to do. I never thought of stopping. I just went right on doing what I was doing.

When you're in science, you're in a very special kind of world. It's a world that's very exciting, very stimulating, and very rewarding.

I was always interested in what was going on, and I just kept asking questions.

The important thing is to be able to see things that other people don't see.

I had a feeling that I was on the right track, and I just kept going.

It's a matter of being able to listen to the material, to the organism.

I was just so fascinated by what I was seeing that I couldn't stop.

I think it's important to have a feeling for the organism, to really know it.

I was always trying to understand how things worked.

The future of science depends on the ability of young people to ask questions and to be curious.

I never felt that I was doing anything extraordinary. I was just doing what I loved to do.

It's a wonderful world, the world of science.

I think it's important to be able to see the whole picture, not just the parts.

I was always trying to find out what was going on, and I just kept looking.

You have to have a feeling for the organism, a real respect for it.

I was just so absorbed in what I was doing that I didn't think of anything else.

It's a matter of being able to interpret what you see.

I think it's important to be open to new ideas, to new ways of looking at things.