Barbara McClintock

I was just so curious about everything.

The organism has a way of telling you what's going on if you listen to it.

I never thought of myself as a genius. I just thought of myself as someone who was very interested in what I was doing.

It's a very exciting field, genetics.

I think it's important to be able to see the beauty in what you're doing.

I was always trying to get to the bottom of things.

You have to have a certain kind of patience to do this kind of work.

I was just so fascinated by the complexity of life.

It's a matter of being able to ask the right questions.

I think it's important to have a sense of wonder.

I was always trying to understand the underlying principles.

The organism knows how to take care of itself.

I never felt that I was competing with anyone. I was just doing my own thing.

It's a very creative process, science.

I think it's important to be able to see the patterns.

I was always trying to make sense of things.

You have to be able to trust your own observations.

I was just so excited by the discoveries I was making.

It's a matter of being able to connect the dots.

I think it's important to be persistent.