Barbara McClintock

Breakthroughs come from bold questions.

The joy of science is in the unknown.

Letters from colleagues inspired me.

Nature's laws are elegant and simple.

I once quipped that genes have a mind of their own.

Wisdom comes from years in the field.

Art and science share creativity.

Life is an experiment we all conduct.

The genome is a symphony.

Ignore the critics; follow your vision.

Politics in science can hinder progress.

Humor: Why study corn? Because it's ear-resistible!

Philosophy teaches us to question everything.

My last words? Keep discovering.

Observations in the lab are poetry in motion.

Life's profound lesson: adapt or perish.

Key to genetics: look deeper.

In interviews, I always say: trust your intuition.

Correspondence revealed the beauty of collaboration.

I was just so interested in what I was doing, I could hardly wait to get up in the morning and get at it. If I had had a chance to sleep in the lab, I would have.