Well, let me tell you, ants are the dominant insects. They make up as much as a quarter of the biomass of all insects in the world. They are the principal predators. They're the cemetery workers.

Each species is a masterpiece, a creation assembled with extreme care and genius.

Once I feel I'm right, I have enjoyed provoking.

A paradigm shift is the best a scientist can hope for. Whenever I smell an opportunity like that, I go after it. You have a new discovery that something's working in a different way than you thought. And this is particularly true in molecular and cell biology, which is structural biology and has the least potential for controversy and partisanship among the biological scientists. You're dealing with a concrete object that's either there or not there.

Destroying a tropical rainforest for profit is like burning all the paintings of the Louvre to cook dinner.

True character arises from a deeper well than religion.

Humanity is exalted not because we are so far above other living creatures, but because knowing them well elevates the very concept of life.