I think British science is becoming more like American science - and then there is everybody else, I'm afraid.

One of my theme songs is that if you can't do it in a test tube, don't do it.

The problem is that replacement of Quantum Mechanics by Quantum Field Theory is still very demanding.

I am a caricature of what British science is about in the way I work.

It doesn't matter whether you can or cannot achieve high temperature superconductivity or fuel cells, they will always be on the list because if you could achieve them they would be extremely valuable.

Scientists are really very conscious of the fact that they stand on the shoulders of an enormous tree of preceding workers and that their own contribution is not so enormous.

You see, I am a very conventional scientist, really.