I came to a happy Jewish family in dark days in Europe.

A few atoms added here, subtracted there, is all it takes to make the difference between male and female sex characteristics, between a harmless molecule and a deadly addictive one.

One day I discovered that one could get the barrier to internal rotation in ethane approximately right using this method. This was the beginning of my work on organic molecules.

I learned English, my sixth language at this point, quite quickly.

I am a teacher, and I am proud of it. At Cornell University I have taught primarily undergraduates, and indeed almost every year since 1966 have taught first-year general chemistry.

From a chemist's point of view, the surface or interior of a star…is boring—there are no molecules there.

I came to a happy Jewish family in dark days in Europe.