Rosalind Franklin

"I believe that the only path to meaningful achievement is through uncompromising commitment to truth and excellence."

"Science teaches us that the universe is stranger and more wonderful than our preconceptions suggest."

"One must learn to distinguish between the scientist's personal opinions and the findings of their research."

"The work of scientific investigation is never truly finished; each answer opens new questions."

"I have always maintained that intellectual work is its own greatest reward and source of fulfillment."

"The evidence will ultimately reveal what is true, regardless of how long we resist or deny it."

"To be a scientist is to accept a life of constant questioning and perpetual uncertainty."

"The molecular structures we study are not abstractions but the very foundation of all material reality."

"One's greatest contribution to science may come through the questions one poses rather than the answers one provides."

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."

"You look at science or at least talk of it as something apart from ordinary life. But science and ordinary life cannot and should not be separated."

"In my view, all that is necessary for faith is the belief that by doing our best we shall come nearer to success."

"A photograph only tells you what you see. It doesn't tell you how to see it."

"The collaboration between men and women in science must be based on mutual respect and recognition of equal capability."

"Every scientist has the responsibility to share knowledge with the world, regardless of personal consequences."

"The pursuit of crystalline perfection mirrors the pursuit of truth in all things."

"It is rather unfair to condemn anyone on the basis of their appearance or origin rather than their achievements."

"One must not publish the same discovery twice, regardless of the personal cost."

"Science demands integrity and honesty at every step of the journey."

"The laboratory is a place where honesty must reign supreme, or all is lost."

"In crystallography, as in life, the pattern is revealed only through patient examination."

"I have been told I am difficult to work with, but I simply refuse to accept mediocrity."

"The structure of molecules cannot be guessed—it must be measured and verified."

"One cannot live without passion, particularly passion for one's work."

"The human mind is capable of understanding the fundamental nature of matter itself."

"Recognition may come late or not at all, but the work itself must be done well."

"I believe that science should be pursued for its own sake, not for glory or reward."

"The X-ray does not lie, though humans frequently misinterpret what they see."

"To understand life at the molecular level is to understand life itself."

"Prejudice against women in science is a form of ignorance that impedes progress."