You can only go into science because you're interested in it. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan More Quotes by Venkatraman Ramakrishnan More Quotes From Venkatraman Ramakrishnan I cannot imagine a more enjoyable place to work than in the Laboratory of Molecular Biology where I work. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan moreplacebiologywork I think it's important to give young people the freedom to follow their ideas and pursue their interests. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan thinkfreedompeopleideas Scientists are not movie stars or politicians who will feel insulted if they are not showered with accolades. Scientists are not interested in accolades. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan politicianswillfeelstars It's not about where you were born or where you come from that makes you a good scientist. What you need are good teachers, co-students, facilities. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan teachersgoodyouborn I was born in 1952 in Chidambaram, an ancient temple town in Tamil Nadu best known for its temple of Nataraja, the lord of dance. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan templebestborndance We are all human beings, and our nationality is simply an accident of birth. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan accidenthumanhuman-beingsbirth I knew the ribosome was going to be the focus of Nobel prizes. It stands at the crossroads of biology, between the gene and what comes out of the gene. But I had convinced myself I was not going to be a winner. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan myselfwinnerbiologyfocus I remember reading a 'Scientific American' article about the use of new physical techniques - including neutron scattering - as a method for unravelling the structure of the ribosome. I was fascinated. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan americannewreadingremember Science today is a highly collaborative exercise, and to convert it into a contest, as the Nobel does, is a bad way to look at science. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan looktodayscienceway My mother, R. Rajalakshmi, taught at Annamalai University in Chidambaram, and during the day, I was well cared for by aunts and grandparents in the usual way of an extended Indian family. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan dayfamilymotherway The success in the determination of the high-resolution structures of ribosomal subunits and eventually the whole ribosome was the culmination of decades of effort. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan effortdeterminationwholesuccess We live in an increasingly technological world where the issues are quite complex and based on some complicated science. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan livecomplicatedscienceworld Even the best scientists are often insecure and feel the need for recognition. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan needfeelbestrecognition We benefit tremendously from the E.U. Britain does very well in getting back E.U. money for the amount it puts in. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan benefitwellbackmoney I think we are intrinsically prone to being irrational and superstitious. A lot of it comes from our fear of the unknown and the fear of a lack of control over our fate. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan controlthinkfatefear If I were to take an undergraduate chemistry exam, I would probably fail. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan failtakeexamchemistry It takes a certain amount of courage to tackle very hard problems in science, I now realise. You don't know what the timescale of your work will be: decades or only a few years. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan youcourageworkscience Unusually for an Indian man of his generation, my father, being aware of my mother's intellectual abilities, encouraged her to go abroad by herself to obtain a Ph.D. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan generationmanmotherfather My childhood and adolescence were filled with visiting scientists from both India and abroad, many of whom would stay with us. A life of science struck me as being both interesting and particularly international in its character. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan mechildhoodlifescience During the decade following the discovery of the double-helical structure of DNA, the problem of translation - namely, how genetic information is used to synthesize proteins - was a central topic in molecular biology. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan howbiologyinformationproblem
