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Erwin Chargaff Quotes

Author

Erwin Chargaff, born on August 11, 1905 in Austria and died on June 20, 2002 in the United States, was a renowned biochemist known for his contributions to the study of DNA structure.

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All Science Men Ifs Form Humans Scientist Accounts Auschwitz Colleagues Fields Knows Long People Said Way Academy Acid Animal Answers Apologizing

Famous Erwin Chargaff Quotes

“You can stop splitting the atom; you can stop visiting the moon; you can stop using aerosols; you may even decide not to kill entire populations by the use of a few bombs. But you cannot recall a new form of life.”

Life May Use Form Science Moon Population Bombs Atoms Recalls Visiting Splitting Splitting The Atom

Book:Heraclitean Fire: Sketches from a Life Before Nature

Source: Heraclitean Fire: Sketches from a Life Before Nature

“Molecular biology is essentially the practice of biochemistry without a license.”

Science Practice Biology License Molecules Biochemistry Funny Science Molecular Biology

Author:Erwin Chargaff

“One of the most insidious and nefarious properties of scientific models is their tendency to take over, and sometimes supplant, reality.”

Sometimes Reality Science Models Accounts Property Tendencies Insidious

Book:Heraclitean Fire: Sketches from a Life Before Nature

Source: Heraclitean Fire: Sketches from a Life Before Nature

“Science is wonderfully equipped to answer the question 'How?' but it gets terribly confused when you ask the question 'Why?'”

Science Asks Answers Accounts Confusion Confused Fog

Book:Voices in the labyrinth: nature, man, and science

Source: Voices in the labyrinth: nature, man, and science

“He [said of one or other eminent colleagues] is a very busy man, and half of what he publishes is true, but I don't know which half.”

Knows Men Said Truth Science Half Busy Colleagues Publish Publication Half Truth Busy Man

Author:Erwin Chargaff

“If you can modify a cell, it's only a short step to modifying a mouse, and if you can modify a mouse, it's only a step to modifying a higher animal, even man.”

Ifs Men Humans Science Animal Steps Higher Cells Mice Modifying

Author:Erwin Chargaff

“There is no question in my mind that we live in one of the truly bestial centuries in human history. There are plenty of signposts for the future historian, and what do they say? They say 'Auschwitz' and 'Dresden' and 'Hiroshima' and 'Vietnam' and 'Napalm.' For many years we all woke up to the daily body count on the radio. And if there were a way to kill people with the B Minor Mass, the Pentagon-Madison Avenue axis would have found it.”

Source: Voices in the labyrinth: nature, man, and science

“If at one time or another I have brushed a few colleagues the wrong way, I must apologize: I had not realized that they were covered with fur.”

Ifs Men Way Science Covered One Time Apologizing Colleagues Fur Wrong Way

Book:Heraclitean Fire: Sketches from a Life Before Nature

Source: Heraclitean Fire: Sketches from a Life Before Nature

“The narrow slit through which the scientist, if he wants to be successful, must view nature constructs, if this goes on for a long time, his entire character; and, more often than not, he ends up becoming what the German language so appropriately calls a Fachidiot (professional idiot).”

Ifs Men Want Long Ends Character Science Language Views Successful Goes On Becoming Long Time Scientist Idiot Being Successful Constructs Slits German Language

Author:Erwin Chargaff

About the Author

Born: August 11, 1905
Died: June 20, 2002
Known for: Author
Quotes: 19

Books & Sources

Heraclitean Fire: Sketches from a Life Before NatureRelated source material

Voices in the labyrinth: nature, man, and scienceRelated source material

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