THEN AND NOW

Scientists are among the fortunate few who earn their livelihood by pursuit of a hobby. This hobby sometimes consumes their every thought but usually it provides a deeply satisfying life. Some, I’m sure, and perhaps with reason, will not agree with this statement. In my case, in my seventy-seventh year, biochemistry is still exciting, just as it was 51 years ago when I published my first scientific paper. Throughout those years, with few exceptions, I have let my own curiosity guide my research efforts without much regard for where they would eventually lead or what practical value they might have. Some of the curiosity detours have been fruitless, but these frustrations have been surpassed by the satisfaction from experiments that went nicely or resulted in unexpected findings. Sharing these experiences with coworkers has made life in the laboratory very fulfilling.