Philosophy of science without history of science is empty; history of science without philosophy of science is blind.

The classical example of a successful research programme is Newton's gravitational theory: possibly the most successful research programme ever.

The positive heuristic of the programme saves the scientist from becoming confused by the ocean of anomalies.

Research programmes, besides their negative heuristic, are also characterized by their positive heuristic.

Science is a way of life. Science is a perspective. Science is the process that takes us from confusion to understanding in a manner that's precise, predictive and reliable - a transformation, for those lucky enough to experience it, that is empowering and emotional.

It strikes me as odd that we've made journeys with our social conditioning in certain areas, but not in others. The world is always changing; discoveries in technology and science relentlessly expose our dearest values as fictions.

When I was 10 years old, that nuclear spark hit me. Whatever it may be, I really don't know what it was about nuclear science, but whatever it was that triggered that interest, it stuck. I went after that one with a passion.

If you look at winners of the Nobel Prize in biology, you'll find a fair smattering of people who don't know how to work a pipette.