Dorothy Hodgkin quotes

Dorothy Hodgkin was a British chemist renowned for her work in X-ray crystallography. Her groundbreaking research led to the discovery of the structures of important biochemical substances such as penicillin and vitamin B12. She became the third woman ever to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her achievements. Here are 7 of her quotes:

The detailed geometry of the coenzyme molecule as a whole is fascinating in its complexity.

Dorothy Hodgkin

I first met the subject of X-ray diffraction of crystals in the pages of the book W. H. Bragg wrote for school children in 1925, 'Concerning the Nature of Things.'

Dorothy Hodgkin

Would it not be better if one could really 'see' whether molecules...were just as experiments suggested?

Dorothy Hodgkin

One's tendency when one is young is to do experiments just to see what will happen, without really looking for specific things at all. I first set up a little laboratory in the attic at home just to grow crystals or try experiments described in books, such as adding a lot of concentrated sulfuric acid to the blood from a nosebleed which precipitates hemotin from the hemoglobin in the blood. That was quite a nice experiment. I still remember it.

Dorothy Hodgkin

There's the moment when you know you can find out the answer and that's the period you are sleepless before you know what it is. When you've got it and know what it is, then you can rest easy.

Dorothy Hodgkin

I once wrote a lecture for Manchester University called « Moments of Discovery » in which I said that there are two moments that are important. There's the moment when you know you can find out the answer and that's the period you are sleepless before you know what it is. When you've got it and know what it is, then you can rest easy.

Dorothy Hodgkin