Donald Cram Quotes

Donald Cram — American Scientist born on April 22, 1919, died on June 17, 2001

Donald James Cram was an American chemist who shared the 1987 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Jean-Marie Lehn and Charles J. Pedersen "for their development and use of molecules with structure-specific interactions of high selectivity." They were the founders of the field of host-guest chemistry... (wikipedia)

An investigator starts research in a new field with faith, a foggy idea, and a few wild experiments. Eventually the interplay of negative and positive results guides the work. By the time the research is completed, he or she knows how it should have been started and conducted.

To retain my fascination with chemistry, I have had to change my research fields about every 10 years.

We usually don't have applications in mind. They come later.

Few scientists acquainted with the chemistry of biological systems at the molecular level can avoid being inspired.

This is largely the methodology I've used throughout my career - that is, starting with a question as to what might be the properties of a set of compounds that could be invented which were unusual and unpredictable. Many times I've felt a bit like Columbus setting sail.

Donald Cram Quotes

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