I came to a happy Jewish family in dark days in Europe.

Knowing without seeing is at the heart of chemistry.

From a chemist's point of view, the surface or interior of a star…is boring—there are no molecules there.

I learned English, my sixth language at this point, quite quickly.

One day I discovered that one could get the barrier to internal rotation in ethane approximately right using this method. This was the beginning of my work on organic molecules.

I am a teacher, and I am proud of it. At Cornell University I have taught primarily undergraduates, and indeed almost every year since 1966 have taught first-year general chemistry.

Ha! spring arrived on her sweet scented palanquin, carried by the spirited Zephyrus and his coir with their murmuring music undulated in its own softness and fondled the leaves to astir.

Metaphysics is not the result of understanding the limitations of physics.It’s rather the result of the limitation in understanding physics.

John [Lasseter] always said that he was Andy, and Joe [Ranft] and I were Sid, and I think that's true.

Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens.

I think America is just so in love with conflict.

I speak a little bit of Russian.

Ever-newer waters flow on those who step into the same rivers.

Neatness begets order; but from order to taste there is the same difference as from taste to genius, or from love to friendship.

I've got a portrait in the Smithsonian. Who ever thought that would happen?

My mom lived by herself with two kids. Sacrifice was the name of the game at our house.