The experience reminds me of a favorite saying: Most of the yield from research efforts comes from the coal that is mined while looking for diamonds.
Mountain hikes instilled in me a life-long urge to get to the top of any inviting summit or peak.
Over and over, expanding scientific knowledge has shown religious claims to be false.
If our society continues to support basic research on how living organisms function, it is likely that my great grandchildren will be spared the agony of losing family members to most types of cancer.
The Brigham Young University (BYU) campus was just a few blocks from my home and tuition was minimal.
I have a tendency to be lucky and make the right choices based on limited information.
More by example than by word, my father taught me logical reasoning, compassion, love of others, honesty, and discipline applied with understanding.
Concentrated serum albumin fractionated from blood plasma was effective in battlefield treatment of shock.
An unexpected benefit of my career in biochemistry has been travel.
A painstaking course in qualitative and quantitative analysis by John Wing gave me an appreciation of the need for, and beauty of, accurate measurement.
Family trips to Yellowstone and to what are now national parks in Southern Utah, driving the primitive roads and cars of that day, were real adventures.
It was always assumed that I would go to college.
I participated on debating teams and in student government, and served as senior class president.
In marked contrast to the University of Wisconsin, Biochemistry was hardly visible at Stanford in 1945, consisting of only two professors in the chemistry department.
The excitement of vitamins, nutrition and metabolism permeated the environment.
During my early years at Minnesota I conducted an evening enzyme seminar.
It wasn't until late high school and early college that I gained enough size and skill to make me welcome on intramural basketball teams.
I am told that I had a bad temper, and remember being banished to the back hall until civility returned.
