Top 4 Kirk R. Johnson Quotes

director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and paleobotanist

(born 1960) is an American paleontologist, author, curator, and museum administrator.

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Alternative Names: Kirk Richard Johnson • Kirk R Johnson • Kirk Johnson • Johnson, Kirk R.

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Once you see what science is, then there's no stopping you. If you have curiosity, if you keep your childhood curiosity, then every day is amazing.

“Most people think about, at most, an election cycle,” he says. That can lead to shortsightedness on issues such as climate change: “How do we, as humans with our rapidly growing populations, not destroy all the natural ecosystems?” he wonders.

I am stubbornly optimistic and that helps me take on challenges of all sizes. During my life, I have witnessed breathtaking scientific discoveries and situations where single individuals have driven positive change. I am also a big believer in the power of teams and the ability of small groups of committed people to achieve great things.

It has been science that has greatly accelerated the human endeavor over the last few centuries and it will be science that will meet the challenges of the present century.