Who owns the patent on this vaccine?' 'Well, the people, I would say. There is no patent. Could you patent the sun? - Jonas Salk

Nothing happens quite by chance. It's a question of accretion of information and experience … it's just chance that I happened to be here at this particular time when there was available and at my disposal the great experience of all the investigators who plodded along for a number of years.

You have to develop a thick skin in life. Its not in this field only. You might think of the ideal of the scientists, the ivory tower, the idealist. That's true of some. And I wouldn't guess as to what proportion. But there are some who are of that character, and there are some who are not.

Who owns the patent on this vaccine?'
'Well, the people, I would say. There is not patent. Could you patent the sun?