Short Takes: Frances Arnold

Photo: Biden-Harris Transition 

“Like the rest of this extraordinary team, I am here today because of love. A love of science, yes, but also a deeper love, of our planet and of our people, without whom science has no purpose or meaning. … In a moment of torrential divisions, science offers us a common shelter of facts and truth within which we can begin to come together and, in time, to heal. Science … is not about cold solving of problems, it’s a warm and beautiful exploration of the unknown, an expression of human curiosity that propels us forward and allows us to fulfill our most important responsibility. The moment we fail to nurture it, we resign ourselves to living in the past and lose the chance to guide the future. … When we put science back to work for the benefit of all people, revitalizing our economy, fueling our climate response, broadening our perspective as we rebuild around greater equity and opportunity, we are making a society worth passing on to our children and our grandchildren. It is an act of love, and I am honored by the opportunity to help nurture this effort.” 

–Frances Arnold, 2018 Nobel laureate and Caltech’s Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry, accepting the nomination (above) by then-President-elect Joe Biden to serve as co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology 

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