--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My father was a physicist, while I am a…" description: "\"My father was a physicist, while I am a biogeochemist. I live to study plants, and he has never had more than a generic interest in biology.\" — Hope Ja..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/504/hope-jahren-4468_biology_my-father-was-a-physicist-while-i-am-a-b_2011991.jpg" --- # My father was a physicist, while I am a biogeochemist. I… ![“My father was a physicist, while I am a biogeochemist. I live to study plants, and he has never had more than a generic interest in biology.” quote by Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/504/hope-jahren-4468_biology_my-father-was-a-physicist-while-i-am-a-b_2011991.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/504/hope-jahren-4468_biology_my-father-was-a-physicist-while-i-am-a-b_2011991.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/504/hope-jahren-4468_biology_my-father-was-a-physicist-while-i-am-a-b_2011991.jpg) > “My father was a physicist, while I am a biogeochemist. I live to study plants, and he has never had more than a generic interest in biology.” [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A scientist reflects on generational differences in scientific focus, highlighting personal passion versus broader interests. **In simple terms:** Different scientific passions across generations. Key Takeaway Pursue your own scientific curiosity. Themes science family career passion Mood inquisitive thoughtful Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - academic research - career counseling - family discussions Key Concepts intergenerational influence disciplinary focus Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal interest with family legacy? - What drives your scientific curiosity? A Different Perspective Family expectations may pressure career choices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Father Physicist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-physicist-3598333/) [Generic Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generic-biology-3598334/) [I am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-am/) [Live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Physicist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physicist/) [Physicist Biogeochemist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physicist-biogeochemist-3598332/) [Plants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plants/) ## Related quotes > [My father was a physicist and also an activist. My first public protest was with my dad at Stanford. I came by all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/my-father-was-a-physicist-and-also-an-activist-my-first-public/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [I think plants present an opportunity for people to look closely at something and get invested in something that's truly very much outside of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/i-think-plants-present-an-opportunity-for-people-to-look-closely-at/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [While both plants and animals awaken via distinct changes in metabolic functioning, most plants prefer to err on the side of caution, waiting for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/while-both-plants-and-animals-awaken-via-distinct-changes-in/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [I am not a farmer; I am a researcher who studies the plants that come to your dinner table, which means that I ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/i-am-not-a-farmer-i-am-a-researcher-who-studies-the-plants-that-come/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [Plants are not like us, and the more you study plants, the more different and deep ways you see that they are not like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/plants-are-not-like-us-and-the-more-you-study-plants-the-more/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [I am a scientist who studies plants. I like plants. I think about plants almost every hour of the day, and several hours of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/i-am-a-scientist-who-studies-plants-i-like-plants-i-think-about/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [I like weeds and hardy plants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/i-like-weeds-and-hardy-plants/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [Plants are decisive to a fault. A stem produces a bud that flowers once and once only. It offers pollen that is either dispersed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/plants-are-decisive-to-a-fault-a-stem-produces-a-bud-that-flowers/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [“There is a time and place for electromagnetic shielding and I regard it as a last resort due to the long term biological problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/there-is-a-time-and-place-for-electromagnetic-shielding-and-i-regard/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Promoting the use of sustainable and renewable rainforest products can help to stop rainforest devastation. The rainforests are much more valuable alive than cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kilham/promoting-the-use-of-sustainable-and-renewable-rainforest-products/) [Chris Kilham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kilham/) > [When I heard that the bees were in trouble, the fact that they're disappearing and not coming back to the hive, which is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-schwartzberg/when-i-heard-that-the-bees-were-in-trouble-the-fact-that-they-re/) [Louie Schwartzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-schwartzberg/) > [The plants look up to heaven, from whence they have their nourishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-plants-look-up-to-heaven-from-whence-they-have-their-nourishment/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“The cactus thrives in the desert while the fern thrives in the wetland. The fool will try to plant them in the same flowerbox.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/the-cactus-thrives-in-the-desert-while-the-fern-thrives-in-the/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) ## More by Hope Jahren > [A tree's wood is also its memoir.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/a-tree-s-wood-is-also-its-memoir/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [“You and I are going to work our asses off, teach them shit over and over, risk our fucking lives for them, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/you-and-i-are-going-to-work-our-asses-off-teach-them-shit-over-and/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [Men and women study things differently, and it's not because of our chromosomes. It's a product of our cultural conditioning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/men-and-women-study-things-differently-and-it-s-not-because-of-our/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [One thing that was very important to me was that I felt comfortable in the lab from being very, very small. I knew that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/one-thing-that-was-very-important-to-me-was-that-i-felt-comfortable/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [If every seed turned into a plant, we'd be living in a very different world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/if-every-seed-turned-into-a-plant-we-d-be-living-in-a-very-different/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [The live oak can grow sturdily on the hottest hills of central California, contrasting dark green against the golden grass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/the-live-oak-can-grow-sturdily-on-the-hottest-hills-of-central/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [I grew up playing with kids who were the kids of people my parents grew up playing with, and they know me like nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/i-grew-up-playing-with-kids-who-were-the-kids-of-people-my-parents/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [The world breaks a little bit every time we cut down a tree. It's so much easier to cut one down than to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/the-world-breaks-a-little-bit-every-time-we-cut-down-a-tree-it-s-so/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [For a tree, to endure four months of daylight is like you or I going without sleep for four months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/for-a-tree-to-endure-four-months-of-daylight-is-like-you-or-i-going/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [I feel like I'm the same scientist I was back when I couldn't get a grant. Now I'm that same person thinking that same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/i-feel-like-i-m-the-same-scientist-i-was-back-when-i-couldn-t-get-a/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [Plants are decisive to a fault. A stem produces a bud that flowers once and once only. It offers pollen that is either dispersed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/plants-are-decisive-to-a-fault-a-stem-produces-a-bud-that-flowers/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [Even a very little girl can wield a slide rule, the cursor serving as a haft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/even-a-very-little-girl-can-wield-a-slide-rule-the-cursor-serving-as/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [“People will tell you that you have to know math to be a scientist, or physics or chemistry. They’re wrong. That’s like saying you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/people-will-tell-you-that-you-have-to-know-math-to-be-a-scientist-or/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [No matter how much funding I get, I'm always thinking, 'This is temporary. This is fragile. It could all end tomorrow, and how am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/no-matter-how-much-funding-i-get-i-m-always-thinking-this-is/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [“Everybody does all kinds of shit that they don’t know why they do. They just know that they have to,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/everybody-does-all-kinds-of-shit-that-they-don-t-know-why-they-do/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) [Explore all 110 Hope Jahren quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) ## More Biology quotes > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [“Genetics is a science full of gods, Mr. Sanchez.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valeria-luiselli/genetics-is-a-science-full-of-gods-mr-sanchez/) [Valeria Luiselli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valeria-luiselli/) > [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. We've done all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangechi-mutu/we-became-homo-sapiens-not-that-long-ago-from-the-scientific/) [Wangechi Mutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangechi-mutu/) > [Evolution happens in jumps, very rapidly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/evolution-happens-in-jumps-very-rapidly/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [“Toshiaki learned that all living organisms were governed by their DNA. He was impressed by perfection of this system.Why did existence have the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideaki-sena/toshiaki-learned-that-all-living-organisms-were-governed-by-their-dna/) [Hideaki Sena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideaki-sena/) > [I'm all about evolution. I'm the first person to judge myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-weeknd/i-m-all-about-evolution-i-m-the-first-person-to-judge-myself/) [The Weeknd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-weeknd/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/) [Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/) > [Biochemists and biologists who adhere blindly to the Darwinism theory search for results that will be in agreement with their theories and consequently orient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-paul-grasse/biochemists-and-biologists-who-adhere-blindly-to-the-darwinism-theory/) [Pierre-Paul Grasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-paul-grasse/) > [“A note of caution: epigenetics is also on the verge of transforming into a dangerous idea. Epigenetic modifications of genes can potentially superpose historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/a-note-of-caution-epigenetics-is-also-on-the-verge-of-transforming/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [Natural history is not taught in seminary. This is curious, as most people in pastoral ministry are about 567 times more likely to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-maitland/natural-history-is-not-taught-in-seminary-this-is-curious-as-most/) [Sara Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-maitland/) > [We are coming to a place where the road ends. From here on out, we will be making the road as we walk it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-atlee/we-are-coming-to-a-place-where-the-road-ends-from-here-on-out-we-will/) [Tom Atlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-atlee/) > [I've always been interested in medicine and was pleased when my brother became a doctor. 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