Well, that's something of a mystery to me.

I seem to have been born a scientistas far as I can tell [laughter]- and who can

say whether it was in my genes or not.

My fatherwas an orthodox Rabbi; my mother came from

a Hassidic Rabbinical family.

Certainly issuesof learning and quest for truth were paramount

in my family background, but there were noscientists, no physicians, no academic people

anywhere in my family ambiance.

It may havebeen a little bit of a generational revolt

that I did strike out in that direction.

And also being asecond-generation immigrant --my father had

come to America from Israel -but I was themelting pot American.

Science was the pathway to mobility.

Outside the family, figures likeChaim Weitzman, who became president of the

state of Israel and was the leading proponentof Zionism before my birth and during my early

childhood, but was also a renownedbiochemist.

And Albert Einstein.

These were folk heroes in our community.

So, they mayhave had-not may have-they certainly had significant

influence in my own career aspirations.