ByQuotes

Kathleen Rubins Quotes

Powerful Kathleen Rubins for Daily Growth

About Kathleen Rubins

Kathleen R. Rubin is an esteemed American astronaut, physician, and researcher, known not only for her contributions to space exploration but also for her compelling writings about the experience of space travel. Born on December 28, 1960, in Akron, Ohio, Rubin developed a keen interest in both medicine and space at an early age. She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from Brown University in 1982. Following her undergraduate studies, Rubin attended medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she earned her Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree in 1986. She then went on to complete a residency in internal medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a fellowship in infectious diseases at Stanford University. In 1995, Rubin was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate and completed her training in 1996. In June 1999, she embarked on her first space mission as part of the crew of STS-93, becoming the first Jewish woman to travel to space. During this mission, Rubin performed several experiments focused on microgravity fluid physics and protein crystallography. Rubin's second space mission took place in March 2009 as a member of the crew of STS-124 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour. This mission was dedicated to delivering and installing components for the Japanese Kibo laboratory module on the International Space Station (ISS). Throughout her career, Rubin has authored numerous scientific articles and served as a principal investigator for various space-based research projects. Her work has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of human health in space and paving the way for future long-duration missions. In 2013, she retired from NASA to pursue a career in academia. Rubin's writings about her experiences in space have captivated audiences and inspired generations of aspiring astronauts and scientists. Her quote, "Space is a force multiplier that teaches us things about ourselves and our planet we could never learn any other way," encapsulates the profound impact space exploration has had on her life's work.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Science is not a list of answers. Science is a process."

This quote underscores the dynamic, exploratory nature of science. It emphasizes that science is not a static collection of facts or theories, but rather an ongoing process of asking questions, seeking answers, and continually challenging and refining those answers based on evidence and experimentation. The beauty of science lies in its continuous pursuit of knowledge, fostering innovation, critical thinking, and the curiosity to delve deeper into the mysteries of our universe.

"The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you."

This quote by astronaut Kathleen Rubins suggests that our understanding or perception of the universe, its phenomena, and the laws that govern it might not always align with our expectations, assumptions, or beliefs. The universe operates independently, following its own set of rules and patterns, and we, as humans, are merely observers trying to make sense of it. The quote serves as a reminder to approach science and life with an open mind, embracing the unknown, and fostering a spirit of curiosity and determination in our quest for knowledge and understanding.

"Ideas are like parasites, they latch onto you when you're not looking."

This quote suggests that ideas can unexpectedly attach themselves to our minds, often without conscious effort or intention on our part. It highlights the omnipresence of ideas in our environment and how they can subtly influence us, much like a parasite attaches itself to a host organism. The parallel drawn here emphasizes the potential impact that ideas can have on individuals and society at large, often shaping thoughts, beliefs, and actions without one's full awareness or control.

"Life is filled with opportunities to build, create, and grow. Seize them."

The quote by astronaut and physician Dr. Kathleen Rubins emphasizes the inherent abundance of opportunities that life presents for personal growth and development. By actively seizing these chances to construct, invent, and flourish, one can make the most of their experiences and achieve a fulfilling life.

"I'm just a girl who believes in science and the power of human potential."

This quote by Kathleen Rubins emphasizes the spirit of determination, curiosity, and belief in both scientific knowledge and human capabilities. It suggests that being a woman does not limit her ambitions or convictions in science. Rather, she uses her identity as a girl to underscore her faith in the transformative power of science and the boundless potential of humanity to achieve great things through it.

I've always been fascinated with science and exploring our world, from microbes to the solar system.

- Kathleen Rubins

Solar, Always, Been, Our World

When you go to vacuum in the airlock and you take the hose off the front of your space suit, there's a little bit of water in there, and you can see that sublimate and ice crystals form and fly away. My thought at that moment was, 'Oh, we are not kidding at vacuum here; we are really in space.'

- Kathleen Rubins

Thought, Here, Away, Crystals

I was the one with a subscription to 'Sky and Telescope' magazine as a kid while my friends were reading 'Tiger Beat.'

- Kathleen Rubins

Sky, Reading, Kid, Subscription

When I started working at NASA and understanding what the capabilities really were of the space station and the space program, one of the biggest draws for me was the ability to do experiments in space. We can do a number of experiments where gravity is actually a variable.

- Kathleen Rubins

Space, Experiments, Program, Space Program

I think it's going to be amazing to see how the world of microbiology, molecular and cellular biology, and human physiology is massively changed by microgravity.

- Kathleen Rubins

Think, Biology, I Think, Massively

As an undergraduate majoring in biology at the University of California, San Diego, I worked on infectious diseases at the nearby Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

- Kathleen Rubins

Biology, San, Infectious, Diego

When I was 16, my dad took me to a DNA conference at the Exploratorium science museum in San Francisco, California, and I was captivated by this way of looking at biology and by the discussions of bits of nucleic acid that could make us sick.

- Kathleen Rubins

Conference, Francisco, Dad, Captivated

My lab used to do gene expression and genomics, and we did a lot of sequencing samples from virus outbreaks.

- Kathleen Rubins

Expression, Used, Gene, Sequencing

Sequencing DNA on the ISS will enable NASA to see what happens to genetic material in space in real time, rather than looking at a snapshot of DNA before launch and another snapshot of DNA after launch and filling in the blanks.

- Kathleen Rubins

Will, Rather, Genetic, Sequencing

There's actually an incredible amount of parallels between working in central Congo in a remote, isolated village and doing research aboard the space station.

- Kathleen Rubins

Doing, Amount, Space Station, Congo

For long-duration exploration missions, NASA is looking for folks with a lot of operational, hands-on experience, people who have been in field-type situations such as military deployments. In my case, I worked in the Congo and in Biosafety Level 4 labs on smallpox.

- Kathleen Rubins

Experience, Hands-On, Been, Congo

I'm involved with health care/medical supply delivery to Africa and started a non-profit organization to bring supplies to Congo.

- Kathleen Rubins

Bring, Delivery, Africa, Congo

I think it's reasonable: you can own your nerd credibility when you're an astronaut.

- Kathleen Rubins

Think, I Think, Astronaut, Nerd

I thought I was prepared for space, and it still absolutely defied every expectation and dream. It is an incredible thing to put yourself on a rocket and launch off the planet. It is an amazing thing to see the planet from space. This blue sphere is almost indescribably beautiful.

- Kathleen Rubins

Thought, Defied, Almost, Sphere

When I was in grad school, I wanted to be in academia forever.

- Kathleen Rubins

School, Wanted, Grad School, Academia

I decided to do graduate studies in virology at Stanford University in California because it had a hospital, which made working on clinical applications easier.

- Kathleen Rubins

University, Made, Which, Stanford

When I was at Stanford, I was actually in the cancer biology program, but I mostly focused on infectious disease.

- Kathleen Rubins

Actually, Infectious, Mostly, Stanford

You need nerves of steel if climbing aboard a rocket is your career path.

- Kathleen Rubins

Path, Steel, Nerves, Climbing

If you find something that you're excited about and you're interested in, my advice to young women and young men would be do what you're really interested in and what drives and motivates you.

- Kathleen Rubins

Young, Excited, Young Women, Young Men

From as young as I can remember, I wanted to be - in order - an astronaut, a geologist, and a biologist.

- Kathleen Rubins

Remember, Astronaut, Wanted, Biologist

We have to engineer devices that are going to work in space stations. Those same things are going to work in the most remote regions on Earth.

- Kathleen Rubins

Going, Devices, Regions, Same Things

I don't think you ever really decide that you want to be an astronaut. I put in an application and hoped for the best.

- Kathleen Rubins

Think, Want, Hoped, Astronaut

NASA trains you to assess emergency situations and react in a way to keep yourself and everyone else safe.

- Kathleen Rubins

Everyone, Everyone Else, Trains

There's a world of insights to be gained into human health and disease by understanding how gravity and space radiation influence biology.

- Kathleen Rubins

Biology, Disease, Insights, Radiation

You absolutely know you're in space when you're doing a spacewalk. That was pretty interesting because you can feel vacuum. It actually changes your vocal cords because the pressure inside the suit drops quite a bit, so your voice feels different.

- Kathleen Rubins

Voice, Doing, Feels, Quite A Bit

I think young folks have a good sense of what they want to do.

- Kathleen Rubins

Think, Young, I Think, Folks

Folks should find what really inspires them; they should always pursue what they want to do.

- Kathleen Rubins

Find, Always, Pursue, Folks

They say that in space, nobody can hear you scream. The first time I stepped out of the airlock, I was ready to scream - not because I was scared but because I was so excited to see the Earth below me.

- Kathleen Rubins

Excited, Stepped, Below, They Say

We're pretty interested in microbial communities on-board space stations. It's a closed-loop system. Our water is recycled; our air is recycled.

- Kathleen Rubins

Pretty, Air, Our, Stations

It changes your perspective to be able to look out the window and see the planet. One of the thoughts that I had when I first got up here was, 'We really do live on a planet, and we are in a solar system, and we are flying through space right now.' I mean, this is something that you know, obviously, but to see the planet - it's amazing.

- Kathleen Rubins

Changes, Through, Here, Flying

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.