Robert Krulwich Quotes

Powerful Robert Krulwich for Daily Growth

About Robert Krulwich

Robert Krulwich, born on May 31, 1947, in New York City, is an award-winning science journalist, radio host, and producer who has captivated audiences with his unique storytelling skills for over four decades. Raised in the Bronx, Krulwich attended Syracuse University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. It was during this time that he discovered his passion for journalism and storytelling. Post-graduation, he joined the U.S. Army, serving as an intelligence analyst in Vietnam. This experience provided him with a broader perspective on global affairs, which would later influence his work. In 1972, Krulwich began his career at National Public Radio (NPR), where he would spend the next three decades. His groundbreaking work on NPR's "All Things Considered" and "Radiolab," a show co-hosted with Jad Abumrad, brought complex scientific concepts to life for millions of listeners worldwide. Krulwich's work is characterized by his ability to make science accessible and engaging. His approach often involves using analogies, humor, and compelling storytelling techniques. Some of his most notable works include "The Secret Life of the Red Queen," a book that explores evolutionary theory, and "Riddles in Mathematics: 51 Questions with Surprising Answers," which delves into the mysteries of mathematics. Krulwich's contributions to journalism and science communication have been recognized with numerous awards, including Peabody Awards, duPont-Columbia Awards, and Emmy Awards. Despite his many accolades, Krulwich remains humble and committed to his mission: making complex ideas understandable and exciting for everyone.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Science is a way of figuring things out."

This quote by Robert Krulwich highlights the core essence of science as a methodical, systematic process aimed at understanding the workings and phenomena of the universe. Science offers a framework for asking questions, gathering data, testing hypotheses, and making informed conclusions based on evidence. It is about seeking knowledge and unraveling the mysteries of nature, thereby enriching our understanding of the world around us. In essence, science enables us to "figure things out" by providing an empirical, logical approach to explore and explain the wonders of existence.


"Everything we know is an answer to a question nobody thought to ask."

Robert Krulwich's quote suggests that our understanding and knowledge are derived from solving questions, often unconventional or unexpected ones. It implies that much of what we consider as known facts were initially considered as unimportant or irrelevant questions, but through exploration, discovery, and innovation, they became answers to something valuable. In essence, the quote highlights the importance of questioning and curiosity in driving human progress and knowledge acquisition.


"The universe does not reward those who merely show up."

This quote suggests that mere presence or effort is insufficient to be rewarded or succeed in life or any endeavor. It implies that one must actively engage, contribute, and strive for more than just showing up if they want to achieve their goals or reap the benefits of their experiences. In other words, it's not enough to merely participate; one must bring value, creativity, passion, and hard work in order to be recognized and rewarded by the universe (metaphorically speaking).


"Every story, every explanation has a beginning and a middle and an end, but the really great ones have another cycle that starts with the words 'What if?'"

This quote emphasizes that exceptional stories or explanations possess a unique structure beyond the traditional beginning-middle-end format. They also include a recurring cycle that initiates with the question "What if?". This question encourages curiosity, imagination, and exploration of alternative possibilities, which often leads to innovative ideas and deeper understanding. The phrase "What if?" serves as a catalyst for creativity, fostering progress and growth in thought processes.


"In science, the questions are more important than the answers, because the answers change from day to day. But the questions, they stay the same."

This quote underscores the inherent curiosity and pursuit of knowledge in scientific exploration. It suggests that while scientific facts and theories may evolve over time, the fundamental questions driving scientific research remain constant. These questions serve as the foundation for scientific advancement, fueling our understanding and expanding human knowledge.


If I were king of the world, babies born in airplanes, balloons and blimps would, instead of choosing to be German, Maldivian or American, all get special heavenly blue passports with a stork on the cover labeled 'Sky Baby' - and they'd be allowed to come and go anywhere they please.

- Robert Krulwich

Balloons, German, Allowed, Airplane

Great teaching - just plain old knock 'em dead, get it right, make 'em laugh, make 'em wonder instruction - is always going to be rare. Good teachers abound. Great ones are special.

- Robert Krulwich

Dead, Knock, Teaching, Great Ones

When you talk or write or film, you work with the music inside you, the music that formed you. Different generations have different musics in them, so whatever they do, it's going to come out differently, and it will speak in beats of their own generation.

- Robert Krulwich

Own, Inside, Generations, Musics

So many people are not aware that NPR writes things, 'posts' things. But we are spreading the word.

- Robert Krulwich

Aware, NPR, So Many People, Writes

If you want to be a poet, you can just write it on a napkin, and it's the length of the napkin, I guess. But usually you decide you'll rhyme it, or you'll have a formula. In radio, that's something called, 'Close your eyes and listen.'

- Robert Krulwich

Want, Decide, Length, Napkin

Journalism doesn't have to be your first love... or your only love. You can come to it in desperation, because you can't think of anything better to do with your life, that it's this or the abyss. But once you get going... it helps if you love it.

- Robert Krulwich

Love, First Love, Your, Journalism

When I was a teenager, I loved political conventions.

- Robert Krulwich

Political, Loved, Teenager, Conventions

News, after all, is a spin of words and pictures. It's a kind of music. There are beats in a newscast, a newspaper story. Ed Murrow sounded like Ed Murrow. Huntley and Brinkley sounded different. Anderson Cooper, different still.

- Robert Krulwich

News, Newspaper, Still, Cooper

Cezanne produced precarious little worlds that almost, almost, almost lose their balance but somehow hold themselves together, creating tension, beauty and danger all at once.

- Robert Krulwich

Beauty, Tension, Worlds, Precarious

What happens if you are the last (the very, very last) of your species, and you die - and humans notice? We live, increasingly, at a time when extinctions are recorded, remembered, and the last animal (or plant) in its line, by virtue of its being last, becomes a kind of celebrity. Its finality becomes a thing to honor.

- Robert Krulwich

Die, Very, Increasingly, Notice

I did television for a very long time, but if you're on television, words don't count. What the eye sees beats the words. If you switch sides, from radio to television, you learn that the wordiness that you learn on the radio is useless or not nearly as powerful, and you have to learn to trust that the eye will just beat the ear.

- Robert Krulwich

Trust, Very, Nearly, Switch

I am fascinated by storytelling glue. Anytime I see someone who's good at it, I stop and wonder, 'How'd they 'do this? Why can't I tear myself away?

- Robert Krulwich

Storytelling, Glue, Away, Tear

A seed, after all, is an embryo, a potential plant waiting for its moment to grow. It has what it needs to begin. But it can also put itself on pause. It can wait.

- Robert Krulwich

Grow, Wait, Needs, Potential

When you go to the theater, you are slipping out of your life into someone else's imaginary world.

- Robert Krulwich

Slipping, Imaginary World, Imaginary

The more borders we have, the more quarrels, the more wars. That's one way to think about borders - they're trouble.

- Robert Krulwich

Think, Borders, Quarrels, One Way

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