How did you become interested in physics? Did you have any struggles/obstacles learning Physics?
As a student in high school, I was interested in becoming an artist and took special classes to pursue this goal.  As a result, I took very few courses in mathematics and only one poorly taught course in physics.  I became interested in physics in my last year in high school when I read a book on relativity written by Albert Einstein. I was fascinated by the subject and decided to study physics at the University of Chicago instead of accepting a scholarship at the Museum School of the Art Institute of Chicago.  I initially had difficulty in my physics courses at the university because of my poor mathematics background; but, by working hard, I was able to overcome this deficiency.

How would you explain your research/work to someone that has no previous knowledge of your field?
All through my career, I have investigated the smallest building blocks of matter and the forces that hold them together. The goal of my research has been to provide experimental information that could lead to an understanding of the most fundamental laws of nature.
In a few sentences, could you please explain about quark, and how did your discovery help you win the Nobel Prize?
Before we did our work, it was thought that protons and neutrons, the constituents of the atomic nucleus, were fundamental particles.  Our investigations demonstrated that the proton and neutron are made up of much smaller particles, called quarks.  These are now regarded as the fundamental building blocks of matter.  Our experiments also suggested some of the properties of the force that binds quarks together.  This led to the theoretical development of Quantum Chromodynamics, which is a highly successful description of the so called strong force, the force that binds quarks together and holds the nucleus together.  Quarks and Quantum Chromodynamics form part of the foundation of the Standard Model of particle physics, which is a very successful description of particle physics phenomena at present accelerator energies.

What was your first reaction when you were informed about the Nobel Prize? Was that a surprise? Where were you when you received the news?
 I was enormously surprised and pleased when I heard the news.  I almost could not believe it.  I was in Fort Worth, Texas at the time, attending a physics conference.
As a Physicist, how would you inspire the kids to study physics while they think it's scary and complicated?
I went into physics because of my deep curiosity about how nature works.  I think we can interest kids in physics if we expose them to the awesome mysteries of nature.  We also must teach physics by inquiry about the things around us.  We have to explain to kids about how the things we use in everyday life, such as cell phones, radios and TV, are based on physics, and explain how they work in simple terms.  This points to the relevance of physics in their lives.  To create an interest in any area of science, you must first capture a child's imagination.   

What advice would you give to a young scientist who would like to follow your footsteps?
Go into an area of science that you truly love and only work on problems in which you have a deep interest.  If you are following a new direction and others discourage you, stick to your convictions.  You have to be able to risk failure if you want to accomplish something really important.
Which quality do you think that would make a great scientist, in terms of personality and professional?
There are a number of qualities that make great scientist.  Among these are a deep curiosity, an open mind to new ideas, the ability to work with great dedication, and the willingness to try something new even at the risk of failure.