The enormous reach of Robert Burns Woodward (RB)in the design and synthesis of carbon constellations is further exemplified with the total synthesis of strychnine, which, even when viewed from the vantage of ensuing significant developments in organic synthesis, is an amazing feat! This is followed by the total synthesis of chlorophyll, where RB pledged the entire efforts on an untested porphyrin to purpurin change, an essential transformation to achieve the total synthesis. The third example is the total synthesis of cephalosporin C. The Nobel Lecture delivered by RB, above all, reflects the fact that in all these creations, he identified an anchor from which he never wavered - in this case the simple mol. cysteine.