THE MAKING OF A SCIENTIST

Key points
• Richard H. Ebright grew up in Reading in Pennsylvania. In Kindergarten, Ebright collected
butterflies.
• His mother would take him on trips, bought him telescope, microscope, cameras, mounting materials,
and other materials required for learning.
• By the time he was in the second grade, Ebright had collected all twentyfive species of butterflies
found around his hometown.
• His mother gave him a children’s book called “The Travels of Monarch X.”That book, which told how
monarch butterflies migrate to Central America, opened the world of science to Richard.
• At the end of book readers were asked to tag butterflies for research by Dr. Frederick A. Urquhart of
the University of Toronto, Canada.
• For several years his basement was home to thousands of monarchs in different stages of development.
• He would catch a female monarch, take her eggs, and raise them in his basement through their life
cycle, from egg to caterpillar to pupa to adult butterfly.
• In county science fair his entry was slides of frog tissues, which he showed under a microscope.
• For his eighth-grade project, Ebright tried to find the cause of a viral disease that kills nearly all
monarch caterpillars every few years.
• The next year his science fair project was testing the theory that viceroy butterflies copy monarchs.
• This project was placed first in the zoology division and third overall in the county science fair. There
he won third place for zoology. indirectly, it also led to his new theory on the life of cells. This project
won Ebright first place in the county fair and entry into the International Science and Engineering Fair.
• In his second year in high school, Richard Ebright began the research that led to his discovery of an
unknown insect hormone.

New words
• Species: a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or
interbreeding.
Ex: Frog is the species of amphibians.
• Fossils: the remains or impression of a prehistoric plant or animal embedded in rock and preserved in
petrified form.
Ex: Petrol is a kind of fossil fuel.
• Pupa: an insect in its inactive immature form between larva and adult.
Ex: Pupa of a butterfly becomes an adult after its growth.
• Hormone: a regulatory substance produced in an organism and transported in tissue fluids such as
blood or sap to stimulate specific cells or tissues into action
Ex: Hormone plays a vital role in growth and development in an organism.
• Caterpillar: the larva of a butterfly or moth

HOME ASSIGNMENT (DO IT AT THE LAST)

What do you know about Ebright’s early childhood? How can you say he was a scientist in the
making?
 Class Notes
Class: X Topic: The Making of a Scientist

Subject: ENGLISH

Question: How did a book become a turning point in Richard Ebright’s

life?
Answer: The book ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ opened the world of science for
Richard. After reading it, he became interested in tracking the migration of
butterflies. This interest led to his other projects and experiments. Finally, he
became a great scientist.
Question: How did his mother help him?
Answer: Richard’s mother proved to be a great help. She took him on trips and
bought scientific equipment for him. She spent all her time in setting up
challenges for him. This helped him learn a lot. She presented him with the
book ‘The Travels of Monarch X’. The book changes Richard’s life forever.
Above all, his mother inspired him a lot.
Question: What lesson does Ebright learn when he does not win anything
at a science fair?
Answer: Ebright exhibits slides of frog tissues at a science fair. He does not get
any prize. He learns an important lesson: science is not just about the display; it
is about projects and experiments. He begins conducting experiments from that
day onwards.
Question: What experiments and projects does he do then undertake?
Answer: He undertakes many projects and experiments. He works on viceroy
butterflies to show that they copy monarch butterflies. He studies bright spots
on the monarch pupa and discovers a new hormone. Also, he finds out how cells
read their DNA.
Question: What are the qualities that go into the making of a scientist?
Answer: There are three essential qualities that make a scientist. The first is a
first-rate mind. Next is the presence of curiosity. Last but not the least, it is the
will to do his/her best.

Question: How can one become a scientist, an economist, a historian …?

Does it simply involve reading many books on the subject? Does it involve
observing, thinking, and doing experiments?
Answer: All these intellectual professions can be classified as ‘academician’.
So one has to visit a library often, and at home also must devote ample time to
reading. Reading many books on a subject is essential, but it is not enough. One
must develop the skill of observation and thinking. Deductive and inductive
approaches help an academician reach his goals or conclusions.
Experiments need to be conducted. One needs to have a curiosity to explore and
find new things.
Sacrifices might also prove to be vital. One may have to detach all ties during
such higher endeavours.
Above all, one must work hard and not get upset by failures. So the outlook of
an individual would determine his/her success in his/her endeavours.

SAQ(Extra):
Briefly describe the character of Richard Ebright.
Richard was very inquisitive from an early age. His zeal for butterflies and other
biological phenomena made him successful. He was very positive, he took set-
backs positively and learnt lessons from them. He was very much focussed; we
see that biology was his niche.

LAQ(Extra):
Describe the journey of Richard Ebright as a successful scientist.
Richard Ebright has been interested in science since he first began collecting
butterflies. Ebright also became a champion debater and public speaker. As a
high school junior, Richard Ebright continued his advanced experiments on the
monarch pupa.
In his senior year, he went a step further. He grew cells from a monarch’s wing
in a culture and showed that the cells would divide and develop into normal
butterfly wing scales if the hormone from the gold spots is applied properly.
This shows his meditative and experimental traits. He studied at reputed
institutions like the Harvard University.
According to A. Weiherer, his social studies teacher, Richard was competitive
in a very positive way. Thus the motivation of a great teacher also paved the
way for his success.
Richard took failures as the stepping stones of success. Ebright exhibited slides
of frog tissues at a science fair. He did not win any prize. He did not become
agonised. He learnt an important lesson: science is not just about the display.
However, it was Richard’s fascination for butterflies that opened the world of
science to him. He received motivation from his mother and teachers. He is the
recipient of prestigious awards like the Searle Scholar Award and the Schering
Plough Award. He is indeed a successful scientist.
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