MAKING OF A SCIENTIST

(BY-ROBERT W. PETERSON)

Learning Objectives

The students will be able to –

-develop their imaginative and analytical skills
-understand that bright and sharp mind, curiosity and the will to win for the right
-know the importance of gathering information
-analyse that the brain processes the information that affects the degree of learning
-understand that the first and foremost criteria to become a genius in one‘s chosen field is to
have great curiosity and unending hunger to discover more.
-understand that experiments are must to test the findings against possible variables and in
real life situations.
-understand that it is an urge, a strong desire to work really hard in the area of interest.

Chapter Description

This article is an account of a curious child channelizing his curiosity to become a scientist.
Ebright was a highly curious child since his childhood. His mother; his only companion
during childhood; helped in further deepening his curiosity. Ebright began his journey by
collecting butterflies. After that, he worked on tagging the monarch butterflies so that the
scientists‘ community could be benefited. Later on, he did research on utility of gold spots on
pupae of monarch butterflies. He became famous when his paper on working of cell was
published in a scientific journal. Ebright participated in many science exhibitions but winning
an award for the sake of wining was never his goal. He participated in those exhibitions
because he wanted to do a task as best as that could be done.

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Notes

Question 1.
How did a book become a turning point in Richard Ebright’s life ?

Answer:
A book entitled ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ changed Richard Ebright’s life. It was because
it told him how monarch butterflies migrate to Central America. It opened the wide world of
science to this curious young collector.

Question 2.
How did his mother help him ?
Or
How did Richard’s mother help him to become a scientist ?

Answer:
His mother was a source of great inspiration for him. She always encouraged him and
provided constant company to him. In the day she brought friends for him. In the night she
herself worked with him. This way she helped him.

Question 3.
What lesson does Ebright learn when he does not win anything at a science fair ?

Answer:
Ebright learns a lesson that the real experiments would win him a prize. It was not simply a
neat display of things. The real experiments showed the things clearly and proved the point.
The subject he knew was about the insect work. He had been carrying this work in the past
several years.

Question 4.
What experiments and projects does he then undertake?
Answer:
He took up his eighth-grade project. It was to find the cause of a viral disease that killed all
monarch caterpillars.

Next year his science fair project was to test the theory of the butterflies. It was that viceroy
butterflies copied monarchs. His next theory was to see whether birds ate monarchs. He
found that monarchs don’t taste good to birds.

Next he began the research. It led to his discovery of an unknown insect hormone.

Question 5.
What are the qualities that go into the making of a scientist ?

Answer:
These qualities are : first-rate mind, curiosity, will to win for the right reasons.

Think About It (Page 38)

Question 1.
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:
One can become a scientist, an economist or a historian. He can become so not by reading
many books on the subject. First of all, one must have a first-rate mind. One must have the
capacity and the will to win for the right reasons. With all these one must seek the result
through experiments. This involves observing with a sharp mind, thinking and testing things
through experiments.

Question 2.

You must have read about cells and DNA in your science books. Discuss Richard Ebright’s
work in the light of what you have studied. If you get an opportunity to work like Richard
Ebright on projects and experiments, which field would you like to work on and why ?
Answer:
I have read a bit about cells and DNA in the science books. Richard Ebright’s work really is
very important. It shall let the scientists and others know the origins of diseases etc. This will
be possible because the field of experiments in cells is vast. Study of cells and DNA let one
have knowledge about heredity and what makes this. If ever I get a chance to work like
Ebright, I shall adopt this field. It would help humanity in fighting various diseases.

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Assignment

Q.1. Richard’s mother had a great influence on him. Discuss.

Or

Discuss the role of Ebright’s mother in making him a scientist.

Q.2 Richard Ebright displayed a well-rounded personality. Do you agree? Elucidate in the
context of the given text.

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