Attitudes And Values A Scientist Must Possess
- A scientist is curious about the world.
Curiosity enables a scientist to try to discover more about the things around him or her.Galileo Galilee’s inquisitive nature led to his invention of the telescope which he used to observe outer space.Using the telescope, Galileo discovered the satellites of Jupiter, the craters on Earth’s moon, and the sunspots.This invention also made him the first person to study the moon, the sun, the planets, and the stars.
- A scientist is logical and systematic.
The attitude enables a scientist to plan his or her work in an orderly way.Scientists became fascinated with the structure of genes after Gregor Mendel formulated the principles of heredity.These principles were a result of logical experimental methods and accurate record keeping.
- A scientist is open-minded.
Open-mindedness is an attitude that allows a scientist to look at other possibilities.Johannes Kepler was hired to establish proof that planets moved along perfect circles.But being the open-minded person that he was, he dropped the idea after 15 years of work upon discovering an evidence that planets followed elliptical orbits.His ability to reverse his judgment led to more interesting discoveries.
- A scientist is intellectually honest.
This attitude allows a scientist to recognize the work done by other scientists before him or her.This attitude is also shown by reporting data truthfully.Isaac Newton acknowledged the fact that he built his laws of motion on the past works of Galileo and other scientists.It was not a hidden fact that his first law was very much like Galileo’s concept of inertia.Never claiming that he worked out physical laws on his own, Newton gave credit to the contributions of Galileo and other earlier physicists, saying that he was able to expand his vision “by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
- A scientist works hard and is persistent.
This attitude enables a scientist to continue with a project despite obstacles and failures.Marie Curie, together with her husband Pierre Curie, worked long and hard on their research on radioactivity.They had to work on several thousands of kilograms of uranium ore to get a tenth of a gram of pure radium.Marie carried on even after her husband’s death until she discovered radium and polonium, both radioactive elements.For this achievement, she won the Nobel Prize twice.
- A scientist does not jump to conclusions.
This attitude enables the scientist to withhold his or her judgment until the tests have been completed.This means that scientists do not accept ideas until after an exhaustive investigation has been performed.
John Dalton was not the first to theorize that the atom was the smallest particle of matter, but he was the first to show proof to back up this idea.His atomic theory was supported by an exhaustive collection of experimental evidence.
- A scientist is creative and thinks critically.
Being creative enables a scientist to come up with new concepts which lead to discoveries that traditional scientists have overlooked.Albert Eintein was a 26-year-old clerk in the Swiss patent office when he challenged Newton’s fundamental assumptions of space and time.He developed his theory of relativity because he dared to go beyond what was acceptable then.He worked on several experiments and established links that others preferred to stay away from.He viewed things from a different perspective.
- A scientist is rational.
Dr.Ricardo Lantican is a Filipino scientist who is an expert in the field of plant breeding.He recognized the need to address to the worldwide problem of food sufficiency.With this goal in mind, he developed ways to improve the growth of different varieties of plants in the Philippines and other countries of East and South Asia.One of his important works is a research study on the cytoplasmic inheritance of hypersensitivity to a disease in corn.
- A scientist perseveres in his or her work until he or she is sure of the results.
For five decades, Dr.Luz Oliveros – Belardo pursued her research on natural products and Philippine essential oils.Through her logical and systematic study, more natural products were developed and herbal medications were further improved.She continued her work until satisfactory results were attained.
- A scientist tries new approaches to arrive at better solutions.
Almost every day, advances in science and technology enable people to improve ways of doing things.From these new ideas and concepts, a scientist is able to determine what methods or techniques are best adopted.
This article is originally posted in Scienceray and written by me.