The Making of a Scientist.
The Making of a Scientist.
Read and Find Out (Page 1)
1. How did a book become a turning point in Richard Ebright’s life?
Ans. The book The Travels of Monarch X opened “the world of science” to Richard Ebright. At the end of the book, readers were “invited to help study butterfly migrations” by tagging butterflies for Dr. Frederick A. Urquhart. This invitation led Ebright to start attaching “light adhesive tags to the wings of monarchs” and moved him from simply collecting to actively participating in scientific research.
2.How did his mother help him?
Ans. His mother “encouraged his interest in learning”. She “took him on trips, bought him telescopes, microscopes, cameras, mounting materials, and other equipment”. She also found “learning things” for him to do when he didn’t have work. It was his mother who “got him a children’s book called The Travels of Monarch X” and “wrote to Dr Urquhart” to get him involved in the tagging research.
Read and Find Out (Page 3)
1. What lesson does Ebright learn when he does not win anything at a science fair?
Ans. When Ebright entered a county science fair in the seventh grade, he showed “slides of frog tissues” and “lost”. From this, “He realised the winners had tried to do real experiments, not simply make a neat display”.
2. What experiments and projects does he then undertake?
Ans. Following his failure at the fair, Ebright undertook several “real experiments”:
* Eighth Grade: He tried “to find the cause of a viral disease that kills nearly all monarch caterpillars”.
* High School (Next Year): He tested “the theory that viceroy butterflies copy monarchs” to avoid being eaten by birds.
* High School (Second Year): He began research to discover “an unknown insect hormone” by trying to find the purpose of the “twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa”.
* High School (Junior Year): He “continued his advanced experiments on the monarch pupa”.
* High School (Senior Year): He “grew cells from a monarch’s wing in a culture” and demonstrated that the cells would only develop into scales if they were “fed the hormone from the gold spots”.
3.What are the qualities that go into the making of a scientist?
Ans. According to the text, the qualities that make a scientist include: “a first-rate mind,” “curiosity,” and “the will to win for the right reasons”. The chapter also highlights Ebright’s “driving curiosity” and “competitive spirit”.
Think about it (Page 7)
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?
Ans. The story of Richard Ebright shows that becoming an expert involves more than just “reading many books”. While Ebright’s interest was sparked by a book (The Travels of Monarch X), his success came from “observing, thinking and doing experiments”. He learned he had to do “real experiments” to succeed, and his major theory on cell life came from “observing” X-ray photos.
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?
Ans. The text states that “DNA is the substance in the nucleus of a cell that controls heredity” and “is the blueprint for life”. Richard Ebright’s work focused on “how the cell can ‘read’ the blueprint of its DNA”. After looking at X-ray photos of a hormone’s chemical structure, he got the idea for his new theory. He and his roommate, James R. Wong, “worked all that night” and “later wrote the paper that explained the theory”.
(The second part of the question, “which field would you like to work on and why,” is a personal question for you to answer based on your own interests.)
Talk about it (Page 7)
1. Children everywhere wonder about the world around them. … (i) What is DNA fingerprinting? What are its uses? (ii) How do honeybees identify their own honeycombs? (iii) Why does rain fall in drops? Can you answer these questions? You will find Professor Yash Pal’s and Dr Rahul Pal’s answers (as given in Discovered Questions)
2. (i) What is DNA fingerprinting? What are its uses? DNA fingerprinting is a technique used to identify an individual by analyzing their unique DNA sequence. Every person (except identical twins) has a unique DNA pattern, so this method helps in identification.
Uses of DNA fingerprinting:
Forensic Science – Identifying criminals from blood, hair, or other samples at a crime scene.
Paternity Testing – Determining biological relationships, such as parentage.
Medical Diagnosis – Detecting genetic disorders.
Conservation Biology – Identifying and preserving endangered species.
Research – Studying genetic diversity and evolution.
(ii) How do honeybees identify their own honeycombs? Honeybees identify their own honeycombs mainly using smell. Each hive and honeycomb has a unique chemical scent or pheromone. Bees recognize this scent, allowing them to find their own hive and honeycombs even among many others.
(iii) Why does rain fall in drops? Rain falls in drops because of surface tension. Water molecules stick together due to cohesive forces. When water condenses in clouds, it forms small droplets rather than falling as a continuous sheet. Gravity pulls these droplets down as raindrops.
2. You also must have wondered about certain things around you. Share these questions with your class, and try and answer them.
This is an activity for you to do with your class.
Grammar (Glossary)
The PDF includes a Glossary with the following definitions:
* leagues: groups of sports clubs or teams playing matches among themselves
* county: region
* starling: common European bird (with black, brown-spotted plumage) which nests near buildings and is a good mimic
* entomology: the study of insects
* eureka: a cry of triumph at a discovery (originally attributed to Archimedes)
* canoeist: a person who paddles a canoe, a light boat