The Making of a Scientist - Q&A
Think about it
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?
Reading books is an important first step, but it is not the only requirement to become a scientist, economist, or historian. To become a professional in these fields, one must go beyond just reading.
Observation: One needs to look at the world keenly. A scientist observes nature, an economist observes financial trends, and a historian observes artifacts and records.
Thinking: One must ask questions, analyze data, and form theories. Critical thinking is essential to understand the 'why' and 'how' behind facts.
Doing Experiments/Research: A scientist tests theories through experiments . An economist analyzes market data and models. A historian verifies facts by cross-referencing different sources. Thus, it involves a combination of reading, observing, thinking, and practical application.
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?
Richard Ebright's Work: Richard Ebright's work connected the dots between the chemical structure of a hormone and the biology of cells. We learn in science that DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is the blueprint of life found in the nucleus of a cell. Ebright's theory explained how cells read this blueprint. He showed that the gold spots on a monarch pupa produced a hormone necessary for the butterfly's full development, which eventually led to his theory about how DNA controls the form and function of the cell.
Personal Choice (Sample Answer): If I got an opportunity to work on projects like Richard Ebright, I would like to work in the field of Environmental Science. I would want to study how changing climate patterns affect the migration of birds and insects. This is because, like Ebright's butterflies, many species are sensitive to environmental changes, and understanding this could help us save biodiversity.
Talk about it
1. Children everywhere wonder about the world around them. The questions they ask are the beginning of scientific inquiry. Given below are some questions that children in India have asked Professor Yash Pal and Dr Rahul Pal as reported in their book, Discovered Questions (NCERT, 2006).
(i) What is DNA fingerprinting? What are its uses?
DNA Fingerprinting: It is a technique used to identify individuals based on their unique genetic makeup. Just as every person has a unique fingerprint, every person (except identical twins) has a unique DNA pattern.
Uses:
1. Forensic Science: It is used to identify criminals by comparing DNA samples (hair, blood, etc.) found at a crime scene with suspects.
2. Paternity Tests: It helps to determine who the biological parents of a child are.
3. Identification: It is used to identify dead bodies in accidents where physical identification is not possible.
(ii) How do honeybees identify their own honeycombs?
Honeybees identify their own honeycombs through a combination of methods:
1. Smell (Pheromones): Each hive has a unique scent or chemical signal (pheromone) that the bees recognize. Guard bees at the entrance check the scent of incoming bees.
2. Visual Landmarks: Bees have excellent memory for their surroundings. They use visual landmarks like trees, rocks, and the position of the hive entrance to locate their home.
3. Sun's Position: They use the position of the sun as a compass to navigate back to the correct location.
(iii) Why does rain fall in drops?
Rain falls in drops due to a property of water called surface tension. Inside a cloud, water vapor condenses onto tiny dust particles to form tiny droplets. As these droplets collide and merge, they grow larger. Surface tension acts like a "skin" that tries to pull the water into the shape with the smallest surface area, which is a sphere . When they become too heavy for the air to hold, they fall as spherical drops. If they didn't form drops, the water would fall as a continuous, damaging sheet of water.
2. You also must have wondered about certain things around you. Share these questions with your class, and try and answer them.
(Sample Question and Answer)
Question: Why do stars twinkle but planets do not?
Answer: Stars twinkle because they are very far away and appear as tiny pinpoints of light. As this light travels through the Earth's atmosphere, it passes through layers of air with different temperatures and densities. This bends (refracts) the light constantly, making the star appear to twinkle. Planets, on the other hand, are much closer and appear as small disks rather than points. The light from different parts of the planet's disk gets refracted in different directions, cancelling out the twinkling effect, so they appear to shine steadily.