what motivates scientists to ask why

what motivates scientists to ask why

What keeps me going through all the ups and downs is being modest. It doesnt matter what the work is for, how much benefit it brings to society or even if it was enjoyable. I had for example to completely drop my main topic 1.5 years into my PhD, and restart on what was at the time a "Sunday side project". they were successful but not successful enough to strike the next extramural funding, and thus the next contract- . and different levels to climb (faculty positions, assistant professorships, etc) so its no surprise that weve become increasinglymotivated by academic achievements rather than scientific ones. It was my brothers high-school textbooks, I kid you not! to test these theories and ask ourselves why each day. They were beautifully illustrated, with nature drawings and detailed experiments set out in a visual format. Include specific examples to support your response. Asking questions is the first step to nurturing curiosity and pushing our knowledge to a new level and in-depth knowledge is a trait of resilient people. Let us all be accidents that change the world! I would also love to hear from you. For instance, the curiosity that is triggered by surprising or ambiguous stimuli (perceptual curiosity, in the language of psychologist Daniel Berlyne) is associated with an aversive feeling of deprivation. Their "why's" is what develops new ideas, new questions and being able to see something that's never been seen before. In a related experiment, neuroscientists Matthias Gruber, Bernard Gelman, and Charan Ranganath discovered that the activation of the brain in the case of epistemic curiosity precisely followed the pathways that transmit dopamine signals. For years to come, his work in the field of natural science will be at the top of its class. (2019) and Iorio et al. Yes, science is interesting and solving puzzles is neat but scienceis also a tool for the benefit of Humanity. Scientists like Stephen Hawking and others are compelled to question "Why?" because they are intrigued about how the world works. #ScientistByHeart, An Editage Insights community member; participant of the Editage Insights six-week challenge for researchers, @Editage Week 2 #challengeaccepted! Parents don't. Maybe the reluctance to ask why questions is because some people use that question as an easy way to put an issue on the table ("Why cant these politicians solve global warming?"). Please tell me the steps that led you to this conclusion. By sweetly asking the question "why" while taking away the judgment and putting ourselves in the middle of the answer, we may even bring the question to a deeper level. 2002 In Jepmas study, the researchers found that perceptual curiosity activated brain regions that are sensitive to conflict and unpleasant arousal (the anterior insula and the anterior cingulate cortex). Their sole driving force was the joy of solving natures puzzles often accompanied by a quasi-puritanical approach to the scientific method and the rules of statistic validation. Hovering abovethe master mixes, the manuscripts and the strategic decisions that may or may not extend your career in academic research is this fundamental question: what is ones motivation to be an academic scientist? About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. The network keeps growing, with new sites added every week, so sign up now and submit your URLs within the next few minutes to boost your rankings and get the traffic your pages deserve. And as one author put it, "One day the flow of questions will stop, but of course even as adults, were still searching for the answers.[1]. Psychedelics have shown promise as treatments for major depression and substance use disorders. I am conscious of beauty in almost everything I do. Answered by opiraajudith One or more of the following reasons could motivate you to conduct research: - Desire for a research degree and the rewards that come with it; - The desire to take on the challenge of solving unsolved problems, i.e., concern about practical issues, motivates research. There is even worse cases around .. there exists those not-so-early-career scientists that do certainly find themselves drained, but not so much from motivation, but from anything that should basically keep them alive but doesnt, i.e. My grade school education in science was very poor, which increased the importance of the media exposure. The objective is to get to the top! Although Im not completely confident as to what variables led to my research genre, I am certain that what coalesced is authentic to me. So I stayed! Curiosity, after all, its the engine of learning. Sure, your average post-doc salary can sustain a moderatemiddle class lifestyle (so long as you dont indulge into procreation or long-term financial commitments) andthe money tends to improve slightly as you progress throughthe slippery career ladder but manyequally qualified jobs pay much better wages and often with greater job security. It is, I dare to say, a key part of doing a PhD: to find your motivations (or not) and decide by the end of the process if academic researchis the life you want. It is not uncommon for early-stage scientists, particularly grad students, to be in research because theyre still figuring out what to do with their lives. Back then, people tended to separate life into the offline real world and the online virtual world which by implication was not real. Of course most people donot have just one motivation but a combination of several, the weight of each varying from person to person and across time. Furthermore, the factor, making a difference, aligns with Van De Burgwal et al. They found that an average human brain contains about 86 billion neurons, compared to an orangutan, who has only about a third of this number, and a rat, which has only 189 million. Once the realization occurs that no one has all knowledge, it should become easier to ask questions including why questions. Leaders can benefit from moments of laughter. Its an important question because the road to a successful career in science as with technology, engineering and mathematics, the other STEM fields can be challenging, often requiring a Ph.D. or other postgraduate training. Objective observations, Based on this week's resources, what do you think motivates scientists to ask, "Why?" What sexy paragraph must I add to my manuscript to attract the editors attention? Alternative question: Im curious about the deeper concerns that hold politicians back from addressing global warming. Men have long been silent and stoic about their inner lives, but theres every reason for them to open up emotionallyand their partners are helping. Include specific examples to support your response. Full Document, Apply the scientific lens to a personal experience or event. Let's start with two definitions. : an American History, Active Learning Template Nursing Skill form Therapeutic Communication, ECO 201 - Chapter 2 Thinking like economist part 1, Chapter 4 - Summary Give Me Liberty! When scientists have complete confidence, they may conduct effective research and projects. They find every "wrong result" of an experiment to be equally fascinating and thrilling. We stop asking the question "Why?" They are, however, definitely in limbo between to live beyond this months bank statement and there might be some income in the future somehow somewhere in some universe maybe even back on Mother Earth, who knows, and I might have to make SERIOUS compromises. Science would not exist if scientists did not question why. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. Include specific examples to support your. Many of these scientists reported an interest and curiosity in science or the natural world starting in early childhood. It's time to hear from the Editage Insights community! As we embark on a new year, hopefully with more progress on the COVID-19 front, we asked six authors of The Conversation to reflect on what first sparked their interest in science. Unfortunately,the time of Darwin and Wallace has passed and most of us can not affordthe lives of wealthy 19th century naturalists. This Sunday side project turned into a PNAS paper and I then joined the lab of a hero of mine for my postdoc. But to see the latter expressed in terms of the former so cleanly was an epiphany. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Trust in Media. the In other words, what inspires scientists to pursue their research? After all, it is curiosity (of all types) and the desire to get to the bottom of things that gave birth to the early spiritual quests and to scientific exploration. As for social status, yes, people will commend you atdinner parties for the nobility of a career in science and shamefully admit that in comparisontheir job in marketing is futile and meaningless but your grandmother still thinks you are a student (why else would a 32-year old hang around a University?) I guess regardless of being online or offline, being Indigenous can attract violent behaviour from settlers. But after watching all the Discovery Channel, National Geographic and History Channel documentaries I could possibly get my hands on, my mind was constantly in awe of such questions. Curiosity killed the cat but in for humans' curiosity has opened unimaginable doors, helped overcome countless challenges and answer . Did I omit or oversimplify an otherwise nuanced motivation? The opinions of two scientific giants on an age-old question. This is perhaps the idealised vision of what it means to be a scientist: a free and creative spirit that bows only to the mysteries of science and is not conditioned by the restrains of a career structure. From this point on, I was motivated to understand more about these extinct groups. Or they are too lazy to explore in their minds what they are really interested in knowing ("Why?"). So, what draws people into these careers? Unformatted text preview: surroundings were produced in natural science. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects workforce shortfalls for many science fields, though the projected needs differ across the life, physical and natural sciences. And when we are in a moment when we have been pummeled by the unexpected, its great to be ready with more possibilities from which to choose our response resiliently. Assuming for the moment that what I am saying has relevance, I have to believe that if my students or audience are not asking questions, it must be that someone or something suggested that asking questions was a dangerous pursuit. ", Depression: Goodbye Serotonin, Hello Stress and Inflammation, How Blame and Shame Can Fuel Depression in Rape Victims, Getting More Hugs Is Linked to Fewer Symptoms of Depression, Interacting With Outgroup Members Reduces Prejudice, You Can't Control Your Teen, But You Can Influence Them. And while nearly half (47%) said it was a good or very good time to begin a career in their field, 53% said it was a bad time to start out in their field. Learn strategies for building lessons and activities around the Science Checklist: Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12 Grades 13-16 (http://www.socialmonkee.com/lstw78), Your email address will not be published. Knowing when to shift between public and private thinking is a crucial new skill known as cognitive diversity. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. are or not. So, the grass definitely seemed greener on the PhD patch. [CDATA[// >
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