Chapter 6 The Making of a Scientist

Answer:

By the time Richard
Ebright was in the second grade, he had collected all twenty-five
species of butterflies found around his hometown. According to him,
this would probably have been the end to his butterfly collecting.
However, a book made him think otherwise. The book titled ‘The
Travels of Monarch X’ became a turning point in his life. The
book was about how monarch butterflies migrated to Central America.
This opened up the world of science to the eager young butterfly
collector. At the end of the book, readers were invited to help study
butterfly migrations. He actively participated in tagging butterflies
to help in the research being conducted by Dr Frederick A. Urquhart.
He went on to raise an entire flock of butterflies in the basement of
his home. Thus, it can be said that the book had managed to keep his
enthusiasm alive by making him aware of the never-ending
possibilities in the world of science.

Answer:

Richard Ebright’s
mother helped him by encouraging his interest in learning. She took
him on trips, bought him telescopes, microscopes, cameras, mounting
materials and other equipments, and helped him in many other ways. If
he did not have anything to do, she found things for him to learn.
Even the book that became a turning point in his life was given to
him by his mother. Hence, it can be said his mother played a crucial
role in the making of the scientist.

Answer:

When Richard Ebright
did not win anything at the science fair, he realized that the
winners had tried to conduct real experiments. He, on the other hand,
had simply made a neat display. He had shown slides of frog tissues
under a microscope. It was the first time that he got a hint of what
real science was. This event served to develop the competitive spirit
in him. Ultimately, it was this spirit of enthusiasm and
competitiveness that drove him to achieve new heights in science.

Answer:

After losing out at the
science fair, Richard Ebright undertook various experiments and
projects. For his eighth grade project, he tried finding the cause of
a viral disease that killed nearly all monarch caterpillars every few
years. He tried raising caterpillars in the presence of beetles as he
thought the disease might have been carried by a beetle. He did not
get any results. However, he went ahead and showed that he had tried
the experiment, and this time he won.

The next year, his
science fair project was to test the theory that viceroy butterflies
copied monarchs in order to prevent being eaten by birds. His project
was to see whether birds would eat monarchs. He found that a starling
would not eat ordinary bird food, but ate all the monarchs it could
get. This project was placed first in the zoology division and third
overall in the county science fair.

In his second year at
high school, he began the research that led to the discovery of an
unknown insect hormone. Indirectly, it also led to his new theory on
the life of cells. He tried to find the purpose of the twelve tiny
gold spots on a monarch pupa. Along with another excellent science
student, he built a device which showed that the spots were producing
a hormone necessary for the butterfly’s full development. This
project won the first place in the county fair and also an entry into
the International Science and Engineering Fair, where it was adjudged
the third best in zoology.

As a high school
junior, he continued his advanced experiments on the monarch pupa.
His project won first place at the International Science fair.

In his senior year, he
grew cells from a monarch’s wing in a culture and showed that
the cells would divide and develop into normal butterfly wing scales
only if they were fed the hormone from the gold spots. That project
won first place in zoology at the International Fair.

The summer after his
freshman year at Harvard, Richard worked on the hormone secreted from
the gold spots, and was able to identify the chemical structure of
the hormone. During his junior year, he got the idea for his new
theory on the life of cells. Along with his room-mate, James R. Wong,
he worked on his theory and wrote a paper explaining the same.

Answer:

The author mentions
three qualities that go into the making of a scientist—a
first-rate mind, curiosity, and the will to win for the right
reasons. Richard Ebright was a very intelligent student. He was also
a champion debater, a public speaker, a good canoeist and an expert
photographer. He always gave that extra effort. He was competitive,
but for the right reasons. From the first he had a driving curiosity
along with a bright mind; and it was this curiosity that ultimately
led him to his theory about cell life.

Answer:

This question requires you to use your own perspective as well as your analytical skills. The answer to the question would vary from one person to another. It is suggested that you read the text carefully and try attempting it on your own.

Answer:

This question requires you to use your own perspective as well as your analytical skills. The answer to the question would vary from one person to another. It is suggested that you read the text carefully and try attempting it on your own.