Did I omit or oversimplify an otherwise nuanced motivation? 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. Or are we satisfied only to ask who did something, when did that happen, or how can I get that refund? A part of their soul is already crushed the one that believed that their work would be worth paying for. In 2008 I made my first Facebook post. However, no matter how noble the motivation, scientists driven by a sense of duty will inevitably face aharsh reality: most academic researchwill not have a direct impact on peoples lives. These unique capabilities are probably a consequence of the number of neurons in our brains, in particular in the cerebral cortex and the striatum. The operation of the human brain is very energetically expensive; it consumes about 20-25 percent of the energy budget of the entire body, as opposed to at most about 10 percent for other species. Symmetry is one of the most useful tools in deciphering the cosmos. The internet was made to bring us together and why would we want Then when I got to years 11 and 12 at school, the six-volume Harvard Project Physics sold me completely. It is precisely this sense of, inquisitiveness that prompts children to inquire and ask, "Why?. Knowing when to shift between public and private thinking is a crucial new skill known as cognitive diversity. As you read this, scientists the world over are rushing to find out more about the COVID-19 Omicron variant. Reason for asking "why" is to avoid thinking of what they are really interested in knowing. What motivations predominate at your current workplace? Step-by-step explanation Your contemporaries have raised a number of really compelling arguments in relation to the factors that encourage scientists to continue with their research and ask questions. Other questions are a daily occurrence. Manyacademic scientists working today were oncethe best students in their classes. Associate Professor of Physics, University of New South Wales. Include specific examples to support your response. How Does Life Live?, NYT Op-Doc https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/opinion/how-does-life-live.html. There were important aspects that I had failed to consider like the importance of the dynamics in the relationship between a supervisor and a PhD student, funding problems, the struggle to get published, the uncertainty of being able to secure a professional future within academia, demands from other parts of their lives having repercussions on their research, etc. Chemistry, Mathematics, Literature, Accounting and Political Science. Here's what you can do. 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. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Trust in Media. Get the help you need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. In one, led by neuroscientist Marieke Jepma and her collaborators, perceptual curiosity was triggered through ambiguous visual input: The researchers showed participants blurry images of common objects. Once the adolescent attitudes begin to mature into adulthood, it should be time to begin asking why again. In rodents, by comparison, a ten times larger number of neurons requires a fifty times larger mass! Why Do Women Remember More Dreams Than Men Do? Powerful questions are really doorways leading toward the more resilient and vibrant life you want to lead. Just more, and better, with commitment and immersion. 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. Based on this week's resources, I think what motivates scientists to ask why and pursue their research is first their curiosity and to find a way to make things easier for us humans. This led me down the road of studying evolution, ultimately resulting in me becoming an evolutionary palaeontologist. In fact, I would go so far as to argue that had we known these facts about perceptual and epistemic curiosity from the start, we might have chosen different words to describe the two psychological states, rather than using the same wordcuriosityfor both. Primates manage to cram more neurons into smaller masses. my cat sleeps all the time but we just as a species are curious and want I became curious about what kept researchers motivated on their journey. Just ask your friends in IT orfinance. Agency is about a person having both capability and permission to complete a task. Many of us grew up with copious amounts of praise from teachers, family and friends when it comes to intellectual performance. Once I recognized this in myself, I began to change the way I asked for questions during class or after a speech. are or not. 9 Researchers share their thoughts Your email address will not be published. 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. Alternative question: I feel I cant contribute to the objectives of this meeting. Discuss the. Parents don't. It was not a simple matter of choosing a question or an area that one wanted to focus on and diving in. When things are good, it is time to celebrate. These and other experiments also revealed that the satisfaction of curiosity (of any type) enhances memory and learning (even of incidental information). 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. From this point on, I was motivated to understand more about these extinct groups. Learn more in Meeting society's needsin our Science and societysection. When I was young (I probably was 4 or 5), we would go to his building after dinner and run around the corridors and labs. Why do humans have more neurons in their cerebral cortex than any other animal? Based on this week's resources, what do you think motivates scientists to ask, "Why?" In other words, what inspires scientists to pursue their research? Typically, candidates use an introduction to explain why they chose their careers. What motivates scientists to ask, Why? : 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! I discovered later I would get that same thrill for other projects I was passionate about, like changing the research culture regarding outreach and education. or "Why do trees just stand there?" that? Psychedelics have shown promise as treatments for major depression and substance use disorders. A scientist is inquisiti. They cared little whether their research ended up published in Natureor the International Journal of Dairy Technology, wether it producedpatient benefit or granted them peer recognition. Here, I will attempt to list some motivations I have encountered in my fellow colleagues (and in myself) to the central question of whywe chose a career in academic science. Fortunately, scientists are always asking this question, which is why we understand so much about the . 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. A couple of years later, my interest in space and the possibility of space exploration was promoted by the start of the manned launches into space in the early 1960s, and in a written essay in fourth or fifth grade I even expressed interest in science as one of three possible career paths . - Aspire to experience the intellectual delight of creating something; - Aspire to give back to society; - The desire to be respected. Alternative question: Im curious about the deeper concerns that hold politicians back from addressing global warming. My second grade teacher was a big influence on building that passion. In fact, it is the rarity of triumphs in research problems that make them so alluring, and draws me in with an unwavering determination and vehemence. The rest is history. #ScientistByHeart, An Editage Insights community member; participant of the Editage Insights six-week challenge for researchers, @Editage Week 2 #challengeaccepted! You may even one day achieve aNobel prize, the largest pat on the back a scientist canget,and your name will be remembered by your peers for a long time but not by thegeneral public. What do they love most about being researchers? Answer: One of the main things that drives scientists is curiosity. I wanted to know the answers to the questions I was asking. The process can go smoothly if we completely grasp what we are aiming for and working towards in our studies. True or False? What leads people to a career in science? Both my parents are scientists. Are we living on assumptions we made years ago? Even though, back then, I understood very little of what it would be like to be a researcher, and make no mistake, there are plenty of challenges and hurdles to surmount on this journey, what never failed to inspire me was the utter wonderment of exploring the world of mathematics, much like strolling through the beautiful, mysterious, unfathomably vast and intricate expanse of a forest., I love staying curious and be able to always learn something new and fascinating. For some 12% their curiosity was fostered by parents and other family members who brought them in contact with scientists and science labs, nature or science and technology museums. Heres a quick round up of some interesting answers to the questions I was asking: An Editage Insights community member; participant of the, An Editage Insights community member; participant of, Ndayisaba Pierre Celestin An Editage Insights community member; participant of the, Editage Insights six-week challenge for researchers, See more Maybe it will empower the poorest people on the planet by eradicating a disease that due to geographical reasons has receivedlittle interest from the rich nations. Ask yourself if you are stunting your thinking as well. [CDATA[// >