The Making of a Scientist: Notes

Richard H. Ebright: Inspirations

Mother : companionship, brought friends home, bought

equipment, found new things for him to learn,
bought the book, introduced him to Prof.
Urquhart

Dr. Frederick Urquhart : included Ebright in his experiment

(University of Toronto, inspired Ebright to grow a flock of butterflies in
Canada) his basement to continue Urquhart’s experiment,
gave ideas for the county science fair

Richard A. Weiherer : opened Richard’s mind to new ideas

(Social Science Teacher, inspired Richard to research more, reason
Advisor for Debate and MUN clubs) and compete

Basic elements required to

: scientific curiosity, first-rate mind,
become a scientistinspiration, support of elders,
and will to win
…………………………………………………………………………….

Richard H. Ebright : Milestones

S. No. When & What? Result

where?
1 Seventh Grade Neat slide of frog tissues Failure; last position
County Fair
2 Eighth Grade Find the cause (probably a Won
County Fair beetle) of a viral disease
that kills nearly all
monarch caterpillars
every few years
3 Ninth Grade To test: First in the zoology
County Fair 1) whether viceroys copy division
monarchs Third overall in the
2) whether birds eat County Science Fair
monarchs
4 Second Year of What is the purpose of the He discovered an
High School twelve tiny gold spots on unknown hormone
a monarch pupa? secreted by the spots and
 necessary for the full
development of the
butterfly.

First place in the County

Fair

Entry into the

International Science and
Engineering Fair

Third place in Zoology

Internship / Chance to
work with entomology
laboratory of the Walter
Reed Army Institute of
Research.

5 High school Advanced experiments First place at the

junior year with Monarch butterflies International Science
Fair and gave him
another chance to work in
the Army Laboratory
during the summer
6 Senior year at Grew cells from a First place for Zoology at
school monarch’s wing in a the International Fair
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
7 Junior year at Cell theory: DNA is the Cell theory paper
Harvard with blueprint of life because published in the
James R. Wong cells read the DNA prestigious scientific
(college journal ‘Proceedings of
roommates) the National Academy of
Science’
From Harvard university Highest Honours, second
8 Graduation among 1510 students rank in class
Question Bank
LONG-ANSWER QUESTIONS
Q.1. What is scientific curiosity? Who aroused it in Richard and how did it help
him become a scientist? (5)

Ans.1. SAMPLE ANSWER

Scientific curiosity means interest in learning something through questioning,
research, experiments, etc. Richard had these qualities even as a child.

Richard’s mother was his only companion. She took him on trips, bought him
telescopes, microscopes and any other equipment required for his studies. She
bought him a book called ‘Travels of Monarch X’ which made Richard eager to
research on Monarch butterflies.

His mother also wrote a letter to Prof. Urquhart who became Richard’s mentor.
When he was in second grade, he had already collected twenty-five different
species of butterflies. He participated in many science fairs. He lost in his first
competition; however, he did not give up and learned that he would have to show
a real experiment. Similarly, he learnt from each of his failures and remained
curious. This never-ending curiosity helped him become a scientist.

Children who wonder about the wonders of this world

are prodigies in the making.

Q.2. The makings of a scientist can be spotted and nurtured right from one’s
youngest years. Justify the statement with reference to Richard Ebright.

Q.3. Good mentors can make an ordinary child extraordinary. Discuss with
reference to Richard's mentors from the lesson 'The Making of a Scientist'.

Q.4. A masterpiece takes time to be created. What all is required to make an

exceptional scientist? Use the lesson 'The Making of a Scientist' to write your
answers.

Q.5. What all has Richard learned about Monarch butterflies so far? How did he
learn all of this?

MCQs and SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q.1. Which awards and publications are credited to Richard in his young life?
Q.2. Where did Richard grow up? How did it contribute indirectly to him
becoming a scientist?
Q.3. Which hobbies kept Richard occupied in his early childhood?
Q.4. In which all ways did Richard’s mother help him?
(companionship, brought friends home, bought equipment, found things for him
to learn, bought the book, introduced him to Prof. Urquhart)
Q.5. How would you describe Richard as a student?
Q.6. Through what and how did Richard’s eyes open to the world of science?
Q.7. Who was Professor Urquhart? Which experiment was he conducting?
Q.8. How did Richard contribute to Urquhart’s experiment?
Q.9. For several years his basement was home to thousands of monarchs in
different stages of development. Why?
Q.10. Briefly discuss Richard’s first few failures.
Q.11. How did the County Science Fair develop Richard’s competitive spirit?
Q.12. What advantages did Richard glean from the county fairs?
Q.13. Discuss Richard’s Viceroy-Monarch theory.
Q.14. Which research did Richard undertake during his second year in high
school / Elaborate on the research that led to his discovery of an unknown insect
hormone?
Q.15. The question he tried to answer was simple. Which question has been
mentioned here? How did the answer indirectly lead to Richard’s greatest
success?
Q.16. What advantage came with submitting an entry in the International Science
and Engineering Fair?
Q.17. In his senior year, he went a step further. Which step did Richard take?
How did this project fare?
Q.18. When he saw those photos, Ebright didn’t shout, ‘Eureka!’ or even, ‘I’ve
got it!’ Which photos have been mentioned here? What did Richard understand
through those photos?
Q.19. How is DNA the blueprint of life?
Q.20. Who was James R Wong?
Q.21.What would happen if Richard and Wong’s Cell Theory proved correct?
Q.22. How did Weiherer inspire Richard?
Q.23. “For the right reasons, he wants to be the best.” Who said this about whom
and why?
Q.24. How was Richard a ‘sum total of his experiences’?

Q.25. Do you think Richard Ebright is an all-rounder? Pick which of the

following activities he pursued (mark all that apply):
a) Debate
b) Dancing
c) Canoeing
d) Photography
Q.26. Which qualities in Richard were polished through debating and MUN? Pick
all the ones that apply.
a) Research skills
b) Time management
c) Arguing without reason
d) Going the extra mile for new ideas

Q.27. Which of the following ingredients is not necessary to ‘make’ a scientist?

a) Curiosity
b) Inspiration
c) Awards and recognitions
d) Competitive spirit or will to succeed

Q.28. Which of the following is not an example of scientific curiosity?

a) asking questions and trying to find answers
b) eating food and cooking for friends and family
c) breaking mechanical toys apart and trying to put them back together
d) trying to find out all the features of a new phone by actually using it

Q.29. Is science different from creativity? Discuss based on your understanding

of this lesson.
a) Science is based on knowledge; creativity is a result of imagination
b) Science and creativity go hand-in-hand as without creative thought,
new knowledge would never exist
c) Creativity requires more effort than understanding scientific concepts
d) Science is more important than creativity

Q.30. Who or what do you think is most important in Richard’s journey from an
ordinary child to an extraordinary scientist? Why?
a) His mother who first inspired Richard.
b) Prof. Urquhart, Richard’s first official mentor
c) Prof. Weiherer who helped him grow beyond the obvious
d) His mother, mentors and failures because he learnt from all of them