This Sunday side project turned into a PNAS paper and I then joined the lab of a hero of mine for my postdoc. This new situationcan be a shock to the system. Primates manage to cram more neurons into smaller masses. When I was a child, my exposure through media of what science was and what scientists did influenced my career decisions. we must practice because we wont learn it instantly. Its science but could well be banking, marketing, sport or an online video game. Materials Scientist, woman, age 49, My interest in science was first piqued as a seven-year-old observing a full moon through the telescope of a friend. Weve seen that asking questions especially the right questions, can lead to a new understanding of an issue that may have been obscured by confusing facts, conflicting opinions, or obsolete assumptions. most asked question on a daily basis as we go through our everyday var d=new Date(); yr=d.getFullYear();document.write(yr); Full Document, Apply the scientific lens to a personal experience or event. What do you think motivates scientists to ask, 'Why?' In other words I was told it makes people uncomfortable. But first Ill exclude twomotivations that only the most delusional individuals would claim to be the reasons thatattracted them to science: money and social status. When I teach graduate students, I use their questions as a measure of their thinking. 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. If you have to edit your question so as not to ask "why," does it also edit your thinking so that you eventually stop thinking? test theories from big to small like evolution by natural selection to why What motivates academic scientists to engage in research As a result, I say something like, A question just means you want more information. ChatGPT could lead to a lack of originality in both ideas and prose. The de novo creation of olfactory receptor genes links chemotaxis and phototaxis from foraging behavior to social behavior in species from microbes to humans. Whilst some scientists come withpersonalities that neatly match this type of motivation, the longer you stay in academic science the more pressure there is to behave in these terms. Hawking's research has, improved our understanding of where we originated from and how the universe and its, View Or they dont want to take any responsibility in the answer ("Why am I spending my time here?"). Associate Professor of Physics, University of New South Wales. The building blocks of a fulfilled life include resources (e.g., support), personal characteristics (e.g., curiosity), and life quality. 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 Protein folding chemistry links nutrient-dependent microRNAs from microRNA flanking sequences to energy transfer and cell type differentiation in the context of adhesion proteins, and supercoiled DNA that protects all organized genomes from virus-driven entropy. The passion to keep delving deeper and deeper into the realm of mathematics was kindled in me at a rather tender age. Coming up with We The assumption that scientists are motivated by the ribbon and puzzle in academic research while commercial engagement is driven primarily by the pursuit of the gold builds on a false dichotomy and polarised view of human motivation. Known for storytelling and knowledge management, she is a popular speaker, author, and instructor. When I enrolled in a PhD back in 2006 I had no idea what academia or research was about but it gave me an opportunity to stay abroad for a few moreyears, payed a decentsalary and gave meplenty of opportunities to travel. Answered: What do you think motivates scientists | bartleby As you read this, scientists the world over are rushing to find out more about the COVID-19 Omicron variant. be it through governed work spaces or not! Bill Nye on embracing scientific reasoning: 'We would be done - CNET 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?) The whole that I had referred to before is basically the researchers approach to making sense of the different elements of their journey. (2017) pro-social motives, which are also highlighted by Ramos-Vielba et al. Are we basing our actions on previous experiences and never questioning that those early experiences no longer exist? Discovery: The spark for science - Understanding Science Why Do We Ask Why? | Psychology Today Once the adolescent attitudes begin to mature into adulthood, it should be time to begin asking why again. Chemistry, Mathematics, Literature, Accounting and Political Science. In other words, curiosity is an effective engine of discovery. This question also provides insight into your career goals. I guess regardless of being online or offline, being Indigenous can attract violent behaviour from settlers. These experiments (combined with supporting results from cognitive studies) suggest that perceptual curiosity is primarily associated with an unpleasant condition; it resembles scratching an intellectual itch. [CDATA[// >