Chapter 6- The Making of a Scientist 10th English notes

Read and Find Out

1. How did a book become a turning point in Richard Ebright’s life?

Answer

Richard Ebright was interested in collecting butterflies. By the time he was in the second grade, he had collected all the twenty-five species of butterflies found around his hometown. This would have been the end of his butterfly collecting. But at this point, his mother got him a book called “The Travels of Monarch X’. This book told him about the migration of monarch butterflies to Central America. This book aroused his interest in Monarch butterflies and opened the world of science to him. This proved to be a turning point in the life of young Richard Ebright. He began to raise Monarch butterflies in the basement of his home and study them in different stages of their development.

2. How did his mother help him?

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.

Read and Find Out

1. What lesson does Ebright learn when he does not win anything at a science fair?

Answer

Edbright realizes that mere display of something does not mean science. To win at a science fair he will have to do real experiments.

2. What experiments and projects does he then undertake?

Answer

He make experiments to find out what causes the viral disease that kills nearly all monarch caterpillars.

He undertakes a project to test the theory that vicerory butterflies copy monarches to survive.

3. What are the qualities that go into the making of a scientist?

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.

Think about It

1. How can one become a scientist, an economist, a historian…? Does it simply involve reading many books on the subject? Does it involve observing, thinking and doing experiments?

Answer

Reading books is just one aspect of learning. This is an exercise in information gathering. It is how your brain processes the information that affects the degree of learning. The first and the foremost criteria to become a genius in one’s chosen field is to have great curiosity and unending hunger to discover more. Next criteria is a good sense of observation which helps you to correlate your findings with what you see or experience in the real world. Experiments are must to test your findings against possible variables and in real life situations. And last, but not the least criteria is an urge to work really hard on your area of interest.

2. You must have read about cells and DNA in your science books. Discuss Richard Ebright’s work in the light of what you have studied. If you get an opportunity to work like Richard Ebright on projects and experiments, which field would you like to work on and why?

Answer

Ebrights’ work are directly related to Biology. Discovery of cell’s structure has helped scientific community to understand the way any organism functions and grows. This has helped scientists to discover how disease causing organisms attack us and grow inside our body. This must have given them idea to counter a particular disease . DNA fingerprinting is helping police to pinpoint the real culprit. This was not possible when DNA was discovered. Monarch butterflies present an amazing example of a tiny creature migrating thousands of miles from North America to the rainforest of Amazon. Some day we can be in a position to develop as sturdy and reliable navigation system as that of the Monarch butterflies

Talk About It

Question 1.

Children everywhere wonder about the world around them. The questions they ask are the beginning of scientific inquiry. Given below are some questions that children in India have asked Prof. Yash Pal and Dr. Rahul Pal as reported in their book, Discovered Questions. (published by NCERT in 2006).

1. What is DNA fingerprinting? What are its uses?

2. How do honeybees identify their own honeycombs?

3. Why does rain fall in drops?

Can you answer these questions? You will find Prof. Yash Pal’s and Dr. Rahul’s answers (as given in Discovered Questions) on Page 75.

1. DNA fingerprinting is a forensic technique used to identify individuals by the characteristics of their DNA. It is used in parentage testing. It is also used in criminal investigations to identify a person or to place him at the scene of the crime.

2. Honeybees have signalling chemicals. They leave trails for fellow honeybees so that they can reach their honeycomb.

3. The only solid things in the air are dust particles. Water vapor is used it as a center of attraction when it becomes too heavy. Water vapor condenses on the dust particle as a drop and falls on Earth.

Question 2.

You also must have wondered about certain things around you. Share these questions with – your class, and try and answer them.

Some of the questions are

1. Why is the sky blue?

2. Why do stars twinkle?

3. What is a rainbow?

4. Why do fruits fall on Earth?

MCQs

Question 1.

Name Richard’s college roommate

(a) John

(b) James

(c) Jack

(d) Jeff

Answer

 (a) John

Question 2.

What did Richard’s dad do?

(a) scientist

(b) doctor

(c) he was dead

(d) teacher

Answer

 (c) he was dead

Question 3.

Name Ebright’s social science teacher.

(a) Mr Weiherer

(b) Dr Urquhart

(c) James R Wong

(d) Taplow

Answer

 (a) Mr Weiherer

Question 4.

How many gold spots were there on a Monarch pupa?

(a) 10

(b) 15

(c) 11

(d) 12

Answer

 (d) 12

Question 5.

In which class was Ebright when he lost at the county science fair?

(a) 5

(b) 8

(c) 7

(d) 4

Answer

 (c) 7

Question 6.

What groundbreaking research did Ebright do?

(a) working of body

(b) working of DNA

(c) Working of heart

(d) none of the above

Answer

 (b) working of DNA

Question 7.

He was an excellent _____

(a) debtor

(b) scientist

(c) photographer

(d) all of the above

Answer

 (d) all of the above

Question 8.

Who did he write to get an idea for a real science experiment?

(a) his mother

(b) his friend

(c) Dr Frederick A. Urquhart

(d) none of the above

Answer

 (c) Dr Frederick A. Urquhart

Question 9.

Which butterflies were not eaten by birds?

(a) viceroy

(b) monarch

(c) all of the above

(d) none of the above

Answer

 (b) monarch

Question 10.

He tried to grow _____ in the presence of betties

(a) butterflies

(b) caterpillar

(c) rats

(d) snakes

Answer

 (b) caterpillar

Question 11.

What did he collect during his childhood?

(a) coins

(b) rocks

(c) butterflies

(d) all of the above

Answer

 (d) all of the above

Question 12.

When did he find the cause of a viral disease common among caterpillars?

(a) in the 7th grade

(b) in the 8th grade

(c) in college

(d) none of the above

Answer

 (b) in the 8th grade

Question 13.

How many species of butterflies had he collected till second grade?

(a) 20

(b) 21

(c) 24

(d) 25

Answer

 (d) 25

Question 14.

What was he fond of in his childhood?

(a) basketball

(b) collecting things

(c) baseball

(d) none of the above

Answer

 (b) collecting things

Question 15.

“It was his fascination for _____ that opened the world of science to him.”

(a) cats

(b) dogs

(c) birds

(d) butterflies

Answer

 (d) butterflies

Question 16.

Which of the following is a part of the life cycle of butterflies?

(a) egg

(b) caterpillar

(c) pupa

(d) all of the above

Answer

 (d) all of the above

Question 17.

At what grade did Richard get a hint of what real science is?

(a) fourth grade

(b) fifth grade

(c) sixth grade

(d) seventh grade

Answer

 (d) seventh grade

Question 18.

Ebright is an expert………….

(a) scientist

(b) debator

(c) photographer

(d) all of the above

Answer

 (d) all of the above

Question 19.

Which book did Ebright’s mother give him to?

(a) Travels of Monarch X

(b) Travels of Ebright

(c) Travels of Dr Urquhart

(d) Travels of Viceroy X

Answer

 (a) Travels of Monarch X

Question 20.

Which of the following is a type of butterflies?

(a) viceroy

(b) monarch

(c) both (a) and (b)

(d) none of the above

Answer

 (c) both (a) and (b)

Question 21.

Ebright tried to grow caterpillars in the presence of :

(a) betties

(b) snakes

(c) wasps

(d) all of the above

Answer

 (a) betties

Question 22.

Who encouraged Ebright in his interest in learning?

(a) his mother

(b) his father

(c) his brother

(d) his teacher

Answer

 (a) his mother

Question 23.

Richard H. Ebright was famous :

(a) singer

(b) scientist

(c) doctor

(d) engineer

Answer

 (b) scientist