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V. S. Ramachandran, India (1951- )
I.
Literal Comprehension
Context: This essay is written by V.
S. Ramachandran (1951- ), and India-born American Professor of Neurology at the
University of California, San Diego. In this essay, he has discussed about the
contemporary situation and challenges of the scientific career by giving the
reference of his own experience.
Curiosity alone is not enough for
one to become a scientist. One also needs love of nature, enthusiasm and
passion for hard work, and power of imagination. One’s parents must also be
able to understand one’s interest in science, and they must be stimulating and
helpful. The writer’s parents bought different science specimens and
microscope, and established a chemistry lab at home for him. They made him feel
that he was the chosen one and at the same time, they always encouraged him to
do better.
The writer was interested in science
from the age of eleven. He spent most of his time alone with nature in his own
private world by doing so, he felt special and privileged. He is interested not
only in the study of brain but also in Indian history, archaeology, and art.
Because of his inter-disciplinarian interests, he has conducted various
experiments in various fields of knowledge. Together with his post-doctoral
colleague Eric Altschuller, he tried cracking the Indus Valley script and got
success in identifying a Sumerian symbol ‘o’ as ‘audu’ or ‘udu’ meaning ‘goat’
or ‘sheep’ in Dravidian (Tamil) dialect. He suggested all three civilizations
(Sumerian, Dravidian, and Indus Valley) may have shared the same dialect and
script five thousand years ago. He has also had interest in anthropology,
ethnology, anatomy, teratology, natural history, gastropod taxonomy, inorganic
chemistry, botany, entomology, etc. and has done various experiments and study
in them. Therefore, his students call him ‘an old fossil’ behind his back.
Science flourishes in an atmosphere
of complete freedom and financial independence. Therefore, most of the high
scientific achievements took place in either the ancient time or the Victorian
era. The modern scientists like the author himself work on tenure basis or on
grants. Therefore, sometimes, the visionaries are punished and sycophants are
rewarded. As a result, most of them apply for funds to support less risky
projects. Though the modern science has been immensely successful, due to the
obsession with gadgetry of technology, a lot of research these days tends to be
methodology and gadget-driven rather than problem-driven. So, present day
scientific researches, unlike in the Victorian era, have been extremely boring
enterprises because of the lack of adventures. The early explorers and
scientists like Alfred Russel Wallace, Charles Darwin, and Michael Faraday
might have been much excited after their new finding. Today’s generation of
scientists lacks this excitement.
Technology is, in fact, as helpful
in the development of science as the idea. But a scientist’s individual ability
to perceive a new idea is also equally important. Unfortunately, the field of
scientific research is now dominated by the people who lack curiosity and
innovative idea. They take research as a nine-to-five job.
The writer has chosen neurology for
two reasons: first, he can have the opportunity to do free research in the
field, and, second, he can work on his curiosity through his scientific
research. As others, he has a hope of becoming famous. At the same time, he
gets a lot of fun and can influence others’ thinking through his scientific
research.
II.
Interpretation
This essay might be trying to tell
us that one should be interdisciplinarian and should take research or the
process of acquiring knowledge as a fun. Since learning is a lifelong process,
it should not be taken as an official job. But unfortunately, most of the
modern scientists who have scientific career have lost their natural curiosity
and become technology oriented. As a result, they have lost interest in what
they are doing. Most of them do not want to have any risk or adventure in their
research works. It is also because of the growing culture of sycophancy and
dependence on funded grants. Scientists should come out of this situation and
do research freely as a fun.
III.
Critical Thinking
I appreciate the writer’s idea that
a science researcher must be driven by idea and curiosity for the success in
his research works. One must also take science as a fun and must give up greed
for power and money for the new findings and their excitement. But is it
practical to conduct the scientific research works, as the writer has implied,
in the ancient or the Victorian styles? I don’t think his blame for the modern
scientists of becoming gadget-driven so much justifiable because it’s only
because of the use of modern and sophisticated gadgets or technology that the
scientific research is progressing rapidly day by day. Gadgets were not so
important in the ancient time or in the Victorian era because the scientific
research was in the initial stage in those days. Nowadays, it’s been much more
complicated and covers a very wide scope.
IV.
Assimilation
Now, I know how much passion, hard work,
and enthusiasm one needs to become a scientist.
It’s because of the scientist’s devotion to their work that the human
beings have been advanced and civilized. After reading the essay, I have
started revering the scientists more than before.
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