The Making of a Scientist

Summary

The Making of a Scientist’ is the story of a scientist named Ebright H Ebright. It is an interesting study of how Ebright became a scientist. After the early death of his father, Ebright was everything for his mother. He used to get top grades in schools. When he was just in the second standard, he had already collected 25 species of butterflies found around his hometown. The book ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ gave him a thorough knowledge about the monarch butterflies. In the second year of his high school, Ebright began to search an unknown hormone in the gold spots of butterflies. In later years, he discovered how a cell could read the blueprint of its DNA.

Comprehension Questions 

Answer the following questions in 30-40 words: 

1. Ebright became a collector at an early age. How? 

Ebright was the only child of his parents. He had no company at home to play with. So, he started collecting things in his spare time. He would collect coins, fossils, rocks and butterflies as a hobby. 

2. How did Ebright’s mother help him in becoming a scientist? 

Ebright’s mother made Ebright the center of her life. She would buy microscopes, telescopes and books for him. She arranged trips for him and would also prepare difficult tasks for him. This helped him to learn a lot. 

3. How did ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ prove a turning point in his life? 

Ebright was bored with collecting butterflies. At this time, his mother got the book ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ for him. After reading the book, he studied the migration of butterflies and it opened the world of science to him. 

4. Mention any two of Ebright’s contributions to the world of science. 

Ebright discovered a hormone that was necessary for the growth of a butterfly. His other important contribution proved to be his study of how cells read their DNA. 

5. In addition to science, what were the other interests of Ebright? 

A part from science, Ebright was a good debater and a public speaker as well as a canoeist and an all-round a outdoors person. He loved photography as well. 

6. Mr. Weiherer pays a glowing tribute to Ebright. What did he say? 

Mr. Weiherer was Ebright’s social studies teacher. He praised him for his brilliant mind, his curiosity and a will to win for the right reason. He also admired Ebright for his spirit to do his very best all the time. 

7. Hobbies play a very important role in one’s life; elaborate this with reference to ‚The Making of a Scientist‛. 

Ebright started collecting butterflies as a hobby. This led him to research and discovers many things about butterflies. Hence, hobbies play an important role in one’s life. 

8. What were the factors which contributed in making Ebright a scientist? 

Three qualities of Ebright which contributed in helping him to become a scientist were a first rate mind, a sense of curiosity and a will to win for the right reason. 

9. Which project did Albright submit in his eighth grade? Why did he win? 

Ebright undertook the project to find the cause of a viral fever that had killed thousands of butterflies. He thought that a beetle might carry the virus although he was not able to prove it. However, he went ahead and showed his experiments, thus winning the competition. 

10. Who were the important people in Ebright’s life? Why? 

Ebright’s mother who encouraged him as a child and Dr. Frederick A. Urquhart O. had inspired him to study about butterflies. Also, Ridded A Weathered, Ebright’s Social Studies teacher opened his mind to new ideas and praised him for his handwork and indomitable spirit. 

11. Which project of Ebright won first prize in the county science fair? 

Ebright with his scientist friend first built a device that showed that the tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa were producing a hormone necessary for the butterfly’s full development. This project won the first prize in the county science fair and third prize in zoology in the International science fair. 

12. How can Albright’s theory of cell life be a revolution in the medical field if it is proved correct?

Ebright identified the chemical structure of the gold spot hormone and found cells can read the blueprint of its DNA. To further test his theory, he began doing experiments’ if it proves correct it will be a big step towards understanding the process of life. It might lead to new ideas for preventing some types of cancer and diseases. 

13. To which field of science has Ebright contributed? 

Ebright is one of the leading scientists. He had been interested in science since he was a child. He has contributed significantly to Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Answer the following questions in 100-120 words:

1. Ebright displayed a well-rounded personality. Do you agree?  Elucidate in the context of the given text.

Ebright’s genius was obvious by the time he was in his second grade. He managed to collect all twenty-five species of butterflies around his hometown and classify them. He also loved to collect coins, fossils and rocks. Science was not his only passion. He was an active member of his school’s oratory club and model United Nations club and was an effective debater and a public speaker. He loved photography as well. He was an enthusiastic canoeist and an all-round outdoors person. Learning was easy for him. So he found it simple to devote time and energy to many other interests. He became a champion in whatever he did. He believed in the spirit of competition to win. But, he did not wish to defeat others just to win. He wanted to win to do his best. Thus, he displayed a well-rounded personality.

2. Dr. Urquhart contributed significantly to Ebright’s growth as a scientist. Explain.
Ebright had become bored with collecting butterflies. His mother got him a book on the migration of butterflies. Ebright came in contact with Dr. Urquhart through the book. Dr. Urquhart directed him to study the migration pattern of butterflies. When he did not win any prize in the science fair in seventh grade, he again wrote to Dr. Urquhart to guide him. The scientist gave him many suggestions for new experiments. Ebright performed these experiments throughout his high school and won many prizes. Later, he worked on why bright spots are found on a monarch pupa, motivated by Dr. Urquhart. It led to the discovery of a new hormone. The discovery of this new hormone further led to an important theory. The theory was about how cells read their DNA. In this way Dr. Urquhart proved to be his true mentor.

3. What are the values required to become a successful scientist like Ebright? Elaborate with reference to the lesson ‘The Making of a Scientist’. 

Curiosity to know more and a motivation to find reasons for the existence of anything or any phenomena are necessary for becoming a successful scientist. The urge to know more develops the scientific aptitude in a person. At a very young age, Ebright became competitive by participating in various county fairs. He never lost hope and kept on trying to do better. In addition to curiosity and motivation, Ebright displayed the qualities of hard work, sincerity, determination and patience. He also accepted failure and success in the right spirit. Thus, he became a successful scientist.

4. How did Ebright become a scientist?
Ebright had been a curious child even when he was in kindergarten. His curiosity prompted him to collect rocks, fossils, coins and butterflies. His mother got him all that he needed to develop his scientific bent of mind. His response to Dr. Fredrick A. Urquhart to collect butterflies for his research gave him an opportunity in his endeavours. Then in the seventh grade, he got a hint of what real science is when he entered a country science fair and lost. He realized that winners had tried to do real experiments, not simply make a neat display. Thereafter, Ebright worked sincerely on every science project he got every year in school. Then, he stood first in a county fair that gave him entry into international science and engineering fair where he won third place. He then went on to win the highest honours and graduated from Harvard. His high school research into the purpose of the spots on a monarch pupa eventually led him to his theory about cell life. Thus, he became a renowned scientist.

5. How did Ebright discover an unknown insect hormone?
In his second year in high school, Ebright’s research led to his discovery of an unknown insect hormone. Indirectly, it led to his new theory on the life of cells. He tried to answer a very simple question. What is the purpose of the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa? To prove Ebright and one other student built a device that showed that the spots were producing a hormone. It was necessary for the butterfly’s full development. This project won Ebright first place in the county fair and entry into the International Science and Engineering Fair. There he won third place for zoology.

6. How did Ebright get the idea for his new theory about cell life? How can this theory be beneficial?

One day, Ebright was seeing the X-ray photos of the chemical structure of cells. He got the idea for his new theory about cell life. Those photos provided him with the answer to one of biology’s puzzles: how the cell can ‘read’ the blueprint of its DNA. DNA is the substance in the nucleus of a cell that controls heredity. It is the blueprint for life. Ebright and his college room-mate James R. Wong drew pictures and constructed plastic models of molecules to show how it could happen. At the Harvard Medical School, Ebright began experimenting to test his theory. If the theory proves correct, it will be a big step towards understanding life processes. It might also lead to new ideas for preventing some types of cancer and other diseases.

7. How did The Travels of Monarch X open the world of science to Ebright? Elaborate.
It is absolutely true that the book called The Travels of Monarch X changed the very course of Ebright’s life. That book told how monarch butterflies migrated to Central America. Ebright was a passionate and eager collector. By the time he was in the second grade, he had collected all twenty-five species of butterflies found around his hometown. Had he not got The Travels of Monarch X, Ebright’s butterfly collecting would have ended. The book was a chilDr.en’s book and was gifted to him by his mother. At the end of the book, readers were invited to help study butterfly migrations. They were asked to tag butterflies for research to Dr. Urquhart. Soon, Ebright started sending tagged butterflies to Dr. Urquhart of the University of Toronto, Canada. Then, Ebright started raising a flock of butterflies in his basement. For several years his basement was home to thousands of monarch butterflies in different stages of development.

Questions from the text book. 

Thinking about the Text 

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

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 Ebright. He began to raise Monarch butterflies in the basement of his home, and study them in a different stage of their development.

2. How did his mother help him? 

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 equipment, 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.

Practice Question

Q1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. 

(a) So he wrote to Dr. Urquhart for ideas and back came a stack of suggestions for experiments. Those kept Ebright busy all through high school and led to prize projects in the county and international science fairs. 

i. Why did Ebright write to Dr. Urquhart?
a. to know more about butterflies
b. to appreciate his book
c. to ask for ideas for experiments
d. for career guidance in the field of science 

ii. What happened when Ebright wrote to Dr. Urquhart?
a. Dr. Urquhart responded back with suggestions for experiments.
b. Dr. Urquhart gave him a free copy of his new book.
c. Dr. Urquhart did not respond back to Ebright.
d. Dr. Urquhart invited him to study the migration of monarch butterflies. 

iii. To which field of science has Ebright contributed?
a. Biochemistry and Entomology
b. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
c. Biochemistry and Biotechnology
d. Biochemistry and Zoology 

iv. Find a word from the passage which means the same as ‘a pile of something.’
a. busy
b. ideas
c. pile
d. county

(b) The theory was that viceroys look like monarchs because monarchs don’t taste good to birds. Viceroys, on the other hand, do taste good to birds. So the more they look like monarchs, the less likely they are to become a bird’s dinner. 

i. What did Ebright learn from his failure at the county science fair?

a. One has to read a lot of General Science books.
b. One has to do real experiments.
c. One has to copy the existing experiments.
d. One has to make a neat display. 

ii. Why are Viceroy Butterflies less likely to become a bird’s dinner if they copy the monarchs?

a. Because Monarchs look beautiful.
b. Because Viceroy Butterflies want to attract birds.
c. Because Monarchs apparently do not taste good to birds.
d. Because it is the Viceroy Butterflies’ characteristic to copy other insects. 

iii. What was the objective of Ebright’s science fair project?
a. to see whether birds would eat monarchs
b. to see whether eating monarchs was poisonous
c. to see whether birds wouldn’t eat monarchs
d. to see whether eating monarchs was non poisonous 

iv. Find a word from the extract which means the same as ‘a set of ideas to explain something.’

a. monarch
b. theory
c. viceroy
d. likely

Q2. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each. 

(a) What was Ebright’s rare achievement at the age of twenty-two? 

At the age of twenty-two, Ebright wrote an article with his friend about a theory of how cells work. The article was published in the scientific journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.’ No one had this achievement at such a young age before him. 

(b) Why did Ebright lose interest in tagging butterflies? 

Ebright raised thousands of butterflies, tagged them and released them to study their migration. But soon, he lost interest because only two of his tagged butterflies were returned to him and they had travelled only seventy-five miles. 

(c) Why was Ebright’s project on the purpose of the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa valuable? 

Ebright’s project on the purpose of the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa valuable had a huge impact. First, he discovered a hormone that was necessary for the growth of the pupa. Secondly, he got a chance to work at a famous laboratory. 

(d) Why do viceroy butterflies copy the monarch butterflies? 

Birds eat viceroy butterflies because they taste good to them, whereas monarch butterflies do not taste good to the birds. So the viceroys try to copy the monarchs to protect themselves from the birds.

Q3. Answer the following questions in in 100 -120 words.

(a) Discuss the role of Ebright’s mother in making him a scientist.
Ebright’s mother played a huge role in making him a great scientist. She would take him on trips to encourage learning. She would buy him all kinds of microscopes, telescopes and other equipment. After dinner, she gave him problems to solve. This helped Ebright to learn a lot. She was his only companion for a long time. It was his mother who got him the book ‘The Travels of Monarch X’. This book opened the world of science for Ebright. She also wrote to Dr. Urquhart to guide her son. The scientist helped Ebright and guided him. Thus, his mother actually shaped him into an extraordinary scientist. 

(b) Ebright’s study of monarch pupas had a far reaching impact. Elaborate.
For a long time the scientific community had regarded the bright spots on a monarch pupa as purely ornamental. But Dr. Urquhart did not believe it. Nor did Ebright. He started his experiments on the monarch pupa. He built a device with the help of a friend. This led to the discovery of a hormone. Ebright proved that the hormone was necessary for the growth of the butterfly. This discovery got him many honours. Also, it led to another important study. He began working on how cells read their DNA. DNA is the carrier of heredity and is called the blueprint of life. His theory could find answers to many cancers and diseases.