Scientists are some of the most important pioneers in existence. They boldy delve into the great unknown in an attempt to understand it. It is not an easy task, but nonetheless they keep on moving forward. A scientist seeks knowledge; nothing more. If a scientist desires to comprehend why a certain event occurs, then he or she must form hypotheses. The next step involves performing experiments. John. M. Barry discusses the characteristics of scientific research in The Great Influenza. He understands the complexities associated with such research and writes of the many steps in conducting it. In order to convey his point of view, Barry gives a backdrop for scientific research and then creates a step-by-step account of the scientific process. In the first three paragraphs of the passage, Barry discusses the importance of uncertainty in the life of a scientist and what is required of a person to become a scientist. He starts off by stating, "Certainty creates strength . . . Uncertainty creates weakness." Those two simple sentences provide a foundation for Barry's writing. He shows the challenges that scientists must face everyday. All scientists must "accept-indeed, embrace-uncertainty." Scientists exist for the sole purpose of understanding the unknown. If there were no questions to be made, then they would not be needed. Barry even makes reference to two famous scientists, Claude Bernard and Albert Einstein. This further establishes uncertainty as a key factor in scientific research. Then Barry provides detailed descriptions of the steps a scientist must take in order to carry out scientific research in the next 2 paragraphs. He mentions the fact that "all real scientists exist on the frontier . . . The best among them move deep into a wilderness region where they know almost nothing." The first scientists pioneering a new area of research have no tools to use and no information to incorporate. They must start from scratch and take one step at a time in the hope that they are heading in the right direction. Barry uses the example of a rock to show how much thought must go into the research. "A shovel can pick up dirt but cannot penetrate rock . . . if dynamite would destroy what one is looking for, is there another way of getting information about what the rock holds?" This process can clearly be tedious and exhaustive. The last two paragraphs serve to describe the effects of successful research. Once the first scientist makes the discovery, then it becomes much easier for others to come to the same conclusion. All of the necessary tools will be known and the correct pathway will be as well. It might not always be easy to make an experiment yield a good result, but a scientist must persist. He or she must keep on trying. "Experiments do not simply work." Scientists must find ways to make them work. Some might not yield the results that one desires, but there are others that will. The key is determination; the determination to never give up. John M. Barry writes of the intricacies of scientific research. He understands that uncertainty is a part of everyday life. Although it might be seen as a weakness, it actually is an opportunity to discover something new. Scientists must continually find new ways to learn the truth about some concept. They work through trial and error. Barry describes all of this through the development of a back story and a description of every step a scientist must take in order to perform research. |