Goodman, Mason
           Period-6
     4/30/09
  


 Infulenza

    This essay is written with rhetorical strategy by comparing different aspects to scientific research and gathering of information. John Barry uses specific vocabulary and comparison to convey his understanding of scientific research. Barry not only has an understanding of how scientists work but a respect for their knowledge and process of gaining information. Scientists have their own philosophy as well and the way they go about their everyday lives is different. Certainty however, is clearly stated by Barry to be the most important trait a great scientist should have. He also writes that scientists can not only have this but passion and patience as well along with creativity, self sufficiency and courage. The courage aspect comes into play because scientists do have to venture into the unknown to discover new information, so this is where they have to embrace their uncertainty and be confident they will come out successful.
    Along with this scientists according to Barry have to be able to accept that they will fail thousands of times before they get something right which goes back to them having to have extreme patience and confidence. This concept is conveyed in the passage here,” A scientist must accept the fact that all his or her work, even beliefs, may break upon the sharp edge of a laboratory finding”(Barry 14-16). Even though scientists fail sometimes they have to be strong and push through with hopes they discover something amazing. It is this determination to never quit that allows them to strive and always be on the front lines of new discovery. No scientist is not on the frontier according to Barry as well.
    “All real scientists exist on the frontier. Even the least ambitious among them deal with the unknown, if only one step beyond the known”(Barry 23-25).  Barry also explains that the best of them move into the unknown where nearly nothing is known. Tools that might be needed to find discoveries Barry explains, might not even exist yet. That is the true essence of being a scientist on the front lines of discovery and being on the true frontier. Timeless hours examining everything is also important and recording everything that is going on. Attention to detail is very essential. Knowing how to take baby steps and what tools might be able to be used are also important.
    Barry uses the example of cutting through a rock with a shovel or with dynamite. Or would the stream running nearby have more information about the rock than itself? Scientists do not get enough credit for the hard time and work they put in. If it were not for the sciences in general human civilization would not exist. The first women that planted seeds in the ground were experimenting with the natural world. They themselves where on the front line of it all. Stepping into the unknown in hopes that a positive outcome will succumb. Barry is comfortable saying several times in the essay that the less the scientist knows about the topic the more likely the results can be manipulated by the scientist and the answer found. Other scientists he argues that are not creative just know where to look to find things. They do not have the confidence or drive to discover new ideas or concepts. Scientists will lead us to the future that is definite, and hopefully in the right direction.