GSEB Class 10 English Solutions Chapter 6 The Making of a Scientist

Question 1. How did a book become a turning point in Richard Ebright's life?
Answer: Ebright truly enjoyed gathering butterflies, and by the time he reached the second grade, he had successfully collected all twenty-five species found near his hometown. This activity would probably have marked the end of his butterfly collection, but his mother gave him a children's book called "The Travels of Monarch X." This book discussed how monarch butterflies migrate to Central America, which sparked his deeper interest. The book invited readers to help study butterfly migrations and actively take part in tagging butterflies for research being conducted by Dr. Frederick A. Urquhart. Ebright then started raising an entire group of butterflies in his home's basement. In this way, the book managed to keep his excitement for studying butterflies alive for several years and introduced him to the wider world of science, ensuring he never lost his scientific curiosity.

Exam Tip: For narrative questions, make sure to explain the sequence of events and the specific influence of the book in shaping Ebright's future scientific pursuits.

Question 2. How did his mother help him?
Answer: His mother greatly supported his interest in learning. She took him on various trips, purchased telescopes, microscopes, cameras, mounting supplies, and other equipment for him. She also assisted him in numerous other ways. When he had no activities, she would find tasks for him, not physical labor, but things that helped him learn. His mother also gave him a children's book titled "The Travels of Monarch X," which detailed how monarch butterflies journey to Central America. This book introduced the enthusiastic young collector to the world of science and turned into a major change in his life.

Exam Tip: Highlight the mother's multifaceted support, including both material resources and intellectual encouragement, as key to Ebright's development.

Read And Find Out (Textbook Page No. 34)

Question 1. What lesson does Ebright learn when he does not win anything at a science fair?
Answer: Ebright understands that merely showcasing something does not constitute real science. To achieve success at a science fair, he will need to conduct genuine experiments.

Exam Tip: Focus on the shift from mere display to actual experimentation as a critical learning point for any aspiring scientist.

Question 2. What experiments and projects does he then undertake?
Answer: For his eighth-grade project, Ebright attempted to discover the cause of a viral illness that killed nearly all monarch caterpillars every few years. He believed the disease might be transmitted by a beetle, so he tried to raise caterpillars alongside beetles, but he didn't get any conclusive findings. The following year, his science fair project involved testing the theory that viceroy butterflies mimic monarchs. This theory suggested that viceroys resemble monarchs because birds dislike the taste of monarchs, while viceroys actually taste good to birds. Therefore, the more viceroys look like monarchs, the less likely they are to become a bird's meal. Ebright's project aimed to determine if birds would truly eat monarchs.

Exam Tip: When describing projects, clearly state the hypothesis, the experimental design, and the key findings or insights gained.

Question 3. What are the qualities that go into the making of a scientist?
Answer: The qualities needed to become a scientist include having a top-notch mind, strong curiosity, and a desire to win for valid reasons. Apart from driving curiosity, it also demands a bright intellect. One should be competitive, not just to win prizes, but because one aims to perform the best job possible. For the right motivations, a scientist must consistently strive for excellence.

Exam Tip: Remember to list both inherent traits (like a good mind and curiosity) and learned attitudes (like competitiveness for excellence) that contribute to scientific success.

Think About It

Question 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: Just reading many books on a subject is not enough. One must develop the ability to observe and think critically. Experiments also need to be conducted. A person needs to possess curiosity to explore and discover new things. Most importantly, one must work diligently and not become disheartened by setbacks.

Exam Tip: Emphasize that practical application, critical thinking, and resilience are just as important as theoretical knowledge in scientific and academic pursuits.

Question 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: DNA holds the blueprint for life and heredity, passing genetic information from one generation to the next. If I had the chance to work like Richard Ebright, I would choose to focus on studying various diseases. By examining DNA, we might find methods and ways to treat many illnesses effectively.

Exam Tip: Connect Ebright's work on cellular mechanisms to broader scientific fields like genetics or medicine, and articulate a clear personal interest with a justified reason.

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 Professor. Yash Pal and IDR Rahul Pal as reported in their book, Discovered Questions. (1) What is DNA fingerprinting? What ate its uses? (2) How do honey bees identify their own honeycombs? (3) Why does rainfall in drops? Can you answer these questions? You will find Professor. Yash Pal's and Dr Rahul's answers (as given in Discovered Questions) on Page 75.
Answer:
1. DNA fingerprinting is a scientific method employed to identify people through the specific features of their DNA. It is commonly used in parentage testing and criminal investigations to pinpoint an individual or place them at a crime scene.
2. Honey bees possess unique signaling chemicals. They leave scent trails for other honey bees so these can locate their honeycomb.
3. The only solid substances in the air are small dust particles. Water vapor uses these particles as a point of attraction, and when it becomes too heavy, the water vapor condenses into a drop around the dust particle and then falls to Earth as rain.
In simple words: DNA fingerprinting uses unique DNA patterns to identify individuals in family or crime cases. Honey bees use chemical trails to guide others to their honeycomb. Rain forms when water vapor gathers around dust particles in the air, creating drops that fall.

Exam Tip: For multi-part questions, ensure each sub-question is answered distinctly and accurately. Use clear, concise language for scientific explanations.

The Making of a Scientist Summary In English

The Making of a Scientist Summary:

Richard H. Ebright published a theory about how cells function in an article in the 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Science' when he was twenty-two years old. Richard H. Ebright grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania. There, he wasn't able to participate in many activities. He couldn't play football or baseball either. But he mentioned that he could do one thing – gather things. So, he collected many items. In Kindergarten, Ebright collected butterflies. He also gathered rocks, fossils, and coins. He would also observe the night sky. He lived with his mother, who strongly encouraged his interest in learning. She took him on trips, purchased a telescope, microscope, cameras, mounting supplies, and other materials required for learning.

He lost his father when he was in third grade. His mother would call him Richie. His mother would talk with him every night and give him mental exercises instead of physical activity because he wanted to learn. By the time he was in second grade, Ebright had collected all twenty-five species of butterflies found around his hometown. Richard stated that this would likely have been the end of his butterfly collection. But his mother gave him a children's book called “The Travels of Monarch X.” That book, which described how monarch butterflies migrate to Central America, opened the world of science for Richard. At the conclusion of the book, readers were invited to help study butterfly migration. They were asked to tag butterflies for research by Dr. Frederick A. Urquhart of the University of Toronto, Canada. Anyone who found a tagged butterfly was asked to send the tag to Dr. Urquhart. If you tried to catch them one by one, you wouldn't catch many. So Richard raised a group of butterflies.

He would catch a female monarch, obtain her eggs, and raise them in his basement through their full life cycle, from egg to caterpillar to pupa to adult butterfly. Then he would tag the butterflies' wings and release them. For several years, his basement was home to thousands of monarchs at various stages of development. He received a hint of what true science involves when he participated in a county science fair and did not win. He explained that it was a sad feeling to sit there and not receive anything while everyone else had won something. His entry consisted of slides of frog tissues, which he displayed under a microscope. He realized that winners had tried to conduct real experiments. So, he decided that for the next year, he had to do something more remarkable than others. He asked Dr. Urquhart for suggestions, and he received many ideas. For his eighth-grade project, Ebright attempted to find the cause of a viral disease that killed nearly all monarch caterpillars every few years. Ebright thought the disease might be carried by a beetle. So he raised caterpillars in the presence of beetles. However, he didn't get any definite results. But he proceeded and showed that he had conducted the experiment. The following year, his science fair project involved testing the theory that viceroy butterflies imitate monarchs. The theory was that viceroys appear like monarchs because monarchs are unpleasant to birds. Viceroys, conversely, taste good to birds. So, the more they resemble monarchs, the less likely they are to become a bird's meal. Ebright's project aimed to see whether, in reality, birds would eat monarchs. He found that a starling would not eat regular bird food. It would consume all the monarchs it could find. (Ebright mentioned later research by others demonstrated that viceroys probably do mimic the monarch.) This project secured first place in the zoology division and third place overall in the county science fair. In his second year of high school, Richard Ebright started the research that led to his discovery of an unknown insect hormone. Indirectly, it also resulted in his new theory about the life of cells. The simple question he aimed to answer was: What is the purpose of the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa? "Everyone believed the spots were merely decorative," Ebright stated. "But Dr. Urquhart didn't agree." To discover the answer, Ebright and another brilliant science student first had to construct a device that showed the spots were producing a hormone essential for the butterfly's complete development.

This project earned Ebright first place in the county fair and qualified him for the International Science and Engineering Fair. There, he achieved third place for zoology. He also got an opportunity to work during the summer at the entomology laboratory of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. As a high school junior, Richard Ebright continued his advanced experiments on the monarch pupa. That year, his project won first place at the International Science Fair and gave him another opportunity to work in the army laboratory during the summer.

10th Std English Questions And Answers