what did it take to be a successful scientist

Click to edit Master title style,Click to edit Master text styles,Second level,Third level,Fourth level,Fifth level,*,What Does it Take to Be a Successful Scientist?,Prof. William (Bill) J. Lucas,University of California, Davis,IN GENERAL,:,Science involves a,pursuit of knowledge,covering,general principles,or the operations of,fundamental laws,.,WHAT IS SCIENCE?,Any system of knowledge that is concerned with the physical world and its phenomena and that entails unbiased observations and systematic experimentation.,Success,:,D,egree or measure of,succeeding, i.e. a favorable or desired outcome,A,lso:,A,ttainment of wealth, favor, or eminence,S,ucceeding,:,A,ttain a desired end,A SUCCESSFUL SCIENTIST?,“Single most important criterion of success is the impact of a scientists research on the field of endeavor”,Jeri,Brandom, Ph.D. Student UCD,“A DESIRABLE END” WHAT,DOES THIS MEAN FOR A,YOUNG CAREER SCIENTIST?,HOW DO YOU MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS TOWARDS THIS CAREER “GOAL”?,LETS DISCUSS CHARACTERISTICS OR TRAITS LIKELY REQUIRED TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL SCIENTIST,S,Stamina (Courageous, Energetic & Dedicated), Stubborn, Self confident,M,Motivated/Passionate,I,Intelligent, Independent, Insightful /Visionary, Inquisitive, Integrity,L,Love of Learning (for Science & the Global Community), Lucky(!),E,Enthusiastic, Enduring, Explorer,A FEW IMPORTANT TRAITS,Confidence,(Constantly challenging oneself to set goals and to meet them will bring self-confidence),Passion for science,(knowing that this is what you,REALLY,want to do with your life),Mental and physical toughness,(ability to withstand criticism and prejudices, the physical toughness to work hard and meet tough schedules),Open-mindedness,(ability to entertain new possibilities, to bring fresh perspectives to old questions and not be hindered by blind assumptions or dogmas),Critical evaluation,of data,Efficiency and organization,(in ones professional and personal life; ability to discern when to focus and when to spread out),Continued:,TRAIT DEFINITIONS:,A shrewd scientific timing,(ability to discern what scientific questions will become,very important in the near or far future),Communication and persuasion,(ability to communicate clearly and concisely in writing as well as speech; ability to communicate with a wide-ranging audience, from a layperson to a fellow expert in the field; the ability to promote ones project in order to get it funded; ability to build a consensus among people of differing opinions),A sense of social responsibility,(be a leader outside of the scientific community as well),Ability to work with people,(setting up collaborations; relegating responsibilities; maximizing productivity,),Untouchable idealism,(pride in knowing that we work for something much bigger than improving just our individual lives),STANDARDS FOR MEASURING SUCCESS,SOME EXAMPLES,A successful scientist,is one who:,Is a leader in a particular field,Trains and inspires a younger generation of scientists,Engages actively in political and social discourse of the day, especially pertaining to research related controversies in scientific and technical fields,Einstein discovered,light quanta,by pondering experiments on particles discovered only a few years earlier.,Einsteins new,general theory of relativity,predicted that: when a ray of light passes near a massive body, the ray should be bent; e.g., starlight passing near the sun should be deflected by its gravity.,Dear Mother, - Good news today. H.A. Lorentz has wired me that the British expeditions have actually proved the light deflection near the sun.,ALBERT: THE PHYSICIST OF ALL AGES!,How strange is the lot of us mortals! Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people - first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy.,A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.,http:/,www.aip.org/history/einstein,/,E mc,2,=,“I have called this principle, by whicheach slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term,Natural Selection,.”,Charles Darwin from The Origin of Species,Darwin was the first evolutionary biologists, the originator of the,concept of natural selection,. His principal works,The Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection,(1859) and,The Descent of Man,(1871) marked a,new epoch,.,His works were,violently attacked,and,energetically defended.,CHARLES DARWIN: SCIENTIST WITH IMMENSE PERCEPTION!,“Evolution or God, natural selection or divine intervention? Almost 200 years after his birth, the debate over Charles Darwins origin of our species still rages,”,said,Time magazine,in a recent article.,The,Church of England,issued an apology for having misunderstood Darwins work. “,Two hundred years from your birth, the Church of England owes you an apology for misunderstanding you and, by getting our first reaction wrong, encouraging others to misunderstand you still,” it said.,age 7 age 30 age 49 age 55 age 65 age 71,What I see in Nature is a magnificent structure that we can comprehend only very imperfectly, and that must fill a thinking person with a feeling of humility. This is a genuinely religious feeling that has nothing to do with mysticism.,SCIENTISTS SHOULD BE GREAT PHILOSOPHERS,A SUCCESSFUL SCIENTIST MUST BE A CLEAR/CRITICAL THINKER!,Synthesize knowledge,:, see the “big picture”, formulate,insightful,& testable hypotheses, discipline & training to design,pivotal,experiments, ability to,critically,&,impartially,evaluate both your work & that of others,A SUCCESSFUL SCIENTIST MUST BE AN EXCELLENT COMMUNICATOR,THUS: You must develop the WRITING & ORAL capacity for being:, concise, clear, articulate, captivating (uninspired papers & lectures rarely contribute to your success),HOW CAN YOU DEVELOP THESE SKILLS?,Coaching/Mentoring is FUNDAMENTAL to YOUR SUCCESS,Practice makes for perfection!,Set this as YOUR GOAL,“In the HOLE!”,An Example from my Own Training,Select a paper from a top journal,Cut & paste the FIGURES & TABLES into a blank document,Read the MATERIALS & METHODS,Write your OWN RESULTS Section,Compare your version with that of the authors. No Cheating Allowed!,With EXPERIENCE Try the Discussion,Remember: Practice Makes PERFECT,Commonly Asked Question:,“How Do I Get to be a GOOD SPEAKER?”,Follow Some Simple RULES,Prepare your lecture well in advance last minute deals are generally disappointing for you & your colleagues (notes provide a good guideline),Know your subject Builds SELF CONFIDENCE,Practice, practice, practice,Learn to speak clearly (generally requires opening your mouth!),Learn to PROJECT your VOICE,Always ENGAGE your colleagues LOOK DIRECTLY at members of the AUDIENCE,Always convey your EXCITEMENT for the SUBJECT,A: Choosing a Field & Specialty is Very Important, Topic MUST Overlap with Your,Passion, Be Courageous, NOT TIMID!,Be a LEADER, not a FOLLOWER, Self Confidence is a MUST!,Failures Along the Way are to be EXPECTED & Can be a great LEARNING EXPERIENCE,ADVICE is Good, but it is YOUR CAREER!,IMPORTANT DECISIONS AFFECTING YOUR SUCCESS,B: Your Institution can be most Important, Faculty and Infrastructure MUST be Current & Visionary, Breadth of OPPORTUNITIES is critical!,Be AGGRESSIVE & NEVER STOP LEARNING NEW APPROACHES,Collegial Atmosphere is a MUST!,PEERS Become Life-Long COLLEAGUES,Location to GOOD housing & RELAXATION Facilities are a big Bonus,IMPORTANT DECISIONS AFFECTING YOUR SUCCESS,C: Your Work Must be PUBLISHED in the RIGHT Journal(s),How Do YOU PLAN Your PAPER?,When Should You SELECT the JOURNAL?,Be AGGRESSIVE & AIM for the Very BEST, How Can You GUAGE Your IMPACT: i.e., Successful Contribution,YES,or,No,?,Citation Indices: What Can They Tell YOU?,IMPORTANT DECISIONS AFFECTING YOUR SUCCESS,How Do YOU PLAN Your PAPER?, First Things FIRST:,Take TIME to Become an EXPERT on the TOPIC of Interest!, NEXT STEP:,FORMULATE the QUESTION & Develop the Scientific HYPOTHESIS,(Must be TESTABLE!), IMPORTANT STEP:,D,esigning Experiments & Time Lines, CONDUCT A SELF-TEST: Are You READY to WRITE the Introduction for the PAPER (,YES,or,No),?,When To SELECT the JOURNAL?, From The Very BEGINNING:,Take TIME to Become Familiar With the Style of Your TARGET Journal!, ALWAYS AIM For the STARS: Go For the BEST!,How Do YOU DEAL with the REVIEW Process?,TIMING IS VERY IMPORTANT,: But DO NOT Start to Write Before ALMOST ALL of the Results are in a FINAL Form,NEVER Submit a Manuscript if YOU KNOW IT IS NOT YET PERFECT!,ONE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME,