Chapter 6: The Making of a Scientist

Ebright’s entry at a science fair was slides of frog tissues, which he showed under a microscope. He did not win any prize for his display. He understood that to win in such a science competition, it was important for him to conduct real experiments, not simply make a neat display. Thereafter, he started working on various projects and conducted real experiments.

Ebright worked on many projects and conducted experiments. In his eighth-grade project, he tried to find the cause of a viral disease that kills nearly all monarch caterpillars every few years. He assumed that the disease might be carried by a beetle. For the following year’s science fair project, he started testing the viceroy butterflies to show that they copied monarch butterflies. Besides, he also studied bright spots on the monarch pupa and discovered an unknown insect hormone that indirectly led to his new theory on the life of cells and how cells read their DNA.

According to the author, three key ingredients make a scientist – a first-rate mind, curiosity and the will to perform the best and win for the right reasons. Richard Ebright was a bright student, a champion debater, a public speaker, a good canoeist and an all-around outdoors person. He was also an expert photographer, particularly of nature and scientific exhibits. He was a competitive person blessed with a curious mind and had all the necessary qualities to become a successful scientist which finally led him to his theory on the life of cells.