Do you feel as though you just HAVE to learn everything there is about science in order to be a good biologist/chemist/physicist/whatever? Sometimes I feel that way and I am trying to learn as much as I can by reading extra books in addition to my my Biology and Chemistry textbooks. I will never know everything, and will most likely go the rest of my life knowing relatively little about physics and advanced mathematics. Do you feel as though you must know everything?
It would be great to know everything, but in science today it just isn't possible. There's much more scientific information out there than any single person could ever hope to know. If you get good at just a tiny fraction of it, you're doing well. For example, I am a physicist. I need to know a fair bit of maths to do what I do. I also know some chemistry and biology, though they are usually irrelevant. Some science I have learnt just because I'm interested. Everything I know about evolution and genetics, for example, I have learnt just because I want to know, not because it will help my career in any way (though you never know). My personal intellectual ambition is try to be a "renaissance man" - one who knows a little about all kinds of things and who is very good at a few things. That's the best one can hope to do, I think.
I have spent years trying to get myself to become a "renassiance man," but I have just started. I'm just lazy, but the rm is the ideal person who I would like to be.
How to be a good scientist no...you don't have to keep up to date. Scientific literature is just a small aspect of science. what is important to be a good scientist? 1. you need creativity (to think about your subject and create experiments, and if they fail, to create wild speculations). Reading sometimes help the creative process. Sometimes it is better not to have read anything, since it just hinders you to think of something original. 2. you need communication skills: it is nice to do some experiments, but if you can't 'communicate' your work to your audience (your peers) then it is all pointless. This means you have to be a good: 2a. writer: writing good publications is a good way to communicate your results. 2b speaker: you have to present your results to your peers at conferences. People tend to take you less seriously if you appear to be an unprofessional speaker, or don't even try to be enthusiastic about your own work. 3. it is always nice to have some social skills so that you can work on a personal network. This will facilitate your career.
this is what happens when you go to grad school. You learn a lot, about a very small topic. I try to keep up with everything from neuroscience, cognitive science and other related things. It's a lot of stuff and difficult to do, but i believe it's important to have some idea of scientific ideas from other perspectives. oh and that social skills thing can work for you big time. it's a point that sometimes gets lost.
surely, i know i will never know everything there is to know about science and all its upcoming major advancements, i just don't have that kind of time. i am satisfied with the amount i know know, and, with keeping up on reading of major science magazines. that will suffice me for right now. i guess you could say i am my own teacher now.
says you!!!Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
