when in 1907 he wanted to leave the patent office and become a university lecturer, he needed to
have an approved inaugural thesis. He submitted his 1905 paper on special relativity to Bern University; the paper was rejected as ‘incomprehensible’ [Hoffmann, 1972].
***
In considering the publication examples above, there are lessons that I accept intellectually but do not fully practice. I have not always published my research results. Nor have I always sold my results successfully. These examples increase my motivation to complete projects by publishing effectively. By revealing familiar personality traits, these examples increase my sense of community with past and present scientists. ***
A Scientist’s Life: Changing Motivations
Career motivations, within science or other professions, are not static. They evolve – sometimes radically. For a significant proportion of scientists, parts of the composite scientific life below may be familiar.
She chose science, or was chosen by it, while she was a child. Through childhood and undergraduate years, her fascination with science was a love of learning how the world works. Books, including textbooks, were the road. ‘Facts’ were collected uncritically and enthusiastically.
Naturalist Edwin Way Teale was six years old when he first experienced, in a patch of forest, the fascination with nature that guided his life. In later years he tried unsuccessfully to refind that patch of forest, but the power of the initial experience remained with him:
“For me, the Lost Woods became a starting point and a symbol. It was a symbol of all the veiled and fascinating secrets of the out-of-doors. It was the starting point of my absorption in the world of Nature. The image of that somber woods returned a thousand times in memory. It aroused in my mind an interest in the ways and the mysteries of the wild world that a lifetime is not too long to satisfy.” [Teale, 1959]
In graduate school, her motivations changed:
“Enough of Science and of Art;
Close up those barren leaves;
Come forth, and bring with you a heart
That watches and receives.”
[Wordsworth, 1798]
After two decades of experiencing science through textbooks, she found a compelling alternative to texts: personal scientific discovery. Second-hand knowledge paled by comparison. The interpretations of others were subjective and required personal evaluation, mainly on scientific grounds. Observation and insight were an intoxicating combination. Competing and being first were part of the game.
In her thirties and forties, being first almost became the game. Recognition brought responsibilities that were essential to science. Time was short: it was more efficient to advance science through administration, management, and the training of students. Students took over the timeconsuming data collection, but her scientific planning, data interpretation, hypothesis generation and
