1. How did Richard Ebright excite the scientific world at the age of twenty two?
Richard Ebright was just twenty-two when he ‘excited’ the scientific world with a new theory. It was on how cells worked. Ebright and his college room- mate explained the theory in an article in the ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Science’. It was the first time that this famous scientific journal had ever published the work of college students.
2.”… There was one thing I could do – collect things,” What did Richard Ebright do in his childhood?
“There wasn’t much I could do there . . . But there was one thing I could do – collect things,” said Richard Ebright. So he did. While still in kindergarten, he started collecting butterflies. But the time he was in the second grade, he had collected all 25 species of butterflies found around his hometown. He also collected rocks, fossils and coins. He sometimes did star-gazing all night.
3. How did Ebright’s mother help him in becoming a scientist?
Ebright’s mother encouraged his interest in learning. She took him for trips. She bought him telescopes, microscopes, cameras, mounting materials and several other equipments. Thus she encouraged him in becoming a scientist.
4. How was Richard Ebright’s mother a source of inspiration and encouragement in his quest for learning?
Richard Ebright was fortunate enough to have a highly helping and encouraging mother. She compensated the early loss of his father. She encouraged his interest in learning. She took him on trips, bought him telescopes, microscopes, cameras, mounting materials and other equipments. She found work for him and helped him in learning things and in many other ways.
5. What book opened the world of science to the eager young collector, Richard Ebright?
Richard Ebright was found of collecting things. By the time he was in the second grade, he had collected all twenty-five species of butterflies found around his hometown. But the book that opened the world of science to the eager young collector was The Travels of Monarch X. It was a children’s book gifted to him by his mother. The book described how monarch butterflies migrated to Central America.
6. Why and where did Richard Ebright send the tagged butterflies?
At the end of the book, The Travels of Monarch X, readers were invited to help study monarch butterflies’ migration. They were asked to tag butterflies for research by Dr Urquhart for his research work.
7. How did Ebright’s basement become a home to thousands of monarch butterflies?
Richard Ebright used to send tagged monarch butterflies to Dr Urquhart for his research work. Chasing butterflies on by one was difficult and he couldn’t catch many. So he decided to raise some of the butterflies in his basement. He would catch a monarch butterfly, take her eggs and raise them. Then, he would tag the butterflies’ wings and let them go. So, his basement became a home to thousands of monarch butterflies.
8. When and how did Richard Ebright get a hint of what real science is?
Richard Ebright was in the seventh grade when he got a hint what real science was. Actually, he entered a county science fair – and lost. He didn’t get anything while everybody else had won. It was a very sad feeling for young Ebright. His entry was slides of frog tissues. He showed them under a microscope. He realised that winners had tried to do real experiments. On the other hand, he failed because he simply made a neat display.
9. Who was Dr Frederick Urquhart? Why did Richard Ebright look to him for fresh ideas?
Dr Frederick A Urquhart was a scientist and teacher in the University of Toronto Canada. He was doing research on butterfly migrations. Ebright sent him many tagged butterflies for his research work. Richard Ebright looked to him for fresh ideas and suggestions. Dr Urquhart sent many suggestions for experiments which helped Richard Ebright in winning many prizes in Country and International Science Fairs.
10. Why do viceroy butterflies copy monarch butterflies? What reasons did Richard Ebright give in this regard?
One of Richard Ebright’s projects was to test the theory that viceroy butterflies copied monarch butterflies. Viceroys looked like monarchs because monarchs didn’t taste good to birds. Viceroy butterflies, on the other hand, tasted good to birds. So, they try to copy and look like them to protect themselves from birds.
11. Were twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa just ornamental? What did Richard Ebright prove in this regard? What honours did this project bring to Richard Ebright?
Many thought that the twelve gold spots on a monarch pupa were just ornamental. But Dr Urquhart didn’t believe it. Richard built a device that showed that the spots were producing a very important hormone. That hormone was necessary for the butterfly’s full development. This project won Ebright first place in the county fair and an entry into the International Science and Engineering Fair.
12. What lesson did Richard Ebright learn when he didn’t win anything at the County Science Fair?
Richard Ebright was in the seventh grade when he sent his first project in the County Science Fair. Everybody else had won something. But he returned empty handed. It was really a sad experience for him. But his loss taught him an important lesson in life. He realised that to be a winner he would have to do real experiments. His project of merely showing slides of frog tissues under a microscope didn’t click. He should have done real experiments and that is what real science is all about.
13. How did Richard Ebright grow cells from a monarch butterflies wing? What did that project win for Ebright?
Richard Ebright continued his journey further. He grew cells from a monarch’s wing in a culture. He showed that cells could divide and develop into normal butterfly wing scales. They must be fed from the hormone received from the gold spots. This project won first place of zoology at the International Fair.
14. How and where did Richard Ebright identify the hormone’s chemical structure?
After his freshman year at Harvard University, Ebright went back to the laboratory of the Department of Agriculture. He did more work on the hormone of the gold spots. Using sophisticated instruments there, he was able to identify the hormone’s chemical structure.
15. How did Richard Ebright give answer to one of the biology’s puzzles-how the cell can read the blueprint of its DNA?
When Richard Ebright saw X-ray photos of the chemical structure of a hormone, he didn’t cry, “Eureka!” He didn’t even say, “I’ve got it!” He was sure that the photos gave him the answer to one of biology’s puzzles. He had found out how the cell could read the blueprint of its DNA. DNA is the substance in the nucleus of a cell that controls heredity. It is the blueprint for life.
16. Richard Ebright was a famous scientist but he had time for other interests too. What were the other interests and hobbies of Ebright?
Richard Ebright journey as a scientist started since he first began collecting butterflies. However, he found time for other interests and hobbies too. He became a champion debater and public speaker. He was a good canoeist. He was also an expert photographer. He excelled in photographer nature and scientific exhibits.
17. Why did Richard Ebright admire his teacher Richard A Weiherer?
Richard Ebright had great respect and admiration for his Social Studies teacher. He was Richard’s adviser to the Debating and Model United Nations Clubs. Richard A Weiherer was the perfect person for Ebright who opened his minds to new ideas.
18. What was Richard A Weiherer’s opinion of his student Richard, Ebright? Or How did Richard A Weiherer, the social studies teacher of Ebright, judge him?
Mr. Richard A Weiherer was Ebright’s Social Studies teacher and adviser. Richard A. Weiherer described Ebright a man of varied interests. Ebright put in 3 to 4 hours at night doing debate research with butterflies and his other interests. Ebright was competitive and wanted to be the best.
19. Did Richard Ebright have all the ingredients that are necessary in the making of a scientist? Give a reasoned answer. Or Assess Richard Ebright as a scientist.
Fortunately, Richard Ebright had all the essential ingredients that are necessary in the making of a great scientist. He had a first rate mind and always got first grades in schools. At Harvard, he was second in his class of 1510. He had curiosity of knowing ‘how’ of things. Last but not the least, he was competitive and wanted to be the best. He had the will to win for the right reasons.
20. How did Ebright’s mother help him in becoming a scientist?
It is true that without the support and motivation of his mother, Richard Ebright would not have been a successful scientist. It was his mother who recognised his driving curiosity and bright mind. She always encouraged his interest in learning. She organised trips for him so that he could learn more.
21. How did Richard Ebright’s mother help him?
Richard Ebright’s mother helped him by encouraging his interest in learning. She took him on trips, bought him telescopes, microscopes, cameras, mounting materials and other equipment.
In fact, she was his only companion till he started going to school. At night she did things with him. If he had nothing to do, she found work for him related to learning.
22. Which book did Ebright’s mother get for him? How did it change his life?
Ebright’s mother got a children’s book ‘The Travels of Monarch X’, for him. This book brought about a turning point in Ebright’s life. It inspired him to know how Monarch butterflies migrated to Central America. The book opened the work of science to Ebright. Thus, it changed his life.
23. What lesson did Ebright learn when in the seventh grade he entered a county science fair?
When Ebright was in the seventh grade, he entered a county science fair. But he could not win any prize. He only got a hint of what a real experiment was. However, his competitive spirit encouraged him to do a real experiment.
24. According to Mr. Weiherer, what make Richard Ebright a winner?
According to Mr. Weiherer, Richard was not interested in winning for the sake of winning to get a pize. But he wanted to win because he wanted to be the best.
So, that is one of the ingredients in the making of a scientist. His first rate mind, curostity and iron will made him a winner.
25. What lesson did Ebright learn when he could not win a prize at the science fair?
When Ebright could not win a prize at the science fair, he learnt that he would have to do real experiments in order to win a prize. When he was in the seventh grade, he took part in a county science fair. He showed slides of frog issues in the fair.
26. Why did Richard Ebright raise a flock of butterflies?
Richard Ebright raised a flock of butterflies because it was difficult for him to catch a large number of butterflies for research as the butterfly collecting season lasts for six weeks in late summer.
27. What were the factors which contributed to making Ebright a scientist?
There are some genuine factors that contribute to making Ebright a scientist. First, he had a ‘driving curiosity along with a bright mind’ and zeal to do new ideas. Secondly, his mother’s encouragement and inspiration stood him in good stead to create interest in science. Finally, ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ opened the world of science to Ebright.
28. What lesson did Ebright learn when he did not win anything at a science fair?
When Ebright did not win anything at a science fair, he learnt that he would have to do real experiments to win a prize.
When he was in the seventh grade, he took part in a county science fair, but he lost. There he showed only slides of frog tissues.
29. Mention any two of Ebright’s contributions to the world of science.
In his senior year in the high school, Ebright began to search an unknown hormone in the gold sports of the butterflies. He proved that cells of a monarch would develop into a normal butterfly wing only if they were fed the hormone from the gold spots.
Another contribution of Ebright in the world of science is that he discovered how the cell could read the blue print of its DNA.
30. According to the author, what are the qualities that go into the making of scientist?
The qualities that go into the making of a scientist are: a sense of competitiveness, high curiosity, zeal to create new ideas, never to accept defeat, and mix in the will to win for the right reasons. All these qualities Ebright had in his character. That is here he became a scientist.
31. Why did Richard Ebright give up tagging butterflies?
Richard Ebright gave up tagging butterflies because he gradually lost interest in it. He found it absolutely a tedious work. Moreover, there was not much feedback. He tagged many butterflies but only two of them were captured. In fact, in the book, “The Travels of Monarch, readers were asked by Dr. Frederick to tag butterflies for research.
32. What other interests besides science did Richard Ebright pursue?
Richard Ebright had other interests besides science. To his credit, he became a champion debater and public speaker. He was also a good canoeist and an all-around outdoor person. He was also an expert photographer, particularly of nature and scientific exhibits.