CHARACTERISTICS OF A CONTEMPORARY SCIENTIST!!!

[Abbas Bubakar El-ta'alu]

DR. ABBAS BUBAKAR EL-TA’ALU
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY,
V.N.KARAZIN KHARKOV NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, UKRAINE.


       
    Philosophically, science is the highest, deepest and absolute form of knowledge. It includes within itself cognitive theories and laws of reality, as well as their explanations. The importance of science in the development of our civilizations continuously rises and it is difficult to overestimate. Scientific discoveries changed and continue to change the world in which human beings live.

                          What others say about science and scientists

                    “One thing I have learned in long life: that all our science, measured against
                   reality, is primitive and childlike… and yet it is the most precious thing we have.”   
                                                                                              ~ Albert Einstein ~
                                                                                                   (1879 - 1955)
                                                              *


               “Descent is the native activity of the scientist and it has got him into a good deal
                 of trouble in the last years. But if that is cut off, what is left will not be a scientist,
                                          and I doubt whether it will be a man.”
                                                                                         ~ Jacob Bronowski ~
                                                                                               (1908 -1974)

                                                                *


                     “Science keeps moving us away from apes. Of course, if one wants to be an ape,
                                   one objects to the movement.”
                                                                                                         ~ Dan Agin ~

                                                                       *



            “Every great scientific truth goes through three stages. First, people say it conflicts
                  with the scripture books. Next they say it had been discovered before. Lastly they
                                     say they always believed it”
                                                                                                ~ Louis Agassiz ~
                                                                                                    (1807 - 1877)
                                                        *



              “There is no national science just as there is no national multiplication table; what is
                                                national is no longer science.”
                                                                                                  ~ Anton Chekhov ~
                                                                                                        (1860 - 1904)
                                                               *



                    “We are a scientific civilization. That means a civilization in which knowledge and
                    its integrity are crucial.. Science is only a Latin word for knowledge is our destiny.”
                                                                                                  ~ Jacob Bronowski ~
                                                                                                       (1908 - 1974)   
                                                                 *
                                                   


            “If you are a scientist you believe that it is good to find out how the world works, that
             It is good to find out what the realities are…It not possible to be a scientist unless you
             believe that the knowledge of the world, and the power which gives, is a thing which
             is of intrinsic value to humanity, and that you are using it to help in the spread of knowledge,
                              and are willing to take the consequences.”     
                                                     
                                                                                                ~ Robert Oppenheimer ~
                                                                                                        (1904 - 1967) 
                                                           *



                          “In any field find the strangest thing and then explore it.”

                                                                                  ~ John Archibald Wheeler ~
                                                                               *

                                                      ****


   A scientist is a person that engages in scientific activities. What are then those qualities that a person must possess in order to become a scientist? We can here talk of:

•   those qualities necessary for carrying out a research and getting a reliable information – results,
•   his moral and ethical characteristics as a person, and 
•   as known, a real scientist normally becomes a leader of a scientific group. So, we can also talk of a
        scientist as a head, as a teacher of young scientists.


         In order for one to engage himself in any scientific activities, there must be love for knowledge; desire to explore reality. These help a scientist overcome difficulties. Apart from these, there must be an independent mode of thinking, so that one adequately values what has been done by predecessors. This quality is as well important when choosing research topics and setting up research objectives that would demand reaching. Independent way of thinking is necessary in defining research methods, and sorting out obtained experimental results.
    To achieve the above mentioned qualities, there must be a mental outlook: the ability to think ahead and analyse; to clearly plan separate steps of one’s research, so that the experiment can be reduplicated by others. One should sufficiently be self-critical in his approaches, so that he objectinely values what he does, listen to remarks and observations, sometimes accept mistakes. In this respect, one should be persistent, hardworking, studious, detail-oriented, intelligent, exacting and patient, so as to defend his points of view and move ahead, irrespective of failures that may come across. One should always be optimistic and not pessimistic, look ahead and believe in success.
   Looking at the moral and ethical sides of a scientist’s personality, I think he must be distinguished by his modesty and honesty. He must respect the opinion of others irrespective of his personal relationships to the opponents. A scientist, in my opinion, must be friendly and attentive to others, as nowadays, a researcher works in the company of others.
   The company in which a scientist works is usually made up of people of different generations. ‘The times of solitary genuis are now a history’. Most important in this our time, is the creation of a scientific school, like the ones of the physicists Lv Landauy and Yoffe, or that of the neurophysiologist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov. In such companies, a head is not only an instructor of the young generation, but also an interesting friend, comrade, and even a brother. Pavlov, for example, had never suppressed the skills odr belittled the efforts of his disciples, never demanded the execution of his ideas, nor insisted on quick experimental results, but helped find out ways of solving scientific problems, developed the independence and creative activities of his yound colleagues.
   I, perhaps described ideal qualities of a modern scientist. Have I ever in my life met with such scientists? Yes, I met some of them in the Faculty of Medicine, Bayero University, Kano. They were always on the more to solve the young medical doctors' problems! 

[Dan-Borno]

nice symposium, ina scientist namu na gida najeriya?
dr. abbas, let use this oppoortunity to welcome you
to kanoonline forum, and from all indication we will
tap from your little reservoir.

here is my questions pls.
can our medical doctors be considered as scientist?
if in the affirmative and from the below definition of
scientist and its qualities vis-a-vis the habits
of our nigerian doctors - what do we call them?

[Abbas Bubakar El-ta'alu]

 Alan Gubro Dan-Barno!!!
                                Before saying anything, although I am not one, I would like to tell you an anecdote about one babarbare (in Hausa language), that was invited (from Maiduguri) to the witnessing of a marriage contract in Kofar Wamban Kano!
                  Bayan daurin aure Mallam Babarbare yayi sallama da dukkan jama'a,
                  ya dauki 'yar jakar sa, ya kama hanya zuwa tashar mota domin komawa
                 gida Maiduguri. A lokacin da ya isa tashar, magariba ta matso, kuma babu
                 mota ko daya zuwa Borno. Lokacin sallar magariba fa yayi, kuma kowa da
                 kowa yayi al'wala. Mutane suka duba suka ga dai Dan Barno ne ya kamata
                 ya ja sallar, domin gashi a babbar riga, ga kuma nadin rawani tum. Aka tada
                 ikama kuma komai yaci gaba kamar dai yanda muka sani.  Anyi ruku 'u ke nan,
                 sai dan Barno yaji ana cewa na Maiduguri mutum daya. Gogan naka,
                 babu cewa Sami Allahu liman hamida, sai yayi charab ya dauki jakarsa,
                 ya zura da gudu domin samun wurin nan guda daya; yabar mutane, wadanda suka
                 ga a'a, minti biyu sun fuce liman baice komai ba. Sai fa kowa ya fara daga kai domin
                 ganin abin dake faruwa. A'a, ina Mallam liman? Sai fa mutane suka fara kallon
                 juna suna dariya....................!!!

          Now, let's go to business!
                                            I am very grateful for the warm 'welcome! Ofcourse, as already mentioned, "Scientists are and not born", if you read my post carefully, you would really answer yourself, medical doctors are scientists, old; absolate methods of disease managements are discarded, and new but reliable ones replace them. Nevertheless, it is only when he or she, due to the love for knowledge, and the desire to explore realities of things or situations (and not the benefits gained), for example, better methods of managing patients, or working out prophylases, medical doctors can engage themselves in scientific activities, in accordance to their line of interest.
          Moreover, as you must have known, 'health is defined as the process of conserving and developing an individual’s biological as well as psychological efficiencies, and optimal social activity under maximum lifespan. It is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO, 1946). Healthy way of life is a pattern or mode of living, which is supported by qualitative and quantitative increases in health conditions. It includes psychosomatic stabilities, such as emotion, mood, stability to stressful situations, motor (motility) activity, rhythm of life, security of life, etc.
          Looking at the above, for a medical doctor to fully offer the best sturf, he or she must explore the all-round efficiencies or realities of his patients. So, my dear, the ball is your court, more greese to your elbows!!!                                            Wassalamu alaikum!

[Dan-Borno]

El-ta'alu ka shiga hankalinka fa, fulani ba sa'an barebari bane 
kuma in kanaso, we can start a whole thread exposing the
wautancin fulani around the globe. however, i dont want to
divert the attention of this important thread.

Since we are talking about scientist, how do we train our youngsters
especially those at the secondary school level where upto their time
of writing WAEC/NECO have not been able to see or come across a
Laboratory.  Does this affect their learning ability at the UNiversity
and further, their ambition of being scientist - what are the possible
implications of being a scientist without adequate foundation?

ka bani amsa a da turanci mai sauki ka san ni yaki da jahilci ne nayi.
bani son irin manyan turancin nan naku na manyan malamai.

[Abbas Bubakar El-ta'alu]

Well, as there have been many progresses in our system of education, alot of set-backs and hany-fanky things are still disturbing this one aspect of our life. Nevertheless, "once there is life, there would always be hope". These infact do affect one's latter progress, but you should know that, despite the fact that the above mentioned factors play a very crucial role latter in the university; at the same time, many people had been in the last positions in the secondary examinations, but, their learning ability at the university
and further changes. I think, the more we all the same try to furnish and boost our chidren's primary education, the more brighter it would be for our future scientists.implications of being a scientist without adequate foundation?