Class 10 English Chapter 6 Question Answers - The Making of a Scientist

Class 10 English Chapter "The Making of a Scientist" is a story of a curious child who channels his inquisitiveness into becoming a scientist. Richard Ebright's close relationship with his mother played a crucial role in fostering his interest in science. The story serves as a reminder that with perseverance, dedication, and hard work, any dream can be realized. Let us see some Long Answer Questions of the chapter in this document: 

Q1: ‘Success is failure turned inside out’. Prove the above statement with instances from the journey taken by Richard Ebright from losing at the science fair to winning at the international fair.

Ans: The statement "Success is failure turned inside out" is exemplified in the journey of Richard Ebright, who faced failures but persevered and ultimately succeeded. Although he was a bright student, he experienced setbacks in his pursuit of scientific knowledge. As a seventh-grader, Ebright participated in the County Science Fair, but failed to win a prize with his slides of frog tissues. Instead of giving up, this failure served as motivation for him to try again. In his eighth grade, he participated in the science fair once again, this time with an experiment on viral disease in monarch caterpillars, and won the prize.
The following year, Ebright entered the science fair with an experiment on whether viceroy butterflies mimic monarch butterflies to protect themselves from birds. Although he only received third place in the overall county science fair, he did not let this discourage him. He continued to pursue his passion and conducted experiments regarding the gold spots on monarch caterpillars. Through building a device that demonstrated the spots produced hormones required for full butterfly development, Ebright took third place at the international science and engineering fair. The next year, Ebright's advanced experiments on the monarch pupa earned him first place at the international science fair, solidifying his success. Through his persistence, Ebright proved that success is often the result of learning from failures.

Q2: How does Richard Ebright become a scientist?

Ans: Richard Ebright's path to becoming a scientist began at a young age, thanks to his inherent curiosity and his mother's encouragement. Even in kindergarten, he collected rocks, fossils, coins, and butterflies, demonstrating his interest in the natural world. As he grew older, Ebright's passion for science only intensified. He was given an opportunity to pursue his scientific interests when Dr. Frederick A. Urquhart requested his help in collecting butterflies for research. This experience sparked Ebright's interest in scientific research.
In seventh grade, Ebright entered a county science fair and experienced a significant setback. He realized that real science was not just about creating a neat display, but conducting experiments that provided insight into scientific phenomena. This realization inspired him to work harder on his science projects in school. Ebright's hard work paid off when he won first place at a county fair, which gave him the chance to participate in the international science and engineering fair. While he only won third place at the international fair, this experience further motivated him to pursue his passion for scientific research.
Ebright continued his scientific pursuits in high school and conducted research on the purpose of the spots on a Monarch pupa. This research eventually led him to develop his theory about cell life, which would become a significant contribution to the scientific community. Through his dedication, hard work, and passion for scientific inquiry, Ebright became a renowned scientist. His journey exemplifies the importance of nurturing curiosity, seeking opportunities, persevering through setbacks, and pursuing one's passions to achieve success in scientific pursuits.

Q3: Ebright’s backbone was his mother. How did she contribute to his learning? What kind of work did she find for him even at the dining table? What values did Ebright imbibe from his mother?

Ans: Ebright’s mother played an important role in making him a scientist. She motivated him to learn new things. She took him on trips, bought him telescopes, microscopes, cameras, mounting material and other equipment. Every evening mother and son worked together at the dining table. If Ebright had nothing to do, she would find his work — learning work. He was a keen learner, liked learning and got `A’ grade throughout his schooling.  She also bought him a book, `The Travels of Monarch X’, which opened the world of science to him. Ebright’s mother helped him to become a scientist by sustaining his interest in the scientific field.

Q4: Which book proved to be a turning point in Ebright’s life?

Ans: One day, Ebright’s mother gave him a book. That book was ‘The Travels of Monarch X’. It described to readers were monarch butterflies migrate to Central America. This book fascinated him. At the end of the book, deere invited to help study butterfly migrations. They were asked to tag butterflies for research by Dr. Frederick of Toronto University, Canada. Anyone who found a tagged butterfly was asked to send the tag to Dr. Frederick. Ebright started tagging monarch butterflies. The butterfly collecting season around Reading lasts only six weeks in late summer. He realized that chasing the butterflies one by one won’t enable him to catch many. So he decided to raise a flock of butterflies.

Q5: What experiments did Ebright do about monarch butterflies?

Ans: Ebright wrote to Dr. Frederick for ideas. In reply, the famous scientist gave him many suggestions for experiments. These experiments kept Ebright busy all through high school. He also won many prizes in the county and international science fairs. Ebright tried to find the cause of a viral disease that killed all monarch caterpillars. He thought the disease might be carried by a beetle. He tried raising caterpillars in the presence of beetles. But he didn’t get any real results. But he showed his experiment at the science fair and won. The next year's science fair project was testing the theory that viceroy butterflies imitate monarchs. By copying monarchs, the viceroys escape being eaten by birds. This project was placed first in the zoology division and third overall in the county science fair.

Q6: How did Ebright get the idea for his new theory about cell life? How can this theory be beneficial?

Ans: One day, Ebright was seeing the X-ray photos of the chemical structure of cells. He got the idea for his new theory about cell life. Those photos provided him with the answer to one of biology’s puzzles: how the cell can ‘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. Ebright and his college room-mate James R. Wong drew pictures and constructed plastic models of molecules to show how it could happen. At the Harvard Medical School, Ebright began experimenting to test his theory. If the theory proves correct, it will be a big step towards understanding life processes. It might also lead to new ideas for preventing some types of cancer and other diseases.

Q7:  Give a character sketch of Richard Ebright highlighting his achievements and his added interests. 

Ans: Richard H Ebright was a many-faceted genius. He was a competent scientist, a lovable son, a respecting pupil and above all, a man with varied interests and hobbies. But first and foremost, he was a scientist. His fame stems from his wonderful works and accomplishments in the field of butterflies. By the time he was in the second grade, Ebright collected all twenty-five species of butterflies found around in his hometown. Ebright was a great learner. He learned an important lesson at his first county science fair. He learned that winners do real experiments than making a neat display. 
The book, Travels of Monarch X opened the world of science to the eager young collector. One of his famous projects was based on the theory that viceroy butterflies copied monarch butterflies to escape being eaten by birds. This project was placed first in the zoology division. Later, Ebright showed that the spots on a monarch pupa produced a hormone necessary for the butterfly’s development. He also proved that DNA controls heredity and is the blueprint for life. Richard Ebright was more than a scientist. He found time for other interests and hobbies. He was a champion debater and public speaker. He was a good canoeist and an expert photographer. He had a first-rate mind, competitive spirit and scientific curiosity.

Q8: Describe Richard Ebright’s various achievements in science, particularly his great work on the monarch butterflies. Who did Ebright look to for getting fresh ideas and suggestions?

Ans: Richard Ebright had all the necessary ingredients that are required in the making of a scientist. He had a first-rate mind, was competitive and had the will to win. Above all, he was a great collector and never lost his scientific curiosity. His scientific journey started very early. While he was still in the second grade, he had collected all the species of butterflies found around his hometown. The Travels of Monarch X was the book that changed his life. It opened the world of science to the eager collector. His failure at his first county science fair taught him an important lesson. He learned that winners do real experiments. 
One of the most important projects of Richard Ebright was to prove that viceroy butterflies try to look like monarch butterflies. They do so to avoid being eaten by birds. Ebright also proved that twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa produced a hormone that was necessary for the butterfly’s full development. His other project won first place for zoology at the International Fair. It showed that if cells are fed the hormone from the gold spots, they can develop into normal butterfly wing scales. The crowning achievement of Ebright’s brilliant scientific career was his work on the chemical structure of a hormone. He proved that a cell can read the blueprint of its DNA and thus DNA controls heredity and is the blueprint for life.
Richard Ebright looked to Dr. Urquhat for fresh ideas and suggestions. The book, The Travels of Monarch X, opened the world of science to him. He sent tagged butterflies to Dr. Urquhart for his research works. Dr. Urquhart’s new ideas and suggestions helped Ebright to achieve prizes and honors in the county and International Science Fairs.

Q9: How did The Travels of Monarch X open the world of science to Richard Ebright? Elaborate.

Ans: It is absolutely true that the book called The Travels of Monarch X changed the very course of Ebright’s life. That book explained how monarch butterflies migrated to Central America. Richard Ebright was a passionate and eager collector. By the time he was in the second grade, he had collected all twenty-five species of butterflies found around his hometown. Had he not got The Travels of MonarchX, Richard Ebright’s butterfly collecting would have ended. The book was a children’s book and was gifted to him by his mother. 
At the end of the book, readers were invited to help study butterfly migrations. They were asked to tag butterflies for research by Dr. Urquhart. Soon, Ebright started sending tagged butterflies to Dr. Urquhart of the University of Toronto, Canada. Then, Ebright started raising a flock of butterflies in his basement. For several years his basement was home to thousands of monarch butterflies in different stages of development.
Dr. Urquhart had a dominating influence on Richard Ebright’s life. He made him do elaborate experiments on monarch butterflies. Ebright succeeded in proving that viceroy butterflies copy monarch butterflies to avoid being eaten by birds. He also showed how DNA controls heredity and is the blueprint for life.

Q10: How did Richard Ebright not winning anything at his first County Science Fair motivate him to become a great scientist? What lessons did he learn from his failure there?

Ans: Richard Ebright started the work on butterflies and insects at a very early age. His main work was based on butterflies, particularly monarch butterflies. By the time he was in second grade, he had collected all twenty-five species of butterflies found around his hometown. But he learned the lesson of his life when he was in seventh grade. He got a hint of what real science was. He entered the County Science Fair with a project. His project was slides of frog tissues, which he showed under a microscope. In the fair, he failed miserably. He didn't win anything, whereas everyone else did. It was really a very sad feeling for him. 
From his first county science fair, Ebright came to know what real science was. He also learned a lesson of knowing what makes a winner. He realised his mistakes. He had only made a neat display of frog tissues under a microscope. He realised that winners had tried real experiments. From then onwards, he looked to Dr. Urquhart for new ideas and suggestions. Dr. Urquhart gave him a number of suggestions for experiments. Continuous research and experimentations won him great honors and prizes locally as well as internationally.

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