Letters to a Young Scientist: A Response to Brad’s Blog Post:

I’ll have to add this book to my reading list. I thoroughly enjoyed Wilsons 2006 autobiography, Naturalist, as well as several other books by Wilson. I agree with Brad’s comments on communication and I would offer a couple of additional points on this topic. Scientists generally desire to evaluate situations with a cool and objective mind, not wanting to bias their findings with their own emotions or pre-conceived ideas. In reality, this is a worthy goal but not entirely attainable. We are human of course. But more importantly, it may often be critical for a scientists to share their passion for their subject. Naturally, scientific knowledge must be shared with other scientists so that our understanding can be reviewed, critiqued and then multiplied and expanded upon by other scientists. It must also be shared with the general public. One major reason for this is that unless the public can see and appreciate the need for such research, that research will never be funded. As a biologist, that can translate to lack of funding for conservation for the very thing we wish to study, which could ultimately result in the loss of that resource through extinction. Why would any person support conservation funds to save a rare orchid unless they learned to appreciate the beauty and the ecological role of that orchid and the equally rare moth or mosquito (for some orchids) that pollinates it? This too holds true for archaeology, as if the resources are not appreciated for their scientific value and what they can teach us, they will only be valued for whatever monetary value they may offer for looting of archaeological sites. Sharing scientific findings with the public in an understandable and passionate manner is the first step in building a knowledgeable, concerned and supportive constituency.