Of course most people donot have just one motivation but a combination of several, the weight of each varying from person to person and across time. Those experiences led to a degree (BS and MS) in Physics and a Ph.D. and career in Geophysics. These are all practical questions, but are we losing opportunities to learn more deeply as we carefully avoid asking why and curb and limit the kinds of questions we ask? Other questions are a daily occurrence. Your email address will not be published. To Nye, science isn't just awesome, it offers a way to look at the world. However, many not-so-early-career scientists find themselves drained of any other form of motivation and linger in the corridors of academia stuck in limbo between the unpleasing prospect of a career in science and the fear of hanging the pipettes and searchingfor happiness elsewhere. Foraging behavior links ecological variation to ecological adaptation in the context of this atoms to ecosystems model of biophysically constrained energy-dependent RNA-mediated protein folding chemistry. 1536 visitors saw this today and 1210 signed up. Required fields are marked *. The American physicist Sidney Coleman once said: The career of a young theoretical physicist consists of treating the harmonic oscillator in ever-increasing levels of abstraction. Id love to hear about your experiences of asking questions that carry no judgment. Others (27%) remembered effective mentoring and encouragement from teachers whether in elementary school, graduate school or somewhere in between. What motivates scientists to ask, Why? We stop asking the question "Why?" Interview Question: Why Do You Want To Be an MD-PhD? [CDATA[// >