Letters to a Young Scientist by E.O. Wilson

Abstract

 2013 Children, Youth and Environments Children, Youth and Environments 23(3), 2013 Letters to a Young Scientist E.O. Wilson (2013). New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 256 pages. $21.95 USD (hardback). ISBN-10: 0871403773 E.O. Wilson is one of the world’s premier field biologists and advocates for biodiversity. Having read and been inspired by many of Wilson’s previous works, I was eager to read this book. I realized part way through that I was hoping for a series of letters to a much younger reader than this book is intended: a reader like my 7-year-old son, who is bursting with keen observations and a passion for the natural world, as well as an inventive and curious mind that is ready for adventure. While Wilson does sketch out basic character traits of early scientists just like my son—observational skills, passion for one’s subject, early and unstructured observations with nature, and even daydreaming—this is a relatively minor component of the book. This book is a collection of letters and essays about Wilson’s perspective on a career in science, addressed to potential scientists or those just beginning their careers. Some letters focus on the need for connecting with other disciplines, including traditional sciences as well as the social sciences, humanities, and creative arts. Another letter discusses the application and relationship of mathematics to science. He provides a hopeful message that some scientists—such as himself—who are dedicated to discovery and field science, use math less often and differently than those who build large-scale theories. Still other letters chart out some of the adventures in the search for discovery of new life that he himself has had and that are still needed in a variety of domains. Throughout the book he makes the plea that we need scientists more than ever. Yet, I think the book is largely written for other scientists like himself, who have been through the trenches and enjoyed the journey, more than for young people considering careers in science today. While Wilson makes the case that we need scientists now more than ever, he also makes the scientific world feel an exclusive and specialized place. Some of the included letters describe the basic skills and types of thinking needed to make a career in science. He describes a life of hard work, long hours, and no vacations. While many professions fit this description, the book made me wonder at what point science as a profession will adapt to make room for people who do not fit this mold, or for people who want to spend time with their family in a more balanced way. We need to create room for more diversity in what the profession looks like, so that it can work for the many types of minds required for the future. Book Review: Letters to a Young Scientist 202 Research in science education has documented a declining interest in science professions in the last thirty to forty years (Osborne, Simon and Collins 2010). Wilson himself attributes his aspiration for science to his time spent outside in the fields of his home rather than in school. In studies of young people’s attitudes toward science, researchers have found that students’ attitudes are generally positive until about age 11, when they enter middle and high school (Osborne, Simon and Collins 2010). Wilson persevered despite his schooling because of his early days of exploration and an important mentor in biology from Harvard. However the vast majority of others do not have access to such experiences or mentors, and their attitudes reflect a notion of science that is neither interesting nor easy for the general public. Masnick and colleagues (2010) found that students considered scientific careers to be less creative and less people-oriented than other professions, which led to students’ comparably low interest in science professions. Wilson’s letters do little to convince young readers that this is not the case. In fact, Wilson suggests that most scientists are introverted and conduct much of their best work alone rather than in collaboration. While Wilson advocates the need for crosspollination with more creative arts, he does not show...