Culture Of Curiosity Research Articles

Armadillos under the Microscope

In the nineteenth century, an animal from the Americas known as the armadillo offered an extraordinary subject for zoologists engaged in the study of the outer covering of four-limbed vertebrates and its components. The armadillo, a cuirassed living mammal, had excited the curiosity of European naturalists since the early sixteenth century, and their shells had thus become a common sight in collections. The armadillo’s carapace provided a structure that could be scrutinized in order to understand animal materials, one that afforded the use of microscopes and chemistry in the emerging life sciences that tried to understand the relationship between form and function and the chemical composition of animated matter. The carapace of the armadillo moved from the culture of curiosity in which it was first collected into the new field of animal chemistry, a key move that is crucial for historians to understand the emergence of the study of animal materials. Armadillos accompanied the expansion of chemistry, microscopy, and physics as they were used to study the materials that constituted the mammals’ dermal coverings. This paper mines nineteenth-century publications for episodes connected to the long story of the study of this shell’s anatomical and chemical contrivances, and the crucial role it played both in the emergence of new scientific knowledge and in the discovery of new bio-inspired materials still derived from this animal today. This paper is part of a special issue entitled “Making Animal Materials in Time,” edited by Laurence Douny and Lisa Onaga.

Cultural consumption and social identities (a study of the museum’s image through the eyes of visitors)

This article describes the study of the relationship between the practices of cultural consumption and the processes of constructing territorial, professional and other social identities. The studyexplores materials of an empirical sociological study conducted in the summer and autumn of 2022 "The image of the historical and architectural museum" Stroganov's Chambers"in Usolye through the eyes of visitors." The study found that pensioners are more likely to demonstrate a behavior model that fits into the formulas of “status high consumption” and “heritage tourism”, while young people are mainly driven by the values of the “culture of curiosity”, and middle-aged persons feature both motives. The article interprets the results obtained through the theory of social identities and conclude that the motivation for visiting museums and the choice of cultural consumption practices are directly related to the professional, territorial and generational identities of the informants. This conclusion allows us to see new promising formats for working with museum visitors.

РОЗВИТОК ЛЮДСЬКОГО КАПІТАЛУ В КОНТЕКСТІ КУЛЬТУРОЛОГІЧНОГО ФАКТОРА

The communicative function ensures the exchange of knowledge, experience, and ideas thanks to common basic values, understanding of the mission of the organization, and understanding of the importance of one's contribution to its implementation. The article justifies the need to use the culturology factor in the context of human capital development, based on a socio-humanistic management paradigm and value-oriented approach to managing. It is emphasized that, in the system of human capital development, the culturology factor appears in an integrated manner through the cultural functions and implementation of basic cultural elements into the structure of human capital. The article lists the main types of culture related to human capital, in particular: intellectual culture, innovative culture, informational culture, ecological culture, and their relationship. The study indicates that intellectual vectors of culture and human capital intersect due to the values which define the direction for the development of human capital, and at the same time represent the cultural core. The article highlights the presence of value aspect in every component of human capital: educational, health capital, cultural capital, and cognitive capital. It covers the importance of the synthesis of culture and human capital in increasing the level of intellectual potential of Ukraine. The author marks that, in the context of strengthening human capital on an institutional level, the motivational function prompts to increase investments in all components of the human capital, particularly, in the educational component where the foundation for intellectual potential is established. The outlook function is aimed at developing the ability to cognize and gain new knowledge of the regularities in the world, process flows, and deep essences of phenomena thanks to the culture of thinking and the culture of curiosity. The article highlights the special role of communicational function since intellectual interaction is present at all levels and embraces the external and internal environment of the organization. The communicational function ensures the exchange of knowledge, experience, and ideas thanks to common basic values and understanding of the organization's mission. It is concluded that adding a culturological component to the human capital proves the new quality of its development and expansion of the outlook potential, which discovers new opportunities to grow in the era of artificial intelligence.

The Multifaceted Nature of Job Satisfaction among Academic Staff in Public and Private Universities in Tanzania: A Critical Perspective of Counterproductive Behaviours

This study investigated the multifaceted nature of job satisfaction among academic staff in the selected public and private universities in Tanzania. A cross-sectional survey design with mixed research approaches was employed. Probability and non-probability sampling techniques were used to get a total sample of 128 respondents; 84 from public and 44 from private universities. Data were collected by using four scale Likert-type questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussion and documentary review techniques. The study findings indicated varying job satisfaction levels among the academic staff in public and private universities in Tanzania. Despite the same regulatory authority of universities in Tanzania (Tanzania Commission of Universities –TCU), experiences of the academic staff working in universities were different on their work benefits, relationship with their leaders and communication feedbacks. On the other hand, the study revealed existing counterproductive behaviours which are detrimental to the attainment of universities’ core functions of teaching, research and consultancy. In spite their severity, counterproductive behaviours ranging from conflicts, absenteeism, revenge, emotional cruelty, divided loyalty and intention to quit (job exit) were reported as among the main threats to public and private universities in Tanzania. This study suggests that university leadership needs to consider factors such as fairness in promotion, improving work benefits and effective communications among others, to create a friendly organizational culture. It is also recommended that there should be dialogue, through regular academic staff meetings, effective communication, and enough academic freedom to foster a culture of curiosity, autonomy, and trust in public and private universities in Tanzania.

Galileo Reading Qohelet: Seeing the World with “Curiosity’s Eye”

Abstract This essay examines Galileo’s reading of Ecclesiastes 3:11, which he cited in his letter to the Grand Duchess Christina in 1615 at the beginning of his trial for heresy. Why would Galileo have used this text in support of his intellectual inquiry? Three critical components of his intellectual environment are explored: 1) the development of scientific inquiry within the 17th c system of patronage; 2) the culture of curiosity that sustains his intellectual inquiry; and 3) the telescope and the transformation of human imagination.

How curiosity is key to learning

All children are natural intellectuals when they are given opportunities to test their powers of inquiry. Wendy Berliner argues for a new approach in the classroom which embraces a culture of curiosity, fuelling children with a thirst for knowledge that can empower their educational careers.

The hidden perks of grad school.

When I was in grad school, I couldn't wait to get out. The learning curve was distressingly steep, everyone seemed to know more than I did, and I was scraping by at just above the poverty line. That's why, after successfully convincing the university that I could graduate without being a total embarrassment, I was thrilled to take a job with a small nongovernmental organization that provides outdoor environmental education and habitat restoration activities to the local community. Just 1 year in the rat race, however, has given me a new perspective. I'm just far enough removed from graduate school to look back fondly on many of the experiences I had and to truly appreciate some of the lessons I learned. ![Figure][1] ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT NEUBECKER > “I took for granted the fact that I could get my hands on just about any paper.” Easy access to peer-reviewed literature is one of the biggest perks of grad school. Mining this resource was a crucial part of my first semester, when my adviser was on sabbatical and decided (wisely) that I should hold off on beginning my research until she returned. Instead, she gave me a reading list and told me to learn my way around the lab and help the other graduate students with their research so that we could hit the ground running when she got back. This freedom to read and explore was particularly important for me because I was a business major in college and lacked much of the scientific background that the rest of my graduate school cohort had. I was determined to show that I belonged in my program, so I made a goal of reading three papers a day to catch up. By the time my adviser returned, I had read more than 100 papers and gained the knowledge and confidence I needed to design and carry out my master's research. I took for granted the fact that I could get my hands on just about any paper I wanted. If you leave academia, there's a good chance that your access to the literature will be limited. If you have friends who are still in grad school, you can usually trade drinks for PDFs, but it's not as easy as logging on with an institutional subscription. So, if you're in school and you aren't already an avid reader, my advice is to start now. A second privilege of being a graduate student is having the time to read in the first place. I left academia partly because I wanted to work on applying research findings to make a difference in the world. The thing I didn't acknowledge, though, is the basic principle of scarcity (I never said I was a good business major): The more time you spend implementing research, the less time you have to consume and digest new research in your field. These days, I squeeze in most of my reading on evenings and weekends. It's difficult to find time during the workday to read primary literature when you're also responsible for advancing projects with lofty deliverables and tight deadlines, often on a tight budget. In academia, in contrast, many advisers value students who dedicate time to reading the literature. I wish I had more fully appreciated the culture of curiosity that academia fosters while I was part of it. There are many perks to working outside academia, including, in my case, the incredibly rewarding and satisfying opportunity to work on projects that apply scientific knowledge to real-world problems. And there are things about grad school that I'm happy to have left behind: I despised grading papers and resented living in near poverty, and I still fundamentally disagree with the publish-or-perish mentality that drives most academics. But there are also things unique to higher education that are pretty amazing. And although graduate school can seem endless at times, in hindsight, the time between your orientation and your thesis defense will feel like a blur. So, to those of you still in grad school, my advice is to appreciate what you have while you have it because, for better or worse, it won't last forever. [1]: pending:yes

Bridging Research and Practice through the Nursing Research Facilitator Program in British Columbia

As Canadian health systems transform to meet changing needs, grounding nursing practice in evidence remains an essential goal for providing safe, high-quality care. nursing research facilitators (NRFs) are strengthening the use of evidence in nursing practice across the province of British Columbia. NRFs are nurses with a research background, whose work is focused on supporting people within health systems to use and do research in their practice and decision-making. Since this role was established in 2009, NRFs have provided facilitative support to over 50 funded research projects, led numerous workshops and journal clubs, and conducted more than 600 research-related consultations. In this paper, we discuss the role and offer exemplars of creative ways in which NRFs are strengthening nurses' engagement in doing and using research by developing capacity for research and evidence-informed practice, building meaningful partnerships and cultivating a culture of curiosity among nurses and other healthcare providers. We reflect on factors contributing to the success of this role and some of the challenges of integration. The paper concludes with a comment on the strategic value of the role.

From the Curieux to the Collectionneur: Bouvard et Pécuchet and the Modern Culture of Collecting

This essay examines the representation of collecting practices in Bouvard et Pécuchet. It argues that Flaubert's novel enacts a shift from an epistemophilic culture of curiosity, in which the collection of objects was conceived of as a knowledge-producing exercise, to a modern culture of collecting, drained of epistemological significance. The essay thus begins by situating Bouvard et Pécuchet in the context of the emergence of a new culture of collecting in nineteenth-century France, which displaced the pre-Revolutionary culture of curiosity. It then goes on to explore the representation of both geological and historical collecting in the novel, focusing on how the clerks' expectation that collecting will produce useful knowledge is undermined. It then argues that the very form of Bouvard et Pécuchet, in which the two clerks relentlessly seek to accumulate useful knowledge and consistently fail to do so, is informed by the nineteenth-century culture of collecting.

Promoting curiosity through the enhancement of competence

Because of the political and professional expectation that nurses engage in independent lifelong learning, nurses have to be able to teach themselves. Furthermore, their learning needs to be at the correct educational level. A culture of curiosity is therefore a key requirement of modern nursing. This article analyses a theory that cyclically links curiosity to competency and argues that curiosity thrives in an environment that maximizes competency. The nature and dimensions of competency are discussed. The article examines the importance of competence in nursing practice. It discusses what the principles of best practice are in relation to using competency to maximise curiosity in the clinical learning environment.

Open-ended Cases in Agroecology: Farming and Food Systems in the Nordic Region and the US Midwest

Our aim is to describe open-ended case studies for learning real-life problem solving skills, and relate this approach to conventional, closed-ended decision case studies. Teaching methods are open-ended cases in agroecology, an alternative to traditional strategies that lead students through prepared materials and structured discussions to determine an outcome already known to the instructor. Our method promotes a culture of curiosity. Multiple evaluation criteria show how this learning strategy provides students with practice in researching, envisioning and designing potential scenarios for clients in the field. In agroecology case studies, students and instructors are co-learners in a discovery process that includes gathering information from key clients, interviewing major stakeholders, and building an understanding of the current context of the local farming and food systems. Two agroecology courses in Norway, a field course in the US Midwest, and an experimental course in Sweden and Vietnam illustrate this learning strategy. Student evaluations of learning have been highly positive, and skills and methods from courses have been applied in their thesis projects and professional careers. Practical results reveal that students are well prepared for an uncertain, complex, multi-dimensional and dynamic future, have the capacity to develop alternative future scenarios, and have practiced methods to evaluate options based on production, economic, environmental and social criteria and impacts. This innovative strategy is offered as a complement or alternative to conventional decision case studies and evaluated as an approach to experiential learning, an important and effective method for adult learners.

CURIOSITY AND RUBBER IN THE FRENCH ATLANTIC

This article argues that the networks and culture of French Atlantic science played a decisive role in introducing rubber from the Americas to the scholars and engineers of Europe. Though known to the earliest European travellers in Central and South America, rubber aroused no interest among scholars until Charles-Marie de la Condamine encountered it in 1736. Nevertheless, French scientific connections to South America were characterized by their fragility and their limited reach. French scientists were dependent on Hispanic, Creole and indigenous informants for scientific information and for practical assistance to conduct their research. The greatest strength of French science in South America was the prestige it enjoyed in Europe, as local experts saw opportunities to advance their reputations through assisting French investigators. Equally importantly, the high reputation of French science ensured that implausible or unconventional discoveries, such as the unusually elastic properties of rubber, would be greeted with enthusiasm rather than scepticism. French Atlantic science also brought with it a distinctively French version of the prevailing culture of curiosity. Though widely regarded as a vice in the sixteenth century, by 1700 curiosity was widely seen in a more favourable light. Scientific institutions such as the Académie Royale des Sciences created a structure of academic exchange, which protected and encouraged the pursuit of curiosity. Meanwhile the development of an increasingly standardized language of science provided a linguistic framework through which to communicate and contextualize the diverse fruits of curious inquiry. This culture and language of curiosity ensured that bizarre but apparently purposeless foreign discoveries, such as rubber, could be excised from their non-European context and domesticated into European daily life.

Classroom Seismographs and the Challenge of Encouraging a Culture of Scientific Inquiry in K-12 Schools

Curiosity about how the world works, and systematic reasoning to investigate what we are curious about—these lie at the heart of what it means to be a scientist. In our experience with operating seismographs in K–12 schools, we are finding that what it means to be a student (and a teacher) is often very different. While curiosity does seem to be alive and well in the minds of young elementary school children, it is sadly less and less apparent as students progress through the later years of elementary school and beyond ( e.g., National Research Council 2000). Furthermore, we are finding that few K–12 science teachers tend to dwell within a culture of curiosity and scientific investigation. We are thus experiencing a noticeable culture gap when we collaborate with teachers and students on educational seismology projects. Theoretically, seismographs-in-schools projects provide an opportunity for us to encourage curiosity and a culture of inquiry and scientific investigation in K–12 schools and to give young students a full appreciation of the nature of scientific inquiry. But then we hit this culture gap: Often the students do not show evidence of curiosity, nor do the teachers appear able or willing to model and reinforce such curiosity. How then might we promote the development of curiosity and scientific reasoning in K–12 schools? To foster new generations of scientists and scientifically literate citizens will require teachers who are themselves comfortable with inquiry and the open-ended nature of research. And so we face a conundrum, as the teachers with whom we seek to collaborate are themselves products of an educational system that is sorely lacking a culture of curiosity and inquiry. This presents a formidable challenge. In this article, we describe our efforts to encourage a culture of inquiry and scientific investigation in K–12 schools as part of …

Reading travels in the culture of curiosity: Thévenot's collection of voyages

AbstractThis article explores the circulation and use of travel writings within the seventeenth-century "culture of curiosity", focusing on a figure at the heart of this milieu, Melchisédech Thévenot (? 1622–1692), and his edited Relations de divers voyages curieux (1663–1672). The Thévenot case reveals the importance of travel writing for the scholarly community in a period when the modern boundaries between disciplines were not yet formed, and when the nature of geographical knowledge was undergoing radical change. The collection, discussion and publication of the travel collection are shown to be part of the program of Thévenot's experimental "assembly" to investigate the "arts".

Exploring other worlds: Margaret Fox, Elisha Kent Kane, and the antebellum culture of curiosity

Exploring other worlds: Margaret Fox, Elisha Kent Kane, and the antebellum culture of curiosity