Advice To A Young Scientist by P. B. Medawar (PDF)

Description

To those interested in a life in science, Sir Peter Medawar, Nobel laureate, deflates the myths of invincibility, superiority, and genius; instead, he demonstrates it is common sense and an inquiring mind that are essential to the scientist’s calling. He deflates the myths surrounding scientists — invincibility, superiority, and genius; instead, he argues that it is common sense and an inquiring mind that are essential to the makeup of a scientist. He delivers many wry observations on how to choose a research topic, how to get along wih collaborators and older scientists and administrators, how (and how not) to present a scientific paper, and how to cope with culturally “superior” specialists in the arts and humanities.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐I had the pleasure of hearing Sir Peter speak at a Nobel Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College years ago. His voice was difficult to understand because he had had at least one stroke by then, but I was smitten by his message. I then set about to read his books. A friend of Karl Popper, he shared many of the same philosophical views, one of which was that there was no such think as the Scientific Method. He was also an atheist, and his views on religion permeated his works. I particularly recommend his book

⭐.Advice to a Young Scientist is the Sage on the Stage giving advice, a mode which is unpopular these days of Guide on the Side in which students are supposed to learn by doing.Because of his work with rats, which lead to his Nobel Prize research on skin grafts, he had animals to take care of. His description of Christmas Day bliss, listening to his rats crunch away on corn flakes rather than on rat chow, and his commiseration with young researchers who felt compelled to work on the holiday, displayed his warmth and humanity well.According to Wikipedia, Richard Dawkins called him “the wittiest of all scientific writers,” and New Scientist magazine’s obituary called him “perhaps the best science writer of his generation.” He was also awarded the 1987 Michael Faraday Prize “for the contribution his books had made in presenting to the public, and to scientists themselves, the intellectual nature and the essential humanity of pursuing science at the highest level and the part it played in our modern culture.”He did not suffer fools gladly. One of his best-known essays is his 1961 criticism of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s

⭐, of which he said: “Its author can be excused of dishonesty only on the grounds that before deceiving others he has taken great pains to deceive himself.” Again, sage advice.

⭐Good

⭐Elegantly written, fun to read and ambitious in scope. If you love science, a scientists or want to appreciate the temperament and history motivating science this is a great book. Enjoy – via livid, the way of the light

⭐Nobelist Peter Medawar offers his paternal guidance to novitiates in neuroscience/biomedical research that will serve them well. It is well worth reading and re-reading when you feel you have reached the end of the line in your projects.

⭐Another book with eloquently flowing prose. I learned very little except a few nice words and some cute phrasings. That is, more an essay than advice. Better of reading something else if you are looking for advice.

⭐Excellent

⭐The advices in this book are very blend. This book is far inferior when compared to books like “Advice for a young investigator” or “A PhD is not enough.”

⭐Could be condensed to about three pages. History of Scientific thought edifying,but not germane to an inner person’s workings. It’s like attempting to deal with a psychological, spiritual problem by lecturing on the philosophy of thought, or history. Some may like that. It certainly puts things in perspective, and I am the better for it. But does it really deal with my question. Then there is stuff that does deal with the question: Speaking about the intellectual life of being in a lab and doing research. I mean the part about a continual ferment of reexamining the hypothesis on a day to day basis in light of the results, as well as the ideas involved. He makes his point there: that hypothetic-deductive reasoning- as he calls it- happens as a result of the work daily, rather than against the backdrop of what is considered “Ok to be thought in the field, which is Thomas Kuhn’s point. In so doing he handily dismisses , The structure of Scientific revolutions, while demonstrating its philosophic worth, as not what really happens in the intellectual life of a scientist. i do buy that.However, I think his main point is that he says one does not have to be smart to be a scientist. Written in a sparkling highfalutin style, Medawar disproves his own point. He is Olympian. When we climb up there with him, we get the view from the heights. Very valuable. But had he written this in a down to earth style- some of the locutions are so roundabout as to be elegant literary equivalents of symbolic logic- he would make his point more convincing. He says that “imaginative guesswork” comes out of common sense. Again, I agree with him. He makes his point. He says that is what you need to do science. yes, no doubt. But to do it as well as he did, perhaps you have to be as smart as he was.His point is one can be a journeyman in science, or a technician, as well as a theoretical physicist. So then call your book: So you want to be a journeyman or a mediocre scientist? ( All you need is Common sense. Sing it John Lennon.) He anticipates molecular biology as well. What a great guy to hang out with! But to read, well does he really address the real concerns of a young scientist? Perhaps, in certain places, but only as a platform to launch his brilliant, philosophical pyrotechnics, which I fear are not what the young undergraduate, no matter how smart, needs. And some of what he says is just plain dated, as society has changed. The whole section on women in science while correct, is, shall we say, quaint. And for him, post docs were a new thing. Te effect is more of a graduating class address: hortatory inspiration, but not personal or useful, except in parts. Still, I did love reading it, and one wants to read more of his books.

⭐Years of insight. Sometimes doesn’t follow his own advice during writing, and the bit about he/she/they is out-of-date (see OED), but much of the advice is timeless or current. I don’t find it UK specific but not sure how it will hold up outside of Europe. This is my favourite of the several similar texts I’ve recently read for classes.

⭐I really loved this book as being a scientist myself, there are still many things that we need to learn in terms of position, work ethics etc.

⭐This is an interesting, short book of advice from one of the top biologists of the 20th century to young scientists. Advice such as, don’t bother building your own equipment, buy it from suppliers dates it to a simpler time. Much of the advice still holds though.

⭐An interesting read but the advice is a little bit out-dated.

⭐Great quality!

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