Scientists, by nature, possess a sense of curiosity that results in a quest for understanding. According to numerous researchers' accounts, that is what drives them and continues to reinforce their commitment to their profession.
The way scientists choose their fields, and the specific research projects they undertake during their careers, however, are almost always determined and directed by specific events, decisions, promotions, or twists of fate—incidents that the researchers ultimately view as turning points.
For many of the prominent scientists interviewed for this article, the initial turning point—the one that set them on their respective paths—was their exposure to something they hadn't seen or known before.
Two-time Nobel laureate Linus Pauling reports that his initial career milestone came in the form of an elementary chemistry experiment. "I didn't really learn about chemistry in school; rather, another student my age showed me some chemical experiments," Pauling says. One afternoon when he ...
