Most people would agree that science and the search for truth and meaning go hand in hand. As a person educated, trained, and having worked in the field of biological science for over 16 years, I sincerely believe this. Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines science as: the knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths as obtained and tested through scientific method. The tone of this definition resonates with the 4th UU principle “To affirm and promote a free and responsible search for truth and meaning”.
As a child I loved sci-fi flicks like Star Wars and E.T. as well as lesser known movies like Brainstorm. These films sparked my interest and imagination through the fantasy of science. But it was my stepfather who frequently tuned into Nova, Jacques Cousteau, and the Wild Kingdom, along with our frequent hikes that included his amateur lectures of the geology and botany of our terrain that got me hooked on the real down to earth science of nature and biology.
Throughout high school I was very active in the math and science clubs and I excelled in those classes as well. As a senior I attended a high school health careers program at UMASS Medical school in Worcester and had the opportunity to observe a zygomatic process reconstruction surgery (apparently the patient had his cheek bone fractured in a bar fight). Like Darwin with his experience in an autopsy room, this became a defining moment for me… I fainted in the operating room right in the middle of the surgery. In my defense, however, this was immediately after the doctors peeled back part of the patients face in order to wire up the broken bone. Could I handle the blood and guts of being a med student?
Despite that incident, I attended UMASS Amherst as a pre-med student, but after a year I switched to Zoology (this was a much better fit for me). I started a research project working nights and weekends in a visual neuroscience lab on campus. And a job just outside of Boston was waiting for me after graduation. Years later I went on to complete a master’s degree in neuroscience and I have enjoyed a fulfilling and rewarding career in the field of biological research.
I have been at my current job for almost 9 years studying the biochemistry and pharmacology of treating Alzheimer’s disease at Bristol Myers Squibb. We are specifically looking into finding the toxic proteins that cause dementia and treat it with small molecule drugs. This has become a satisfying pursuit for me as we begin to understand the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease. I am proud to be working on finding a cure for present and future patients with dementia.
My name, Jason, is derived from a Greek term iasthai which means to heal, Iason – a healer. My mother told me this when I showed an interest in medicine and biology and it has stuck with me ever since. It’s kind of weird but I feel that this is my destiny; to be a part of a great healing process through my work in pharmaceutical research.
So now that you know what I do and how I got to where I am today, let me explain how we use the scientific method to direct research. I will use an example of Darwin’s finches found on the Galapagos Islands to describe this method as it relates to developing the theory of evolution. There are 4 basic steps to the scientific method with a 5th step similar to the instructions on the back of a shampoo bottle... you know the step that reads “rinse and repeat if desired”.
1. Observe some aspect of the universe. Darwin observed that there were a population of birds on the Galapagos Islands that shared similar size, coloration, and behaviors. However, there was a marked difference in the finches’ beak sizes and shapes.
2. Invent a tentative description, called a hypothesis that is consistent with what you have observed. Darwin suggested that over an extended period of time this variation in beak structure was caused by the birds adapting to their ecological niches, isolated from other bird populations.
3. Use this hypothesis to make predictions. Darwin inferred that these subpopulations of finches with different beak structures were separate species diverging from a common ancestor. Based on this idea, birds within a group would adapt to their habitat uniquely and those with the most suitable beak structures would have an advantage over birds lacking this better beak design.
4. Test those predictions by experiments or further observations and modify the hypothesis in the light of your results. Here is where Darwin’s theory began to take shape; using this collection of data and observations he would formulate a process known as natural selection. The finches with beaks most suited to their environment would gain access to food sources and preferences for healthier mates. These birds would produce more viable offspring inheriting the better beaks and those advantages would be passed on to the next generation and so on, firmly taking hold and spreading the beneficial traits into the gene pool of that bird population forming, eventually, a new bird species.
Now here is the shampoo step – 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until there are no discrepancies between theory and experiment and/or observation. All in all a hypothesis needs to be reproduced by any skeptic. Reproducibility over time gives credibility to scientific theories which have evolved from various hypotheses. Since Darwin’s published theory of evolution many scientists have been able to explain and corroborate their research based on those principles.
So to summarize, using the scientific method we would make an observation, analyze the findings, predict future results, test those predictions with experiments or additional observations, and repeat the cycle to clarify our understanding of the observed phenomena. This is the method that Darwin used when formulating his theory of natural selection. This is the method used by all scientists expecting to publish information in any respectable journal. And this is the set of principles we all use when learning from experiences in our every day lives.
Evolution and Natural selection are concepts that are difficult to measure empirically using the scientific method. The process takes hundreds of thousands of years among millions of individuals within a population for an effect to be fully appreciated. This is part of the reason why the theory of evolution ignites controversy among some groups. Some say it is impossible to prove with solid measurements and repeated experiments. Yet the theory continues today to be embraced by the experts in the field and reinforced by growing evidence, especially with the accuracy of genetic analysis comparing the codes of various species. Remember we share 96% of our genetic code with the chimpanzee. Rats and mice have 10 times more genetic difference than we do with our chimp cousins.
Within science there are two broad approaches to analyzing the acquired data. Reductionism is the practice of isolating the parts of a system to identify the function of each part separately. This approach focuses in on the details. Holism looks at the bigger picture to get an idea of how the entire system operates within its environment. Both methods are very important to the overall understanding of everyday science and moreover some of the best known scientists incorporate both of these approaches in their research. Darwin used each of these ways of interpreting the facts throughout his naturalist career.
I believe that if Darwin had not been so passionately driven to collect a myriad of beetle and barnacle specimens, which over time revealed details about variations within a species, he would not have had the foundation from which to step back and put it all into view; the long and dynamic process of natural selection. Can you think of any other concept in biology that encompasses more of the big picture than the theory of evolution? What vision Darwin had to put this all together.
Besides having the ability to focus in on details and step back to view the entire process, other common attributes of a good scientist would include curiosity, critical and creative thinking, open-mindedness balanced with skepticism, perseverance, and a sense of stewardship for conveying the absolute truth.
The achievements of the greatest known scientists have usually stirred controversy and fueled imagination. For instance Galileo, father of modern astronomy and mechanical physics, back in 16th century Italy used his vastly improved design of the telescope and his mathematical prowess to prove that the sun was indeed at the center of our solar system. Contrary to common belief that was strongly supported by the Catholic Church, the geocentric model of our universe was challenged by this proclamation; therefore Galileo was considered a heretic and imprisoned later in his life. Throughout all of this he held firm to his cause of propagating the truth, becoming a martyr of science in the face of enormous opposition.
Alfred Kinsey, best known for his reports on human sexuality, like Darwin, was a collector of insects nearly to the point of neurotic obsession. Over a period of 20 odd years he and the members of his lab amassed 5 million gall wasps. From this venture he noted that like people no two wasps were alike. This unrelenting persistence for acquiring data on the subject of his study whether it was bugs or bedroom behavior is a common quality of a dedicated scientist. There are many other examples of scientists that have inspired me and others with their work that has laid the foundation of scientific knowledge by pursuing truth and meaning.
For me, observing the intricate patterns of nature, learning about the complexity of life in a single celled organism, thinking about the dynamic process of evolution and the vastness and awesome power of the cosmos has provided me with an immense feeling of spiritual and scientific enlightenment.
