SCIENTISTS 



may like using a certain technique because it appeals to his 

 aesthetic sensibility. Very likely it was Ehrlich's extraordinary 

 love of bright colours (he is said to have derived an ecstatic 

 pleasure from them) that gave him an interest in dyes and so 

 determined the direction in which his work developed. 



Albert Einstein distinguishes three types of research workers : 

 those who take up science because it offers them an opportunity 

 to exercise their particular talents and who exult in it as an 

 athlete enjoys exercising his prowess; those who regard it as 

 a means of livelihood and who but for circumstances might 

 have become successful business men; and lastly the true 

 devotees, who are rare but make a contribution to knowledge out 

 of proportion to their numbers. ^^ 



Some psychologists consider that man's best work is usually 

 done under adversity and that mental stress and even physical 

 pain may act as a mental stimulant. Many prominent men have 

 suffered from psychological troubles and various diflRculties but 

 for which perhaps they would never have put forward that 

 effort required to excel. 



The scientist seldom gets a large monetary reward for his 

 labours so he should be freely granted any just fame arising 

 from his work. But the greatest reward is the thrill of discovery. 

 As many scientists attest, it is one of the greatest joys that life 

 has to offer. It gives a tremendous emotional uplift and great 

 sense of well-being and satisfaction. Not only factual discoveries 

 but the sudden realisation of a generalisation can give the same 

 feeling of exhilaration. As Prince Kropotkin wrote : 



" He who has once in his life experienced this joy of scientific 

 creation will never forget it." 



Baker quotes the story of the great British biologist Alfred Wallace 

 making a very small discovery : 



" None but a naturalist," wrote Wallace, " can understand the 

 intense excitement I experienced when at last I captured it 

 [a new species of butterfly]. My heart began to beat violently, 

 the blood rushed to my head, and I felt much more like fainting 

 than I have done when in apprehension of immediate death. I 

 had a headache the rest of the day, so great was the excitement 

 produced by what will appear to most people a very inadequate 



cause."® 



143 



