{"id":1905,"date":"2018-03-31T18:29:10","date_gmt":"2018-03-31T18:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/enfascination.com\/weblog\/?p=1905"},"modified":"2018-07-24T17:41:48","modified_gmt":"2018-07-24T17:41:48","slug":"ramon-y-cajals-advice-to-a-young-investigator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enfascination.com\/weblog\/post\/1905","title":{"rendered":"Ramon y Cajal’s Advice to a young investigator"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I read
\nAdvice for a young investigator <\/a>
\nby Santiago Ramon y Cajal (1897)<\/p>\n

Here is a good bit:<\/p>\n

Once a hypothesis is clearly formulated, it must be submitted
\nto the ratification of testing. For this, we must choose
\nexperiments or observations that are precise, complete, and
\nconclusive. One of the characteristic attributes of a great
\nintellect is the ability to design appropriate experiments.
\nThey immediately \u00aand ways of solving problems that
\naverage scholars only clarify with long and exhausting
\ninvestigation.
\nIf the hypothesis does not fit the data, it must be rejected
\nmercilessly and another explanation beyond reproach
\ndrawn up. Let us subject ourselves to harsh self-criticism
\nthat is based on a distrust of ourselves. During the course
\nof proof, we must be just as diligent in seeking data contrary
\nto our hypothesis as we are in ferreting out data that may
\nsupport it. Let us avoid excessive attachment to our own
\nideas, which we need to treat as prosecutor, not defense
\nattorney. Even though a tumor is ours, it must be removed.
\nIt is far better to correct ourselves than to endure correction
\nby others. Personally, I do not feel the slightest embarrassment
\nin giving up my ideas because I believe that to fall and
\nto rise alone demonstrates strength, whereas to fall and wait
\nfor a helping hand indicates weakness.
\nFurthermore, we must admit our own absurdities whenever
\nsomeone points them out, and we should act accordingly.
\nProving that we are driven only by a love of truth, we
\nshall win for our views the consideration and esteem of our
\nsuperiors.
\nExcessive self-esteem and pride deprive us of the supreme
\npleasure of sculpting our own lives; of the incomparable
\ngratification of having improved and conquered ourselves;
\nof refining and perfecting our cerebral machinery\u2014the legacy
\nof heredity. If conceit is ever excusable, it is when the
\nwill remodels or re-creates us, acting as it were as a supreme
\ncritic.
\nIf our pride resists improvement, let us bear in mind that,
\nwhether we like it or not, none of our tricks can slow the
\ntriumph of truth, which will probably happen during our
\nlifetime. And the livelier the protestations of self-esteem
\nhave been, the more lamentable the situation will be. Some
\ndisagreeable character, perhaps even with bad intentions,
\nwill undoubtedly arrive on the scene and point out our
\ninconsistency to us. And he will inevitably become enraged
\nif we readily correct ourselves because we will have deprived
\nhim of an easy victory at our expense. However, we
\nshould reply to him that the duty of the scientist is to adapt
\ncontinuously to new scientific methods, not become paralyzed
\nby mistakes; that cerebral vigor lies in mobilizing
\noneself, not in reaching a state of ossi\u00aacation; and that in
\nman\u2019s intellectual life, as in the mental life of animals, the
\nharmful thing is not change, but regression and atavism.
\nChange automatically suggests vigor, plasticity, and youth.
\nIn contrast, rigidity is synonymous with rest, cerebral lassitude,
\nand paralysis of thought; in other words, fatal inertia\u2014certain
\nharbinger of decrepitude and death. With
\nwinning sincerity, a certain scientist once remarked: \u201cI
\nchange because I study.\u201d It would be even more self-effacing
\nand modest to point out: \u201cI change because others study,
\nand I am fortunate to renew myself.\u201d (pp 122\u2013123) <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Of course, he also said things like this:<\/p>\n

To sum things up: As a general rule, we advise the man inclined toward science to seek in the one whom his heart has chosen a compatible psychological profile rather than beauty and wealth. In other words, he should seek feelings, tastes, and tendencies that are to a certain extent complementary to his own. He will not simply choose a woman, but a woman who belongs to him<\/em>, whose best dowry will be a sensitive compliance with his wishes, and a warm and full-hearted acceptance of her husband’s view of life.
\n(pp 103\u2013104)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Unlike teachers of history and literature, unaccustomed to assigning writing that mixes nuggets of wisdom and bald sexism. I’m thinking of being explicit with my students that they have several options, to
\nread and think in a manner divorced from emotion, to take the good and leave the bad, or to dismiss it all as rot. That’s got problems, but so does everything else I can think of. Working on it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I read Advice for a young investigator by Santiago Ramon y Cajal (1897) Here is a good bit: Once a hypothesis is clearly formulated, it must be submitted to the ratification of testing. For this, we must choose experiments or observations that are precise, complete, and conclusive. One of the characteristic attributes of a great … Continue reading Ramon y Cajal’s Advice to a young investigator<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wpupg_custom_link":[],"wpupg_custom_link_behaviour":["default"],"wpupg_custom_image":[],"wpupg_custom_image_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/enfascination.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1905"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/enfascination.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/enfascination.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enfascination.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enfascination.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1905"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/enfascination.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2059,"href":"https:\/\/enfascination.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1905\/revisions\/2059"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enfascination.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/enfascination.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enfascination.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enfascination.com\/weblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}