• Question: How smart do you have to be to be a scientist

    Asked by mass49dug on 21 Nov 2020.
    • Photo: Marcello Valente

      Marcello Valente answered on 21 Nov 2020:

      Dear Mass49dug,
      smartness it’s a must in any kind of career so consider this: If you train your brain to the idea of getting new data everyday, your will develop the right forma mentis to be smart.
      At the same time consider that there isn’t a single form of intelligence.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences

    • Photo: Lara Codeca

      Lara Codeca answered on 23 Nov 2020:

      I don’t consider myself smart.
      I think that to be a scientist curiosity is a must. You need to want to dig deeper for answers without stopping at the first problem or the first answer!
      You need to be willing to change your mind a lot. Most of the time, the intuitive answer is actually wrong, and you have to dig more. Not knowing stuff is fine! Be aware of it, and read more about what you care about.

      And by the way, all the above works perfectly fine in life too!

    • Photo: Liudmila Khokhlova

      Liudmila Khokhlova answered on 23 Nov 2020:

      I agree with Lara, being a scientist is not as much about being specifically smart, but about always (always!) be willing to learn and make your brain work. “Smart” is a very blurry definition anyway!
      Being logical and reasonable is a must though, you can’t afford drawing any unsupported conclusions in science.

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