1. A scientist must be curious about the world
Example: Galileo Galileo's curiosity about the heavenly bodies made him the first person to use a telescope to study the moon, the sun, the planets and the stars.
2. A scientist is logical and systematic
Example: Among the reasons why Gregor Mendel discovered the principles of heredity when others have failed was his logical experimental methods and his careful and accurate record keeping.
3. A scientist is open-minded and free of bias
Example: An open-minded person is one who can modify plans or discard hypotheses if necessary. One such person was Johannes Kepler who was hired to develop evidence that planets moved along perfect circles.
4. A scientist is intellectually honest
Example: Isaac Newton built his laws of motion on the previous work of Galileo and others.
5. A scientist works hard and is persistent
Example: Marie Curie was the first person ever to be awarded the Nobel Prize twice. It was not surprising considering how hard she worked.
6. A scientist does not jump to conclusions
Example: John Dalton's atomic theory was backed by experimental evidence. He was not the first to propose that the atom was the smallest particle of matter, but he was the first to use experimental evidence to support his theory.
7. A scientist is a creative and critical thinker
Example: Albert Einstein was able to derive his theory of relativity because he went beyond what was given and known at that time. He saw links and connections where others did not. He looked at things from different perspectives.
8. A scientist is rational
9. A scientist is willing to suspend judgment until he is sure of his results
10. A scientist tries new approaches to arrive at solutions
In addition:
A scientist must have an open mind and be curious. It is fine to have an idea about how or why something is the way it is, but the scientist should then seek to prove or