Excerpt from the Book

Chapter 1 - 'How Does a Fart Go Through Your Clothes?' Missy and Her Curiosity: The Key to Learning

Although these pages reflect years of thinking on my part about science and math education and the learning process in general, the final impetus to write this book was provided by my free-spirited youngest granddaughter, Missy. She recently posed this question out of the blue to her parents one Sunday morning as the family was preparing to leave for church: “How does a fart go through your clothes?” Given Missy’s ebullient, off-the-wall personality, one of my oft-repeated, loving comments has long been “There is only one (like her) in the whole world!”

Despite the humorous aspect of Missy’s question, it struck me, after a bit of reflection, that there was a legitimate inquiry involved—a scientific inquiry, no less! In the rush to be on time for church, mom and dad certainly did not linger to attempt a scientific explanation; a bemused expression was the more likely response.

As a retired electrical engineer with a lifelong love of science and a great respect for its history, I have long recognized that the key to a rewarding relationship with science and learning is curiosity. I believe Missy really was curious about the physics involved and actually wanted to know the answer to her question!

Curiosity (in whatever form!) about one’s world and how it operates is the ticket to ride on the most engaging of adventures: the journey of scientific and intellectual discovery. Curiosity is the key to stimulating a genuine interest in science, mathematics, and learning in general, and its effectiveness as a learning catalyst presents a wonderful opportunity for student nurturing by parents, guardians, mentors, and teachers.

Albert Einstein’s self-evaluation regarding his abilities in science supports this basic notion of curiosity’s importance in effective learning. “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious,” he insisted. Of course, Einstein is also recognized for his intellectual capacity and his ability to think far beyond conventional lines in both science and life philosophy; he was a master at utilizing outside-thebox, creative thinking to satisfy his curiosity as he tackled the most difficult of scientific problems. His passionate curiosity about nature was the catalyst that drove him repeatedly to the loftiest of scientific summits.

Einstein truly believed that his success stemmed from asking simple questions, questions born of basic curiosity—the questions children (like Missy) would readily ask but adults might overlook or might be hesitant to proffer. In that vein, Einstein famously emphasized his world view, his fascination with the universe in which we live: “The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. He who does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer feel amazement, is as good as dead, a snuffed-out candle.”

I wrote this book, first and foremost, as a commonsense guide for parents, guardians, mentors, and teachers who recognize the importance of education—those who are striving to instill and nurture, in children and young adults, both curiosity and a sense of wonder about their world. My motivations for writing this book reflect my concern that science and math literacy, and a general respect for deeper knowledge is on the decline among many of this country’s younger generation. It is my hope that the ideas on learning and mentoring presented within these pages will ultimately have an enabling and positive effect on the science, math, and liberal-arts educations of young people.

My interest in learning extends beyond the limits of science and math curricula to include all academic subjects; I am concerned with all aspects of educating youngsters. Accordingly, much will be said about the art of effective parenting/mentoring and its effect on the success of schools and on our students. I believe that early mentoring in the home and instilling, in our youngsters, a good student attitude toward learning and education have far more to do with students’ ultimate success in school and life than do many of the academic pedagogies we so often hear debated.