By Natalie Cunningham

Natalie Cunningham works in the science of writing and the art of archaeoastronomy. She lives in Ohio but thinks about Utah.

I’M STILL PROUD EVERY TIME I TIE MY SHOES

Scientific inquiry can be driven by a variety of motives. Certainly the quest to cure cancer can be a matter of wanting to simply help, but even anger, frustration, or grief can be involved. Recently, I saw a news story of a researcher who forged results for new cures, exposing patients to dangerous treatments for his own pride or vanity. And here, scientists sometimes seek recognition, or positions of power. In academia, jobs are won and lost based on the progress of scientific research. That is motivation enough for some. But in the ideal world, scientific inquiry would be driven…