Scientists: What do you consider your prime motivation for practising science?

Question

And as an optional question: Do you think this is the prime motivation of _most_ scientists? If not, what do you think it is?

Answer 1

Favorite Answer

Curiosity and confidence in figuring things out are probably my strongest reasons.

I have a fairly strong sense of what is real, perhaps an insight, and like to apply that sense to test it out on the world. Sometimes I'm wrong but in that case I get corrected. Some puzzles are very difficult, the more difficult the better.

Answer 2

Most scientists' motivations are pure and noble. But the corporations they work for are mainly motivated by developing and perfecting nuclear weapons and winning wars.

Answer 3

Keeps me young and open to new ideas. Honestly, there are more ideas in science or in disciplined thinking than in any marketing think tank.

Answer 4

I've always been an explorer. I call it mind exploration.