by Mitsuhiro Yanagida (reprinted with permission from Current
Biology, October 1997
Vol 7, Issue 10)
(Posted May 1, 1998 · Issue 29)
Editor's note: This article is derived from one in a series called "Advice to Young Scientists" written by Mitsuhiro Yanagida for the magazine
Jikken Igaku.
Abstract
Learning to enjoy experiments is at the heart of biology. Whether it's a
wet experiment or a thought experiment, the making of a successful
experimentalist requires intense concentration, creative dreaming,
appreciation of the value of failure, and lots of experience doing it.
Doing experiments is the most creative, and often the most exciting, aspect of a life in biology. But not everyone who enjoys science takes naturally to doing experiments. Like most things, it takes practice.
I had to do five years of research before I really understood and got to like experiments, and a colleague told me that as a student he hated the
smell of Escherichia coli so much that he seriously thought about quitting graduate school. But when a senior student said to him, "Everybody
feels the same way to begin with. You'll soon get to like it," it suddenly didn't seem like a big deal. Narauyori nareyo, as the Japanese say,
meaning "You learn more from getting used to things than from studying."
There are many different ways to become fond of experiments (and to dislike them). For me, there's nothing to beat the thrilling moment when,
after all the build-up to an experiment, you get to the heart of the problem. Of course, good results help to make you like experiments, but
sometimes a stupid mistake can make you so upset that it motivates you to get more involved.
When I was an undergraduate, there was a series of language textbooks called French with No Tears, German with No Tears, and so on.
Tears are not necessary for improving experimental skills, but you can't do without failures. After my first few days in the lab as an
undergraduate, I broke a glass instrument. This was less than two hours after being warned by a senior student, "Please be really careful with
this. A little too much force will break it at the joint. It's the most precious glassware I have, and very time-consuming to mend."
More than 30 years later, I still remember my terror at the thought of having to tell her. Another student tried to cheer me up by relating how the
head of the lab was not good at experiments when he was young. Because he broke every instrument he touched, he was left alone without a
research theme. Thanks to that he had lots of time to think, and so became a prolific researcher.
Which brings me to the fact that experiments are not limited to physical activities. Francis Crick rarely did experiments himself, but his lectures,
conversations, and writings clearly show how much his mind was occupied with experiments and their interpretations. The structural biologist
Sir Aaron Klug isn't best known an experimentalist either, but he has always been excellent at analyzing data to find meaningful interpretations, as
well as having an astonishing memory for other people's experimental data.
Thinking about and discussing your experiment in advance can save a great deal of time; there is an old saying, "Thinking takes five minutes,
doing three days." But bear in mind that talking is no substitute for doing the experiment. For most people, creative experimentation is a fine balance between thinking and doing.
When starting out, you may find most of your energy is taken up by simply getting the experiments done, rather than by thinking about them, but
even a beginner needs to understand why they're doing an experiment before they start it. If you can't see the point of an experiment, ask for an
explanation. (Mind you, it's a bad idea to argue about minor experimental details until you know what you're talking about.)
When I was a graduate student, I often wondered whether there was an ideal state of mind for doing experiments. I didn't know whether to empty
my mind and be aloof like a veteran, or to be optimistic about my luck like a gambler. Never knowing the answer, I oscillated between
emptiness and optimism. In those days it never occurred to me to pray for anything, so I was shocked to see a fellow student pressing her hands
together before collecting her data. Another student had a collection of amulets that he put on his bench before important experiments. Doing an
experiment is an extremely personal thing. It doesn't have to be a spiritual experience, but it's important to try to concentrate the mind in some way.
Most major developments in the life sciences result from new techniques or experiments, and it is this form of creativity that gives many
scientists their greatest satisfaction. Inspiration may strike at odd moments; some people get their ideas in dreams, and some even do
experiments in dreams. Sometimes it can take months, or even years, to come up with a great experiment, and then you simply can't help
rushing into it. And there's nothing wrong with the "quick and dirty" experiment. After all, if you get promising results you can always repeat the
experiment, and people who try out a lot of experiments tend to learn quickly. If your hands can stay cool even when your head is full of exciting ideas, you are no longer a beginner.
Send us your comments and ideas for future articles.
Endlinks
Science's Next Wave - this AAAS-sponsored page contains extensive resources for young scientists.
Gain some vicarious expermental experience by reading historical accounts
of great moments in biology: The classic, Microbe Hunters, and the recently re-released Eighth Day of Creation are good examples.
I had to do five years of research before I really understood and got to like experiments, and a colleague told me that as a student he hated the
smell of Escherichia coli so much that he seriously thought about quitting graduate school. But when a senior student said to him, "Everybody
feels the same way to begin with. You'll soon get to like it," it suddenly didn't seem like a big deal. Narauyori nareyo, as the Japanese say,
meaning "You learn more from getting used to things than from studying."
When I was an undergraduate, there was a series of language textbooks called French with No Tears, German with No Tears, and so on.
Tears are not necessary for improving experimental skills, but you can't do without failures. After my first few days in the lab as an
undergraduate, I broke a glass instrument. This was less than two hours after being warned by a senior student, "Please be really careful with
this. A little too much force will break it at the joint. It's the most precious glassware I have, and very time-consuming to mend."
Which brings me to the fact that experiments are not limited to physical activities. 
When I was a graduate student, I often wondered whether there was an ideal state of mind for doing experiments. I didn't know whether to empty
my mind and be aloof like a veteran, or to be optimistic about my luck like a gambler. Never knowing the answer, I oscillated between
emptiness and optimism. In those days it never occurred to me to pray for anything, so I was shocked to see a fellow student pressing her hands
together before collecting her data. Another student had a collection of amulets that he put on his bench before important experiments. Doing an
experiment is an extremely personal thing. It doesn't have to be a spiritual experience, but it's important to try to concentrate the mind in some way.
Most major developments in the life sciences result from new techniques or experiments, and it is this form of creativity that gives many
scientists their greatest satisfaction. Inspiration may strike at odd moments; some people get their ideas in dreams, and some even do
experiments in dreams. Sometimes it can take months, or even years, to come up with a great experiment, and then you simply can't help
rushing into it. And there's nothing wrong with the "quick and dirty" experiment. After all, if you get promising results you can always repeat the
experiment, and people who try out a lot of experiments tend to learn quickly. If your hands can stay cool even when your head is full of exciting ideas, you are no longer a beginner.
