In Science, There's Never a Final Answer (LiveScience.com)

Tag : Scientific Name for Sunflower Seeds

Name: David Lentz
Age: 56
Institution : University of Cincinnati
Field of Study: Paleoethnobotany
What inspired you to choose this field of study?
During my undergrad years, I studied biology, but I really didn'thave a firm career focus. After I graduated, a college roommate andI went on a year-long trek through what turned out to be Europe,Africa and Central Asia . We visited a lot of archaeological sites and talked with severalarchaeologists in the field and I thought, "Man, this issomething I would like to get into."
What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
A brilliant ethnobotanist and mentor, Dr. Vorsila Bohrer, said,"You need to learn more botany." So I focused more on thebotanical side of paleoethnobotany: plant systematics, electron microscopy , cellular biology, anatomy and biostatistics for my doctoral work- or what they called "biometry" then. This turned out tobe very good advice.
What was your first scientific experiment as a child?
My first studies of botany came with a leaf collection of all the plants in the neighborhood. I labeled them and pressedthem inside a notebook. I added to the collection as I came acrossunknown trees.
What is your favorite thing about being a scientist or researcher?
Every question you try to answer seems to open up a panoply of newquestions. There's never a final answer . That's a great thing about being at a university, too. There arestudents to help you explore these new questions.
What is the most important characteristic a person must demonstratein order to be an effective scientist?
To be a successful researcher you need to start with an interestingquestion, finish up the analysis and make sure the results getpublished. I know a lot of brilliant scholars who never stick with a project and don't find a way to see itthrough to completion.
What are the societal benefits of your research?
The sciences are experiencing a significant rate of drop-out andtransfer. It seems there are fewer college students who want to bescientists. I think that getting students more hands-on researchopportunities will go a long way toward getting them excited aboutthe natural world and about becoming scientists.
Who has had the most influence on your thinking as a researcher?
People like Dolores Piperno and Deborah Pearsall, prominentpaleoethnobotanists who always push the envelope. Payson Sheets, agreat archaeologist who continuously comes up with new ways tointerpret paleoethnobotanical data is a delight to work with.Robert Bye, who has a tremendous knowledge of the plants and peopleof Mexico and the history of Mexico, is a phenomenal person, too.
What about your field or being a scientist do you think wouldsurprise people the most?
How much fun it is. The field work is terrific: collecting andtalking with people and finding out how they use the variousplants. Of course, there's a good degree of drudgery , sifting through crumbs of charcoal. But you get through that andthen get to interpret the information, which is intriguing.
If you could only rescue one thing from your burning office or lab,what would it be?
My laptop - no, on second thought, that's all backed up at home.Instead, I'd rescue my ancient sunflower seeds that are on loan from various sites. They are invaluable recordsof the crop plants of the past.
What music do you play most often in your lab or car?
Mostly classical: Beethoven, Bach was great - very celestial, Mozart of course. Chopin - I love his piano pieces. I guess I just likethe earlier things all around! Top 10 Poisonous Plants Scientist Was Writing 'Books' By Age 5 Greatest Modern Minds

This researcher is supported by the National Science Foundation ( NSF ), the federal agency charged with funding basic research andeducation across all fields of science and engineering.
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