Joy in science

• Department of History

Doing science because it is fun – the emergence of subjective enjoyment as a means of motivating scientific pursuits after World War II.

This text investigates the emergence of a new way of motivating scientific pursuits from the 1950s onwards – because the scientist enjoys it. Until this point in time, why one pursued science had primarily been motivated either by its practical usefulness or by the engendering of awe and wonder. But after World War II, in the American context, scientists began speaking publicly and emphatically of their own enjoyment of science. Why did it become acceptable to say that one did science for the fun of it? To answer this question, self-depictions by two of the most influential public intellectuals of the time are investigated: Richard Feynman (Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1965) and James Watson (Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, 1962). The primary sources are their autobiographies, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! and The Double Helix, due to their far-reaching influence and huge popularity. The focus on having fun in these self-depictions is contextualized in regards to the American discomfort with conformity in the 1950s, as expressed in for instance J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. Furthermore, it is argued that depicting oneself as having fun was a way of displaying vitality, by means of showing off characteristics and traits such as impulsivity, charm, creativity. This was contrasted to contemporary science which was described as pompous, predictable, and routine, a vilification which explains the title of another one of Watson's autobiographies: Avoid Boring People. 

Please register in order to get a seat or receive the ZOOM link.