Science as an activity is not new; it is as old as humanity. But science as a profession is new; it first appeared in the 19th century.【T1】Prior to the 19th century, science was not something that a person “went into” to make a living, the way one might go into medicine, or law, or the clergy.

There were no institutions for training scientists, no ways of accrediting them, no (or almost no) paying jobs for them.【T2】The old universities in Europe and the new ones in America were dedicated just to the transmission of what was deemed to be knowledge, not the creation of knowledge. So, by today’s definition of a professional scientist—someone accredited as a scientist and paid to do it—there were no professional scientists.

There were just hobbyists and curious seekers—people like Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton—coming up sometimes with seemingly crazy ideas.【T3】To devote much time to such adventures you had to be born into wealth, or have some other money-making job, or have a patron who would support you, perhaps because they found your ideas amusing.

In the American colonies, the first person who became famous for scientific discoveries was Benjamin Franklin. Now we think of him as a statesman who promoted the American revolution, but he achieved fame earlier as an amateur scientist. During that phase of his life, he supported himself and his scientific adventures through his work as a printer and newspaper publisher.

Even in the 19th and 20th centuries, much of the greatest scientific work was done by people who were not certified, professional scientists.【T4】An advantage of being an amateur in any field of endeavor is that you are not constrained by the dictates and beliefs that constitute professional boundaries or by the demands of an employer. You let your muse (if in the arts) or curiosity (if in the sciences) carry you where it will. The result is that you might produce nonsense, or you might, if you are very good or very lucky, produce what is later called genius.

It is noteworthy that all the great contributors to science were following passions that they developed in childhood. Childhood is a natural time for play, exploration, finding out what one loves to do.【T5】Sadly, in modern times, we are controlling children to such an extent, in schools and other adult-controlled settings, that we are seldom giving them time or opportunity to discover what they love to do and pursue it. Research has shown that young people growing up outside of forcible education in today’s world often develop passionate interests that they pursue with much success as careers in adulthood.

【T1】