Wondering why scientists decided to become Scientists


Purpose: To find additional motivation in what motivated people to become Scientists (with a capital letter)
What I mean: Dad once read me a short story «The Mennicon Solution» (I recommend it to EVERYONE) as a kid.
It was probably after that story that I became interested in all the awesome Detergents and Solvents.
I thought that maybe-other people might have been influenced by literature in their search for a vocation.
Means: Sent about 70 letters to the Directors of RAS Institutes of Chemical and Biological
Medical Sciences
Biological Sciences
Chemical Sciences
Text:
Good afternoon.
I’m Egor Cugno, a student in the 9th grade at school 2107.
We have an election coming up for school President and Ministers
I want to run for Minister of Science at our school.
I want to make a good election program, well, and with interest spend the remaining school years).
We have a very diverse school, the HSE Distributed Lyceum, and the kids have a lot of interests.
Although mostly they are very humanities, but in high school there are chemistry and biology,
together with their respective departments at HSE and MIPT,
And a mathematical direction, where children from the 10th form are immediately enrolled in the HSE Faculty of Mathematics (there is some especially difficult mathematics).
I wanted to ask you for advice on what books you consider necessary to read for students in grades 9-11,
to more or less consciously choose their future profession?
I talked to my dad and my grandfather about this
Grandpa (TashGU and MSU Mehmat) recommended the novel «Arrowsmith» by Sinclair Lewis and the novel «The Raven’s Yurt»
Dad (Lesnoy and HSE) drove around bookstores and bought Fersman’s Entertaining Geochemistry (2nd edition 1954)-a very interesting book, and recommended the story Solution Mennicon-just the best.
Anyway, if you have some time, please write me which books, stories and even fiction would be worth reading to teenagers from your point of view.
Welcomed mention Science and Life, Chemistry and Life, Young Technician, Youth Technology, etc.. -Now almost everything is digitized, but manually searching for the unknown is too, of course- long, and many outstanding articles and stories just go into oblivion.
Thank you
With respect,
Egor Kugno
Result: I received several interesting and informative answers.

1. IBMH Institute
Egor, good afternoon!
Letter received and printed for the attention of AV Lisitsa.
If possible Andrey Valerievich will answer
Sincerely, the administrator of CNPO K. Nakhod.

2. Department of Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Dear Egor!
Laboratory of Popularization and Propaganda of Mathematics of the Steklov Mathematical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences has published a book,
which includes the section Bookshelf https://book.etudes.ru/biblio/ , including books on mathematics worth paying attention to.
Department of Mathematical Sciences RAS

3. Institute of Ecology of the Volga Basin.
Good afternoon!
This is the building of school 2107 near the Moscow State University Botanical Garden.
Thomas Kuhn, «The Structure of Scientific Revolutions» (1962)
From science fiction — Ray Bradbury

4. Skoltech
Ivan Smagin
Dear Egor, it is nice to meet you.
We are unlikely to recommend a book, as there are millions of professions, and probably about every good book.
Is it possible to suggest you to read Moby Dick’s book about the profession of a whaler-sailor?
Check out Atlas of New Professions, which is a book I also had a hand in — it talks about the professions of the future.
It is available online at the link below
https://new.atlas100.ru/
Good luck!
Ivan

5. Institute of Organic Chemistry RAS
Good day, Kugno Egor.
In reply to your email (scan enclosed)
Svitanko I.V. (Doctor of Chemistry, Head of Lab IOH RAS).
Regards
clerk of the department of documentation support
Lunkova Natalia, tel. 7-83
1) Spauszus. Journey into the world of organic chemistry. 1967, 1973
2) I. A. Leenson — A Guide to the Chemical Elements. What is made of.
Universe — 2014.
3) I.A. Leenson — Entertaining chemistry, volume 1-2. 1996
4) Vladimir Vladimirovich Ryumin. Amusing Chemistry. Enlightenment, 2011.
5) Kuzmenko, Eremin, Popkov. The Beginnings of Chemistry (latest editions).
6) Grosse E., Weissmantel X. Chemistry for the curious. Fundamentals of chemistry and
entertaining experiments. 1985.
7) Olgin O. Experiments without explosions. Chemistry, 1986.
8) Leenson I.A. The language of chemistry. Etymology of chemical names. 2017
9) I. V. Svitanko, V. V. Kisin, S. S. Churanov. Olympiad problems in.
Chemistry. 2017
10) Turova N.Y. Tables-charts on inorganic chemistry. M., MTSNMO, 2009.
11) Jua M., History of chemistry. M.: Mir, 1975.

6. Poliomyelitis Institute.
Good afternoon Egor!
Thank you for your interest and for contacting FGANU «M.P. Chumakov FNTRIP RAS» (Poliomyelitis Institute).
We would advise you to read and subscribe to the journal «Science and Life».
On its pages you will find articles about recent scientific discoveries and the history of science, new technologies, and the fundamentals of science,
about people who have dedicated their lives to science and historical figures, about the things that surround us, and about amazing places on our planet.
https://www.nkj.ru
Regards,
FGANU
named after. M.P. Chumakov RAS

Conclusion: The mailing will be continued.

Other articles about correspondence with Ministries and Departments→
This article in Russian→