Monday, February 18, 2013

Who killed curiosity?

(No, I dont mean the Mars Rover)
My mom once told me about an incident that happened when I was like just over 1(according to her). In this incident, I apparently observed a dung beetle roll its "score" for the day all the way across my grandma's backyard. I neither lost interest nor disturb its path for the entire trip. Noticing this her uncle(A Professor at a University) told her that one day I would be a scientist because of my patience and curiosity. My mom told me about this when I was about to go to College and I felt really happy to hear that, to get such a compliment from him at that young an age. Now after all these years, I dont know why, I remembered what she said and then thought, I was no special. Every kid is born curious. As kids, we want to explore stuff, like to know why something is happening the way it is happening, ask a lot of questions, etc. But as we grow up, why does that change? What is it that decreases this curious nature within us? Why do we take things for granted? I mean come on, how many of us really know how a touch screen works( I bet like 90% of us have used them) or even simple stuff like what exactly is dry cleaning. Are we so "busy" with our lives that we forgot how to question? Of course we will come with all guns blazing when the cell phone/ipad isn't working or the strain on your shirt/dress dint come off. 
At what point in our life do we stop wondering about the how and the why? Does it stop instantaneously or over time and What is the reason behind it? Thoughts???