A SCIENTIST

Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) was a well-known American scientist. In his childhood, his teacher labeled him an incompetent student. However, through hard work, he became a great scientist. When Thomas Alva Edison was an eight-year-old boy in school, an incident happened. One day, his female teacher, while talking about flight, explained that humans cannot fly because they don’t have wings, but birds can because they do have wings. The other children accepted this explanation, but Alva had a different idea. He raised his hand and said, “Madam, but a kite flies even though it doesn’t have wings.” The teacher couldn’t answer his question. Instead of admitting she didn’t know, she made it about her pride and made the situation worse, which led to Alva being expelled from school. She called him a foolish boy who talked too much.

Thomas Alva Edison made many scientific discoveries, such as wireless communication, the telephone, electricity, photography, electric light, and more. About one hundred inventions, both major and minor, are credited to him. As a child, Thomas Alva Edison asked numerous questions. When his female school teacher could not answer them, she took it as a matter of her pride and failed to see Edison’s potential. However, Edison’s mother was not hindered by such ego issues. She quickly recognized that Edison’s frequent questions were actually a sign of his creative intelligence. With maternal love, she guided Edison on the path of knowledge and discovery, eventually helping him become a great scientist.