Rhetorical Essay

The Only Certainty Is Uncertainty

Written for AP Language (11th grade)

Scientists are an unusual bunch of people. A person can find them scurrying around labs in white, stark coats or burrowed underneath a pile of dusty books. These peculiar specimens are a rare sighting, often avoiding the spotlight of social attention and rather immersing themselves in atomic theories or cellular structures. Although they lack the charisma of social butterflies, scientists possess an even greater gift that’s acquired from their tedious work – the gift of knowledge. By overcoming the fear that uncertainty encompasses, scientists are able to trudge through the hazy, ambiguous forest of facts and fiction in order to extract ideas to establish ground-breaking theories. In The Great Influenza, John Barry perceives scientific research as a product of patient, cumulative work that’s acquired through the embracing of doubt and enigmatic issues through his use of various rhetorical elements. He also characterizes scientists as persisting, unyielding people who use their courage to help them explore unknown territory.
To most people, science is plethora of facts, numbers, and statistics. But in reality, scientific research encompasses more than just complex theories and lab data – it’s the result of patience, courage and passion combined with the intellect of people. Whenever scientists are identifying new specimens or testing out a new experiment, they must all confront the idea of uncertainty. In the essay Barry contrasts the phrases “certainty creates strength” with “uncertainty creates weakness” to define what characterizes a scientist. There is never a guarantee or promise in science, thus a scientist must have more than just brains; they need will and persistence. The author uses parallel syntax to emphasize the significant meaning of certainty & uncertainty and to convey a formal, definitive definition of the two words. He also utilizes an antithesis to balance opposing ideas in order to reveal the strong repellant between them. By associating certainty with “strength” and uncertainty with “weakness” Barry juxtaposes the two main ideas of the essay to set up his argument – that is, to be a scientist, one must live a life of uncertainty since “a sharp edge of a single laboratory finding” can shatter all the hard work a scientist has done. The only certainty in science is uncertainty since theories are constantly overlapping one another. Barry further defines what a scientist means in the second paragraph.

The author describes scientists as people who have “the courage to accept – indeed, embrace – uncertainty.” His use of the dashes to offset the word “embrace” further emphasize the idea that scientists need to have the capacity to embrace failure and doubt rather than be encumbered by it. By stating that “it is not the courage to venture into the unknown” Barry is implying that scientists shouldn’t be reckless wanderers who impulsively dive into obscurity but they should be fearless, yet humble travelers who are willing to welcome new ideas and accept disappointment. After defining the characteristics of a scientist, Barry continues to describe science to further support his point.

In addition, Barry elaborates on his argument when he refers to Claude Bernard, who states that “‘Science teaches us to doubt.’” By using an appeal to authority, Barry utilizes this rhetorical device to help validate his point. The reference to a notable scientist like Bernard, who is a “great French physiologist,” signifies that Barry isn’t the only one who believes that doubt is intertwined with science. By expanding the perspective to other people than himself, Barry is able to strengthen his argument with the help of a famous scientist. People who recognize Bernard and acknowledge his work may be persuaded by Barry’s argument more. Also, the use of the word “great” to describe the physiologist suggests the respect a scientist can achieve, perhaps inspiring people to become scientists. Barry continues his essay by describing the lifestyle and actions of a scientist in a metaphorical way.

Instead of rigorous physical activity that athletes experience, scientists must undergo intense mental exercise when they are researching. By using a metaphor to connect scientists to the forest, Barry states that “the best among them move deep into a wilderness region where they know almost nothing.” These scientists are like blind pups, nearly helpless in an unknown world. Bare and free from the natural world, these scientists are devoid of the “tools and techniques needed to clear the wilderness.” The use of the word “wilderness” suggests the uninhibited, uncultivated trail that scientists must roam in which their “tools and techniques” aren’t present to help them solve any mysteries. It is here in this wilderness where scientists must develop their own sense of strategy and way of solving novel problems and where their “creativity, self-sufficiency” are vital. In addition, Barry ties the embracing of uncertainty to the metaphor when he states that scientists must “probe in a disciplined way” in the wilderness to be successful. Instead of wildly stabbing in the dark for answers, Barry uses the word “disciplined” to suggest the patience scientists must harbor. By using the metaphor of the wilderness, the author conveys the rugged and often discouraging pathway scientists must take to achieve results.

Later in the essay, John M. Barry uses an allusion to characterize scientific research. Scientists must accept the daunting idea that “a single step can take them through the looking glass into a world that seems entirely different.” By referring to “through the looking glass” Barry uses an allusion to Alice in Wonderland to imply that a scientist, like Alice, will enter an unfamiliar, dream-like world bereft of logic while in the pursuit of knowledge. Scientists must continue to trek this mystic land regardless of the fear they may feel since eventually their “probing acts like a crystal to precipitate an order out of chaos, to create form, structure, and direction.” His use of the word “probing” implies the curious and inquisitive nature of scientists that can one day help them condense their spawning ideas into revolutionary theories. The use of a simile to the crystal implies that the experimentation and exploration of a scientist will eventually produce rationality, coherence, and perhaps even a tangible answer. Barry continues with his use of rhetorical devices when he expands on the wilderness that scientists must travel through.

In the second half of the essay, Barry writes that scientists must “create …everything.” His use of italics suggests that scientists have no tools or weapons that can help them, and that they must search internally to find an answer. He states that “a shovel can dig up dirt, but cannot penetrate rock” to convey the fact that tools can only be applicable in certain situations and the most genius scientists utilize their mind and creativity to solve problems. In addition, the author makes the fourth paragraph rife with questions following one another to order to give a slice of a scientist’s thought process to the reader. By stringing questions along such as “Would a pick be best?” and “Would analyzing the water… reveal anything useful?” the author describes the complex and intricate thoughts of a scientist who is often bombarded with many ambiguous questions. The mental process found in scientists is quite rare, but once a researcher succeeds in their research, “a flood of colleagues will pave roads over the path laid.” Barry further describes the amplifying nature of scientific research in the end of the essay.

After someone makes a breakthrough in science, other scientists can follow this path that has been laid and arrive at the destination once thought to be a mystery “in minutes [that] the pioneer spent months or years looking for.” The use of the word “pioneer” portrays the character of a scientist, a spirited pioneer who keeps searching and probing in an unfathomable world. Barry, however, concludes the essay writing about those who lack this pioneering attitude.

Barry states that scientific research isn’t for everyone since many people can’t comprehend the complicated nature of science. Some people can’t “deal with comfortable with uncertainty,” others have a dearth of creativity, while most lack “the confidence to persist.” It takes a special person with the right blend of ideals, beliefs and bravery to become a scientist. In addition since “experiments do not simply work” many people can become discouraged. Due to the frustration some scientists experience from failed experiments and inconclusive data, some scientists “force experiments to yield an answer.” By concluding with this thought in an ominous tone, Barry leaves the reader with a daunting fact that due to science being such an enigma, people these days are now using technology instead of their own creativity and forcing out answers that they cannot find naturally. (How depressing). Creativity is rare, ephemeral, yet malleable and can be stamped out of people. However, there will always be people who resist conformity and possess the courage to defy the odds. These people will have embraced uncertainty and integrated it into their lives.

The next time you come across scientists, don’t be so harsh on them for their lack of fashion sense or their uncombed hair. These people are the ones who are revolutionizing the world with their theories and ideas. Their scientific research is a product of their hard work, patience, but mostly courage since they’ve had to accept and embrace uncertainty. The only thing a scientist can believe in is the process of inquiry and everyday they experiment with abstract concepts with hopes of finding a solution. But since science is never certain and absolute, scientists have to be at peace with the idea of their work being shattered apart. However, the knowledge that scientists have is something definitely valuable and irreplaceable. Everyone chooses their own poison – scientists happen to choose uncertainty as theirs.