Rhetorical Analysis On John Barry

John Barry’s piece explores that science is more than the outcome of an experiment but rather the questions asked in the process. Through many different types of rhetorical strategies, he addresses the need to be uncertain to be a successful scientist.

Barry’s analogies demonstrate how science isn’t just one answer, it’s always moving and changing, they also demonstrate how uncertainty lays the path for science. Barry uses an analogy of being in the woods calling it a frontier and saying a real scientist adventures into the wilderness knowing nothing, ready to learn. He does this to simplify scientific inquiry and shows that anyone can be a scientist if they except the unknown and question.Barry also uses an analogy of paving a road saying, science builds on itself. He shows that one scientist will discover a small piece of a puzzle, then another will come along, questioning, and discover more than the last person. This shows that through further questioning scientist learn more than they could have ever known before. Through his analogies, Barry is able to further prove uncertainty is the best way to use the scientific method.

Barry claims that to be a scientist is more than intelligence and curiosity, but patience, creativity, courage, passion, and self-sufficiency. He does this to prove science is more than information, but a long process to reach answers that have been questioned. Barry also uses juxta position to analyze the difference of certainty and uncertainty in science. He says “It is the courage to accept-indeed, embrace-uncertainty.” This proves that a scientist’s ability to accept what is unknown distinguishes them from a good or bad scientist. Barry uses his juxta position create a clear line between good and bad scientists, certainty and