The projects we were working on required creativity and logical reasoning to overcome, rather than just asking the teacher for an answer. Instead of filling up the mind, I was exercising it. This experience radically changed my views of science. Hands on participation in research gave me a much clearer picture of what science is all about. I realized that I had misunderstood science in school.
Science is really about experimentation and thinking creatively and independently.
Being a good scientist requires creativity and originality, probably as much as being an artist or writer. I now see science as a method of inquiry rather than a textbook full of facts and it is suddenly very fascinating to me. The breaking of my stereotypical view of scientists led me to the realization that there is room for all types of people and beliefs in the world of science - something that may very well alter the course of my life. I had ruled out a scientific career because I didn't think I would fit, but this experience has shown me that maybe I was wrong. I had imagined the atmosphere at Los Alamos National Laboratory to be tense and secretive, like the Manhattan Project.