Speech at the Philippine Science High School honors' convocation

(Part 2 of 2)

The number comes from studies by Anders Ericsson, a psychologist from Florida State University, who studied virtuoso violinists. The number was further popularized by Malcolm Gladwell in his book “Outliers,” and by Matthew Syed in “Bounce.” The idea is that if you put in 10,000 hours of deliberate, purposeful practice into any human endeavor- playing the piano, learning chess, writing – you will become an expert. 

Let’s put that in perspective. 10,000 hours is about three hours a day for 10 years. This 10-year timeframe for training has been documented by Ericsson and others to be the needed time for becoming an expert pianist, chess player, jet pilot, basketball player, musician, and yes – scientist.

But it is not as simple as putting in the hours. The key is practice that is focused, challenging, consistent, and with immediate useful feedback.

This kind of practice is purposeful and deliberate. The goal should be clear. So if you really want to learn math, you need to spend the time being proficient at solving math problems. This deliberate practice has to challenging. It has to be attainable given the current level of skill sets, but it has to also push the individual beyond their normal boundaries. If it is too hard, then one gets frustrated; if it is too easy, then it is not serving the purpose of improvement and mastery. 

This kind of deliberate practice (in any field) is hard work, and training to become a scientist is also hard work. Often, it is not fun while you’re in the middle of it. This is where intrinsic motivation is essential. While extrinsic factors may drive the initial training, the budding scientist needs to get to a point where personal motivation takes over. This is the internal motivation to excel, not just to please your teacher and get a good grade.

So what am I saying here? I am saying that you cannot rest on your laurels as PSHS students. All you life you have been told you were smart, with high IQ, etc. I am saying that there is some work to be done, and that you need the discipline to put in the hours. You need to have STICK-TO-ITIVENESS, that trait that allows you to not rely just on your smarts, but on your persistence and patience. There is no overnight success. What we sometimes see as flashes of genius come only once we have put in the hours, and thought about things long enough. 10,000 hours.

Let me also talk a little bit about the “FLOW state.” This is the state of optimal performance described extensively by Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi in his book “Flow.” This is when you are working at a high level, concentrating on one thing, and you forget the time. You thought it was only 30 minutes, but you have been at it for four hours! Have you ever had this experience? 

For FLOW to happen you need to be mindful of the present. By that, I mean away from distractions such as your cellphone, texting, chat, FB, Twitter. I am not sure how this whole multi-tasking approach contributes to flow. I suspect it detracts from it and makes it harder to achieve. 

The third and final characteristic is the CLARITY OF PURPOSE. Why do you want to do things? Why pick this or that career? Really, the basic question is this – What is the purpose of your life? My friend Marshall Brain, who developed the website How Things Work, gave me this piece of paper that had the acronym – WWIDWME. WHAT WOULD I DO WITH MY EXISTENCE? I taped it to my office wall so I see it every day.

What would you do with your existence? My observation is that people I truly admire are people who have a purpose beyond themselves, a higher purpose that guides them. I am not talking about fame and fortune. Maybe that higher purpose is making a difference to the life of someone. Maybe it’s making a contribution in science and the pursuit of knowledge. Maybe it’s rebuilding a nation, changing the lives of the poorest among us. There are so many ways we can contribute, many ways we can dedicate ourselves to a higher purpose. So I want you to start asking WWIDWME?

So to recap, it’s ATTITUDE, EXCELLENCE, and PURPOSE. I would like to encourage you to adopt a thankful and CAN-DO attitude, so that people will be attracted to your positive outlook and energy. I would like to encourage you to learn as much as you can. If you are to contribute in the future, you need the discipline to put in the hours. Be curious, explore, imagine. And finally, there has to be a higher purpose, beyond just personal comfort, fame, and fortune.

You live in exciting yet challenging times. Worldwide, we have to somehow provide a higher quality of life for an increasing number of people. The pressures on our natural resources are many. We need to develop cleaner energy, renew our infrastructure, advance public health, continuously develop our cyberinfrastructure. Scientists and engineers need to think about the future of computing, designing new technologies that expand our capabilities – the next iPhone or smart sensor, or new product. At the same time, we need to look at the poorest in the world, the bottom billion who live on less than P50 a day. In the Philippines, we see the inequities in access to resources – basic housing, clean water, energy. These are the challenges of your generation. 

Most of them are scientific in nature – and that is where we need your generation’s curiosity, energy, insights, and hard work. You see, sabi nga ni Einstein, “We can’t solve problems with the same thinking we used to create them.” 

So here’s my challenge to you – what will you do with your existence? How will you use attitude, excellence, and purpose?

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This speech was delivered on Sept. 5, 2011.

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Francis L. de los Reyes III is an associate professor of Environmental Engineering at North Carolina State University. He conducts research and teaches classes in environmental biotechnology, biological waste treatment, and molecular microbial ecology. He was a Balik-Scientist of the DOST, and is a TED Fellow. He is a member of the Philippine-American Academy of Scientists and Engineers. E-mail at [email protected].