Blog Post #2: Tangible Item in Research

Amity Tran

HON 101

Schultz

8 September 2016

Blog Post #2: Tangible Item in Research

Although it seems like an object not worthy of importance, it is actually one of the most important items in research--the pencil. The pencil has only been around since the 14th century, but before the pencil, there were reed brushes in ancient Egypt, fingers in sand in India, and bone styluses during the Dark Ages. Humans have been using tools to write for thousands of years, whether it be writing symbols, letters, or pictures, these writing instruments have allowed us to record and preserve the history of our world and those living in it.

The pencil is a tool that is widely used in research. It is used to draw observations, write down data, and take notes. If the pencil never existed, one of biology’s most important studies would never have been known, Charles Darwin’s research on evolution. During his research, Darwin would always have a pencil and his notebook on hand so he would be able to take notes on his observations anywhere, any time. With a pencil, he wrote up to 15 notebooks worth of observations, thoughts, data, and pictures that proved the theory of evolution. A pencil allowed him to save his research, a study that is still widely referred to today.

Pencils (and other writing instruments) are one of a researcher’s most important tools. Writing instruments have been used to record the studies of many researchers that are revered today: Charles Darwin, Galileo Galilei, Albert Einstein, and many more. This tiny wooden stick and its relatives have given humans knowledge and history, by giving us the ability to write down our thoughts and save them. With the writings made by a pencil, we are able to not only learn from what we have discovered and written ourselves, but also from the discoveries and writings of others.