In a chemistry experiment I once conducted, my results would not line up with the results listed in the textbook. I did the experiment again, making sure I used the correct chemicals and measurements, but the experiment still did not yield the desired outcome. Every scientist goes through this cycle; they must test everything they find multiple times. This is the image John M. Barry paints in his book The Great Influenza. Barry utilizes numerous writing devices to show readers what all scientists must go through in order to prove a single discovery.

In the first three paragraphs of the passage, Barry lays the foundation for his argument. First, he states that while certainty creates strength, uncertainty creates weakness and fear, making one …show more content…
Continuing the metaphor, Barry writes that if a scientist succeeds in marking the wilderness, others will quickly be able to flood to the area the researcher spent months looking for. This logical scenario proves that researchers and scientists do the majority of the work. By contrasting the time it took a scientist to locate a place compared to the time it took people who went after it was found, Barry shows the exhausting work of any scientist. Barry also compares this example of a successful mission to the real world, where not all scientists can deal with uncertainty. This comparison brings doubt about not accepting uncertainty. Barry also states the obvious: experiments do not simply work. Experiments rarely yield the desired result, so it is up to the investigator to manipulate the variables to force out the “correct” answer. This point Barry makes all goes back to the argument of accepting uncertainty and failure. No matter what, when scientists venture into the unknown, they need to remember that they will never know what they will find. Barry is able to tie up his argument effectively by leaving readers with an important thought: uncertainty creates weakness, but it must be