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... It is an essential attribute for individuals to have when striving for success in both the sciences and humanities.

I think Lewis Carroll was ahead of his time when he makes Alice (in Wonderland) say "Curiouser and Curiouser!" as a reaction to the ridiculousness occurring in her "reality". I'm sure this was not a main concern for Carroll, but little, innocent Alice is but an everyday scientist investigating the new variables & characters in her world. Her fantasy world entices her -- it is her curiosity & creativity that fuels her crazy/ fun adventures (with the rabbit, Cheshire cat, Mad Hatter, and Queen of Hearts to name a few).

Real-life scientists use their curiosity to conduct experiments -- and to have the drive to accept the "wrongness" of them ... and to manipulate variables to make the results "less wrong". Science would be lost without curiosity! It is an inevitable part of exploration... Who? What? Where? When? How? .. and WHY?

In the humanities (specifically literature for simplicity's sake), writers and readers are curious. Writers use their imaginations to concoct plot lines, characters, and themes --chances are they do not write their stories in 1 day. They "stick it in a drawer", wait a few days -- and return to the draft with a curious mind. What will the human brain come up with next for my character? How will this character die or live happily ever after?

Additionally, the reader is just as curious if not more than the writer. A reader chooses a book based on his or her curiosity ... something about the author's choice of title or the "plug" about it was enticing ... sparked interest --- sparked CURIOSITY!