Agree. In addition to curiosity another quality I think is very important is persistence. A surprising amount of being an effective data scientist comes down

Agree. In addition to curiosity another quality I think is very important is persistence. A surprising amount of being an effective data scientist comes down to being able to learn new things quickly and being able to make the computer do what you want it to, especially when the first few things you try don't work. Success if often a trial and error process, involving slowly building a deep understanding of the problem you're trying to solve (business and technical), hitting lots of problems, and not giving up too easily (at least, not giving up due to surmountable technical hurdles). This often means spending many hours banging your head into a brick wall; but in my experience these are often the times I'm learning quickest even if it doesn't feel like it at the time.