tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34231050.post1702328899214252163..comments2024-01-07T08:58:58.797+00:00Comments on The Frog Blog: What is a Scientist?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13726334168528203927noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34231050.post-69754971015044198562012-03-14T12:47:58.407+00:002012-03-14T12:47:58.407+00:00I wouldn't like to be the one to tell Stephen ...I wouldn't like to be the one to tell Stephen Hawking he's not a scientist! <br /><br />Er, does a degree in Philosophy count? I fear I'm about 2,500 years too late to be called a scientist! <br /><br />Overall, I tend to agree with Marie's definitions above. Go "people of science"!Sylviahttp://scibernia.ie/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34231050.post-40550062503540629462012-03-13T12:29:02.341+00:002012-03-13T12:29:02.341+00:00@Marie @Maria I totally agree
And on a more gener...@Marie @Maria I totally agree<br /><br />And on a more general note - isn't it great that science opens the door to so many types of work, including research, communication, teaching and policy development...Claire O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34231050.post-66199395445171957492012-03-13T10:54:11.471+00:002012-03-13T10:54:11.471+00:00I think it's a bit more nuanced than scientist...I think it's a bit more nuanced than scientist/not-a-scientist. Also, the definition is temporal. For example, I see Claire and Maria as trained scientists but not active scientists. And it's not mutually exclusive: Claire is both a trained scientist and a science journalist but not all science journalists are scientists (I fall into the latter category because I am formally qualified as Marie Boranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15890543336642788207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34231050.post-40346130519001211482012-03-13T10:22:42.195+00:002012-03-13T10:22:42.195+00:00According to Wikipedia "a scientist is, in a ...According to Wikipedia "a scientist is, in a broad sense, is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science."<br /><br />Does that make us all right or complicate things further?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13726334168528203927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34231050.post-26294988304479779042012-03-13T01:06:36.674+00:002012-03-13T01:06:36.674+00:00Just saw your most recent comment Claire and I thi...Just saw your most recent comment Claire and I think you nailed it on the head.<br /><br />I think there are people who are scientists (in labs/researching etc) and those who have other jobs (incl. science ones) but trained as scientists/worked in science. <br /><br />When asked to fill in my work area on forms etc I usually pick "Science" or "Scientist" but in conversation I Maria Dalyhttp://sciencecalling.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34231050.post-31723690860676192812012-03-12T22:43:19.237+00:002012-03-12T22:43:19.237+00:00Out of curiosity I looked up the Oxford online def...Out of curiosity I looked up the Oxford online definition of a scientist:<br /><br />noun<br />a person who is studying or has expert knowledge of one or more of the natural or physical sciences:<br />a research scientist<br /><br />*<br />Does that shed any light? :)Claire O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34231050.post-83279775464095731042012-03-12T22:15:52.110+00:002012-03-12T22:15:52.110+00:00My answer will probably be controversial as I only...My answer will probably be controversial as I only have a primary degree in science but no further qualifications. Perhaps many would not think of me as a scientist as I'm not conducting research or writing scientific papers.<br /><br />There are a number of reasons I still consider myself a scientist, despite this:<br />1) For me science is like a way of life and after getting my science Maria Dalyhttp://sciencecalling.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34231050.post-10020486523472478892012-03-12T22:14:14.443+00:002012-03-12T22:14:14.443+00:00@TriploidTree Haha, you are far too young to remem...@TriploidTree Haha, you are far too young to remember this, but you reminded me of the famous 'ology' ad<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEfKEzX9QLEClaire O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34231050.post-22973670402079567942012-03-12T21:58:14.741+00:002012-03-12T21:58:14.741+00:00@Claire On the plus side, whether scientist or jou...@Claire On the plus side, whether scientist or journalist, you'll still be an -ist!TriploidTreehttp://scienceisdelicious.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34231050.post-80577035134931463382012-03-12T21:33:39.522+00:002012-03-12T21:33:39.522+00:00Snap TriploidTree! :D
I had just been thinking a...Snap TriploidTree! :D <br /><br />I had just been thinking about the questions of when does one become a scientist and, once you have become a scientist in the strictest sense (maybe the criteria are doing research and publishing the findings?), then when do you stop being one? <br /><br />Is it the moment you put down the pipette, hang up the lab coat and go do something else? I think that'sClaire O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34231050.post-88995540541750826982012-03-12T20:41:35.392+00:002012-03-12T20:41:35.392+00:00I'm torn between both scientists /do/ science ...I'm torn between both scientists /do/ science and scientists are people who apply science in any and all fields.<br /><br />I would have called myself a student of science up until I got my primary degree, after which point I became a "scientist". I am qualified as a medical laboratory scientist even though I am doing research instead of going on to work in a hospital lab. A Triploidtreehttp://scienceisdelicious.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34231050.post-18172232971938085652012-03-12T19:31:03.365+00:002012-03-12T19:31:03.365+00:00I can't take credit for that punctuation error...I can't take credit for that punctuation error - copied and pasted that one directly from the twitter machine. <br /><br />Eoin. A well put argument and I can see where you're coming from. But think of Stephen Hawking. Correct me if I'm wrong but I can only imagine he hasn't been actively involved in research for some time. Does he not deserve to be still known as a scientist. OrAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13726334168528203927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34231050.post-75278816356782216432012-03-12T19:20:11.382+00:002012-03-12T19:20:11.382+00:00Sanvito was adament that a scientist is "some...Sanvito was adament that a scientist is "somebody who's job is to do science"...<br /><br /><br />An essential part of science is communicating effectively, which requires good spelling and punctuation skills!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34231050.post-38872349660273967562012-03-12T18:21:42.447+00:002012-03-12T18:21:42.447+00:00This is an interesting question and I find myself ...This is an interesting question and I find myself substantially agreeing with Stefano on the matter. There can be no dispute that "somebody who's job it is to do science" should be called a scientist. An artist 'produces' art so must a scientist produce science?<br />Where, I think, we have some scope to manoeuvre though is in how we define what "doing" science is.Eoin Letticehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01071259029480033661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34231050.post-27582618656342716332012-03-12T10:28:01.333+00:002012-03-12T10:28:01.333+00:00Interesting discussion - nice to have more than 14...Interesting discussion - nice to have more than 140 characters here too :)<br /><br />This really got me thinking yesterday. I see myself as a scientist: I studied it at undergraduate level, did and defended a PhD in science and worked as a post-doc doing scientific research. I've had my findings published in the scientific literature. <br /><br />In my book that makes me a scientist, even Claire O'Connellnoreply@blogger.com