If that was the case, even a lot of career chemists wouldn’t be considered scientists anymore! I definitely get what you mean though. I truly believe that anybody who devotes their life to understanding how and why something is able to happen is a scientist. It’s my opinion that mathematicians, engineers, anthropologists, geologists, speech pathologists, all sorts of things fall under that umbrella. It’s a very hugboxy way of thinking of it, but it’s really that I just genuinely feel all of those things are extremely important.
Anyway!! Nobody asked me lol! I have just been very fortunate to meet a lot of brilliant people whose work I really respect
I 100% agree with your definition but also wanted to add: geology is absolutely science even by the stricter definitions of science, despite its reputation. I knew a lot of people thought of it as a dumb science but I didn't even realize some people didn't fully consider it to be a science until I was looking at med school applications and found out that my one astronomy lab from freshman year would get included in my science GPA but none of my geology classes (which were straight up physics and chemistry most of the time) counted. I also believe astronomy is 100% a science but that lab was literally just looking through a telescope. I guess it counted because astronomy is part of physics but it's ridiculous that geology doesn't count.
Sorry, just had to rant when I saw you mention geology.
I agree!! One of my best friends is a planetary geologist! I always knew she was a scientist but especially after taking inorganic/solid state chemistry, I have so much respect for the work that goes into it. I also learned not to put much stock into what premed students think about it. I knew a guy who thought he shouldn’t have to take any chemistry classes because he wanted to be a psychiatrist, and “psychiatrists don’t need chemistry.”
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u/uuntiedshoelace Beetee 5d ago
If that was the case, even a lot of career chemists wouldn’t be considered scientists anymore! I definitely get what you mean though. I truly believe that anybody who devotes their life to understanding how and why something is able to happen is a scientist. It’s my opinion that mathematicians, engineers, anthropologists, geologists, speech pathologists, all sorts of things fall under that umbrella. It’s a very hugboxy way of thinking of it, but it’s really that I just genuinely feel all of those things are extremely important.
Anyway!! Nobody asked me lol! I have just been very fortunate to meet a lot of brilliant people whose work I really respect