What is Scientist: Definition and 205 Discussions

A scientist is a person who conducts scientific research to advance knowledge in an area of interest.In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosophical study of nature called natural philosophy, a precursor of natural science. It was not until the 19th century that the term scientist came into regular use after it was coined by the theologian, philosopher, and historian of science William Whewell in 1833.In modern times, many scientists have advanced degrees in an area of science and pursue careers in various sectors of the economy such as academia, industry, government, and nonprofit environments.

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  1. A

    A scientist in an aerospace company

    Can a physicist work at an aerospace company?? If yes, which companies offer such jobs?
  2. X

    What makes you a scientist? Degree? Job?

    Hello everyone! I hope this is the correct spot for this question. Basically I was wondering who exactly can call themselves a scientist? I have several co-workers who have degrees in Environmental Science. We do not work in that field though. And during several debates - one in which they were...
  3. Z

    Math needed to be a physicist/mathematician/computer scientist?

    My current circumstances do not permit me to get an undergraduate major in either of those three, though in grad school I'll probably take up one of those three. I would like a list of mathematical topics I should be well acquainted with to do any of those three in graduate school. I'm planning...
  4. D

    Physics Research Scientist or Physicist

    I want to have some career advice from you all, let me first start with my background... I graduated from a BME program, and finished a PhD in MRI last year. I am currently a Research Scientist at a hospital. After working for almost a year, I found myself lacking ideas in doing research. To...
  5. Pythagorean

    Balancing Work, Study and Family: A Journey of a Student Scientist

    I'm working half time in a neurolab, the other in a physics lab. Meanwhile I have a thesis to work on, and two offers to participate in papers (psych and neuro). So I took my family out camping this weekend instead :)
  6. marcus

    The First Scientist: Anaximander and his legacy

    A new book in the history of science. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594161313/?tag=pfamazon01-20 Delving into the first glimpses of physical law. The idea that nature and experience could be explained by (semi-quantitative) laws instead of by myths and gods. What is the root of scientific...
  7. A

    Teaching vs. research scientist

    I'm currently a junior in college (in physics) but for the past half-year, I have struggled between staying in physics or switching to education to become a teacher instead (not necessarily in science, either, just elementary). My issue is... I'm not the best at physics but I enjoy it. I've...
  8. D

    How poor will I be as a scientist?

    I am thinking of going into Graduate School for science something related to mathematical ecology. I don't like engineering but I really like science and math. But I'm afraid I will be stupid and poor if I get a Phd and go into academia. I do want to use science to accomplish something in the...
  9. mugaliens

    NASA Scientist claims to have found concrete evidence for extraterrestial life

    http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/03/05/exclusive-nasa-scientists-claims-evidence-alien-life-meteorite/". Snippet:
  10. Simfish

    Is New Scientist a Credible Source for Scientific Information?

    A lot of people say that it isn't credible. See http://www.reddit.com/r/Physics/comments/ftid2/has_anyone_else_noticed_an_unusually_large_number/ for example. But that being said, I still think that the vast majority of its articles are credible. It didn't even post yesterday's "bacteria...
  11. E

    NASA NASA Scientist Claims Evidence of Alien Life on Meteorite

    http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/03/05/exclusive-nasa-scientists-claims-evidence-alien-life-meteorite/ When you consider the intergalactic scale and that there are something like 3x10^24 stars it seems so probable that life would exist--even in more complex forms. I heard that other labs...
  12. O

    Is Pursuing a Career in Astrophysics Worth It?

    http://wuphys.wustl.edu/~katz/scientist.html" I'm an undergrad, getting ready to start taking physics classes next year. My interests lie in astrophysics, mostly. I have always thought that being a professor was the career for me. I know I wouldn't make as much money in this field as I could...
  13. Z

    No scientist has ever seen an electron

    No scientist has ever seen an electron... No scientist has ever seen an electron but yet believe in its existence. An intelligent but superstitious man advances this analogy to argue that ghosts exist even though no one has ever seen one. How will you refute his arguement? Is the statement...
  14. F

    US Military OCS, physical scientist.

    Does anyone have any experience with the military officer candidate school career path for physical scientists? I would like to put my physics B.S. to use, but I don't think I can get into a graduate program. I also don't want to join just to get shipped into a combat zone. What's it like?
  15. B

    Hardcore Scientist Overlord Builds an Armored Suit With Assisting Bionics

    Conal Mc Beth, also known as Dr. Holocaust on stage, performer, comic book author, science popularizer, physicist, computer programmer, and electronics engineer builds a steel armored hybrid powered limb suit that uses motors controlled by switches built into the suit that respond to his muscle...
  16. M

    Harvard scientist claims to reverse aging in mice wow

    http://bigthink.com/ideas/25265
  17. L

    How to be a highly-qualified A.I scientist?

    How to be a highly-qualified A.I scientist? hi all, i am a freshmen Computer Science student at a community college. i am trying to be an A.I scientist in the future. How do I need to prepare to become a top-notch A.I scientist since the beginning?
  18. A

    Scientist and Active Revolutionary? Is that possible?

    Me and a friend are going to start a socialist movement in my country. He is going to be a sociologist and i wana become Electrical Engineer. He is more oriented in social sciences, he sucks at math, physics and chemistry and he dosent like it. I really like science and that's what...
  19. T

    What does a materials scientist do?

    I've heard a lot of good things about the field of materials science, and the work being done seems really cool to me. But I'm wondering what a working materials scientist actually does. Does it use a lot of math and physics? Is it mostly lab work? Is it more qualitative? The reason I ask...
  20. C

    Air Force Scientist - Should I Pursue Career?

    Thinking about becoming an Air Force Scientist after college. I just want to know everyone's opinions.
  21. S

    Scientist Wanted. (Los Angeles)

    So, I've come up with what I think is a pretty darn neat idea for my Burningman project, but the technical implementation thereof is what I'm getting hung up on. The reason? ...It involves things I conceptually understand, but have never implemented on an applied basis- like...
  22. rhody

    New Scientist: Knowing the mind of God: Seven theories of everything

    From a very very brief http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18612-knowing-the-mind-of-god-seven-theories-of-everything.html?page=1"of seven competing theories for a Theory of Everything: from New Scientist: 15:33 04 March 2010 by Michael Marshall 1. String theory 2. Loop quantum gravity...
  23. D

    New Scientist Magazine for High School Seniors

    @admin: Sorry if this is supposed to be in some other forum. If this is in the wrong forum, feel free to move it I want to get a science magazine that centers around math, physics, and engineering. After looking on a few websites "New Scientist" seems interesting. Does anyone have an opinion...
  24. E

    News Tehran blast kills nuclear physics scientist

    An Iranian nuclear physics scientist has been killed in a remote-controlled bomb attack in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Dr. Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, a lecturer at the Tehran University and a staunch supporter of the Islamic Revolution, was killed in booby-trapped motorbike blast on Tuesday...
  25. L

    How would i go about becoming a scientist?

    how would i go about becoming a scientist? or even a Electronics Technician. i am in grade 10, What courses would i need to take? I also would like to know of what importance credits, degrees and diplomas are. kthnxbye
  26. M

    How Much Does a Cern Scientist Earn Annually?

    Roughly how much does a Cern physicist or other scientist make each year?
  27. A

    Can a modern scientist be religious

    I my view is the same thing asking: Can a modern football player be a scientist? Are different level of energies why is so hard to understand?
  28. K

    What famous scientist reminds you of yourself?

    What famous scientist reminds you of yourself?
  29. O

    Engineering Whats the difference between what an engineer and a scientist do every day?

    I was just reading this post : https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=337568&highlight=aerospace+engineering+physics+double+major "What does an aerospace engineer actually "Do"". I'm pretty much back and forth between physics and aerospace as a major, or possibly both (I'm a junior so...
  30. T

    Can a Modern Scientist Be Religious?

    Can a modern scientist be religious or even have a religion?
  31. C

    Trying to become a recognized home-grown scientist

    I am in a community college taking certificate classes because i need to start earning money urgently and won't be able to afford a 4-year college in the near future. Yet I know physics and math to a fairly high extent and I have 2 theories/inventions. I can't afford to patent those things...
  32. H

    Who is your favorite scientist, and why ?

    For me it's a toss up between Paul Verhoeven & Stephen Hawking. Verhoeven because with his PhD in Mathematics in Physics he's gone on to make some of the most entertaining films of the 20th century. Starship Troopers, Total Recall, RoboCop; awesome movies, I know lol. Hawking because...
  33. W

    Did any scientist did experiment to prove that current measurement changed the past?

    Did any scientist do experiment to prove that current measurement changed the past with time stamps on both current and past events? I mean with clear time stamps showing the the past event happened earlier(as proof from a strick time stamp), and it must not be possible to happen if the...
  34. E

    Exploring the Standard Model with a Typical Scientist

    A typical Scientist trying to get Standard Model to work. http://home.comcast.net/~erica.ramsey/StandardModelAndScientists.jpg
  35. P

    Frankness & Scientists: Is There a Connection?

    So I was letting my mind wander freely for a moment and I thought about something. Amongst all of my friends I am the most frank. I always say what's on my mind, and I'm not afraid to tell someone the truth, even if it might hurt. I attribute this to being in science. It's just our way of...
  36. T

    Considering to become a Rocket Scientist- Help

    Although I'm sure i might change my mind, i want to become a rocket scientist. Though i have a few questions: 1.Where would be a preferable place to work 2.where would be a good place to live- nice house, good schools, and low crime rate 3.what will my salary look like If you know any answer...
  37. Loren Booda

    A most admirable scientist whom you've met

    Please relate of a great scientist whom you've met and admired. __________ He who comes to my mind is Harold Edgerton, the inventor of the strobe light and high-speed photography. My father took me to MIT, one of my prospective schools to interview in 1977. He introduced me to Dr. Edgerton...
  38. V

    Is a Scientist Defined by Their Beliefs or Career Choice?

    thread title... is an Engineer a scientist?
  39. E

    What scientist predicted the end of physics in the late 1800s?

    Hi to you all! I don't remember the name of a scientist of late '800, who said that we were arriving to the end of the physics, because just little experiments to solve, and then we would have known all about the physics. But that little experiments would have originated QM and relativity...
  40. D

    Scientist makes radio waves travel faster than light

    Link: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/HealthandScience/LANL_scientist_makes_radio_waves_travel_faster_than_light Is this true ? Can radio waves or light really be send faster than light using a rapidly spinning magnetic field ? Sorry if there already was a thread about this, I couldn't...
  41. G

    Do you need a PhD to be called a scientist?

    Do you need a PhD after your name to be a scientist?
  42. O

    News Legendary Climate Scientist Says Last Chance to Stop Global Warming

    Legendary Climate Scientist Says "Last Chance" to Stop Global Warming WASHINGTON - Exactly 20 years after warning America about global warming, a top NASA scientist said the situation has gotten so bad that the world's only hope is drastic action. James Hansen told Congress on Monday that...
  43. Link

    American Scientist or Physics world

    I would like to subscribe to a magazine that will get me a some science reading appropriate to my level. Do the above two magazines require specialist knowledge of any subjects, and which would be better for a physics undergraduate?
  44. W

    What Event Shaped the Mind of This Famous Scientist?

    can anyone tell me if there's any particular event which happened in the past which helped shape the creative and childlike mind of famous scientist, thx.
  45. T

    Okay, why is this guy a scientist and not a felon?

    http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=self-experimenter-chemist-explores-new-psychedelics" I'm pretty sure that I'd be in jail if I tried following in this guy's footsteps.
  46. rohanprabhu

    Do scientist eventually give up on the ultimate truth?

    Most of the great scientists I have seen.. are men who have strong belief in God. So is it common for all scientist to give up on the ultimate truth and accept that the occurrings in this universe are controlled by an almighty?
  47. D

    Video: Scientist plans Time Machine - Is this possible?

    Please watch the video first. Its only about 5 minutes long: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRWwI61so5Q&NR=1 Thats really fascinating to me but I feel that somethings strange about it. Can you imagine this? As soon as he turns the machine on he could get messages from the future...
  48. wolram

    I Hate Scientist: But Still Worth It

    Because when they are right they right, but when they are wrong they are right because they followed the scientific method. Apart from that i think you scientist are worth the money.
  49. R

    NASA NASA Scientist Fired - Promises Disclosure

    Not sure what to make of this one. Its a very popular recent story on various websites. obviously its a quite far fetched sounding story, but it is being made by people who acually worked at NASA. The fact there is a book being written on this does not help his cause either. But that is no...
  50. Simfish

    Famous scientist break-ups (and possible reasons why)

    Do you people know of any other cases? - James Watson and Francis Crick (for a while) - Chen Ning Yang and Tsung Dao Lee - Werner Heisenberg and Neils Bohr (due to Heisenberg staying in Germany) - Edward Teller and "everyone" -
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