What exactly is a scientist?

The Science Advocate defines science as ‘ethically and repeatedly testing predictions to find evidence-based truths about the natural world’, but what exactly makes someone a scientist? If all your life you pictured scientists as people with crazy hair wearing lab coats and safety glasses playing with mysterious liquids – or simply as Albert Einstein – you are probably not alone.

Unfortunately, there is no exact definition for a scientist. We define scientists as experts who actively work in or research an area of science. This distinguishes scientists from people who simply studied science but work in a different field. Like the Science Advocate, scientists usually specialise in the natural world (biology, physics, chemistry, psychology).

A common misconception is that you need a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) to call yourself a scientist. This is absolutely not true – not all PhD holders are scientists and not all scientists have a PhD. A PhD can be awarded in any discipline, from history to language to music. The commonality between scientists and those with a PhD is both groups place large emphasis on research.

Below is a list of common and not-so-common scientist titles. Next time you meet someone who works as one of these professions, you will know they are a scientist.

• Astronomist

• Botanist

• Ecologist

• Embryologist

• Engineer

• Medical laboratory scientist (a.k.a. pathology scientist)

• Meteorologist

• Neuroscientist

• Nuclear physicist

• Reproductive biologist

In the true spirit of the Science Advocate’s mission, we believe there is a small scientist in everyone. If you ever had a prediction to test and you conducted objective research to find an outcome, in essence you were a scientist. So, as a child when you mixed every soft drink available at the restaurant in one glass to see if it tasted like the ultimate refreshment, you acted as a scientist!

In any case, you do not need to be a scientist to love science! We at the Science Advocate hope to bring all people closer to science, one blog at a time.

Knowledge is power,

The Science Advocate