This article is about the profession. For other uses, see Scientist (disambiguation)

A scientist, in the broadest sense, refers to any person that engages in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge or an individual that engages in such practices and traditions that are linked to schools of thought or philosophy. System (from Latin systēma, in turn from Greek systēma is a set of interacting or interdependent Entities, real or abstract The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem acc of traditio which means "a giving up delivering up surrendering" and is used in a number of A school (from Greek σχολεῖον - scholeion) is an Institution designed to allow and encourage Students (or "pupils" Thought and thinking are mental forms and Processes respectively ("thought" is both Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language In a more restricted sense, scientist refers to individuals who use the scientific method. Scientific method refers to bodies of Techniques for investigating phenomena ^[1] The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding ^[2] This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word.

Etymology

Historically, scientists were termed "natural philosophers" or "men of science"^[3][4][5][6]; they were men of knowledge. History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology For the current in the 19th century German idealism see Naturphilosophie Natural philosophy or the philosophy of nature (from Knowledge is defined ( Oxford English Dictionary) variously as (i expertise and skills acquired by a person through experience or education the theoretical or practical understanding Science and philosophy were roughly synonymous. William Whewell coined the term scientist in 1833 to describe an expert in the study of nature, but this term did not gain wide acceptance until the turn of the 19th century. William Whewell ( May 24, 1794 &ndash March 6, 1866) was an English Polymath, Scientist, Anglican Priest An "expert" ( is someone widely recognized as a reliable source of technique or Skill whose faculty for judging or deciding rightly justly Nature, in the broadest sense is equivalent to the natural world, physical universe, material world or material universe. ^[7][8] By the twentieth century, the modern notion of science as a special brand of information about the world, practiced by a distinct group and pursued through a unique method, was essentially in place. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on

Description

Science and technology have continually modified human existence. Technology is a broad concept that deals with a Species ' usage and knowledge of Tools and Crafts and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus As a profession, the scientist of today is widely recognised. Scientists include theoreticians who mainly develop new models to explain existing data and predict new results, and experimentalists who mainly test models by making measurements — though in practice the division between these activities is not clear-cut, and many scientists perform both tasks. The word theory has many distinct meanings in different fields of Knowledge, depending on their methodologies and the context of discussion. In scientific inquiry an experiment ( Latin: Ex- periri, "to try out" is a method of investigating particular types of research questions or

Mathematics is often grouped with the sciences. Mathematics is the body of Knowledge and Academic discipline that studies such concepts as Quantity, Structure, Space and Like other scientists, mathematicians start with hunches (hypotheses) and then conduct symbolic or computational experiments to test them. A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study and research is the field of Mathematics. Computation is a general term for any type of Information processing. Some of the greatest physicists have also been creative mathematicians. Physics (Greek Physis - φύσις in everyday terms is the Science of Matter and its motion. There is a continuum from the most theoretical to the most empirical scientists with no distinct boundaries. In Philosophy, empiricism is a theory of Knowledge which asserts that knowledge arises from Experience. In terms of personality, interests, training and professional activity, there is little difference between applied mathematicians and theoretical physicists. Personality psychology studies personality based on theories of individual differences The term profession is applied to those persons who have specialized and technical skill or knowledge which they apply for a fee to certain tasks that ordinary and unqualified people cannot Applied mathematics is a branch of Mathematics that concerns itself with the mathematical techniques typically used in the application of mathematical knowledge to other domains Theoretical physics employs Mathematical models and Abstractions of Physics in an attempt to explain experimental data taken of the natural world

Scientists can be motivated in several ways. Many have a desire to understand why the world is as we see it and how it came to be. "The world " is a proper noun for the planet Earth envisioned from an Anthropocentric or Human Worldview, as a place They exhibit a strong curiosity about reality. Reality, in everyday usage means "the state of things as they actually exist" Other motivations are recognition by their peers and prestige, or the desire to apply scientific knowledge for the benefit of peoples health, the nations, the world, nature or industries. Only few scientists count generating personal wealth as an important driving force behind their science.

Scientists versus Engineers

Engineers and scientists are often confused in the minds of the general public, with the former being closer to applied science. An engineer is a person professionally engaged in a field of Engineering. For the song by 311, see Grassroots. Applied science is the application of knowledge from one or more natural scientific While scientists explore nature in order to discover general principles, engineers apply established principles drawn from mathematics and science in order to develop economical solutions to technical problems. ^[9][10] In short, scientists study things whereas engineers build things. However, there are plenty of instances where significant accomplishments are made in both fields by the same individual. Scientists often perform engineering tasks in designing experimental equipment and building prototypes, and some engineers do first-rate scientific research. Engineering is the Discipline and Profession of applying technical and scientific Knowledge and A prototype is an original type form or instance of something serving as a typical example basis or standard for other things of the same category An engineer is a person professionally engaged in a field of Engineering. Mechanical, electrical, chemical and aerospace engineers are often at the forefront of scientific investigation of new phenomena and materials. Mechanical Engineering is an Engineering discipline that involves the application of principles of physics for analysis Design, Manufacturing Electrical engineering, sometimes referred to as electrical and electronic engineering, is a field of Engineering that deals with the study and application of Chemical engineering is the branch of Engineering that deals with the application of Physical science (e Aerospace engineering is the branch of Engineering behind the design construction and science of Aircraft and Spacecraft. Peter Debye received a degree in electrical engineering and a doctorate in physics before eventually winning a Nobel Prize in chemistry. Peter Joseph William Debye ( March 24 1884 &ndash November 2 1966) was a Dutch physicist and physical chemist A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of Higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing Electrical engineering, sometimes referred to as electrical and electronic engineering, is a field of Engineering that deals with the study and application of A doctorate is an Academic degree that indicates the highest level of academic achievement Physics (Greek Physis - φύσις in everyday terms is the Science of Matter and its motion. The Nobel Prize (Nobelpriset (Nobelprisen is a Swedish prize established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Peace, Literature Chemistry (from Egyptian kēme (chem meaning "earth") is the Science concerned with the composition structure and properties Similarly, Paul Dirac, one of the founders of quantum mechanics, began his academic career as an electrical engineer before proceeding to mathematics and later theoretical physics. Quantum mechanics (QM or quantum theory) is a physical science dealing with the behavior of Matter and Energy on the scale of Atoms Electrical engineering, sometimes referred to as electrical and electronic engineering, is a field of Engineering that deals with the study and application of Theoretical physics employs Mathematical models and Abstractions of Physics in an attempt to explain experimental data taken of the natural world Claude Shannon, a theoretical engineer, founded modern information theory. Claude Elwood Shannon (April 30 1916 – February 24 2001 an American Electronic engineer and Mathematician, is "the father of Information Information theory is a branch of Applied mathematics and Electrical engineering involving the quantification of Information.

Historical Scientists

See also: Timeline of the history of scientific method

Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen) has been described as the "first scientist" for his development of the scientific method. This Timeline of the history of scientific method shows an overview of the Cultural inventions that have contributed to the development of the Scientific method. TemplateInfobox Muslim scholars --> ( Arabic: ابو علی، حسن بن حسن بن هيثم Latinized Scientific method refers to bodies of Techniques for investigating phenomena

The physicist Albert Einstein is one of the most well known scientists of the 20th century. Albert Einstein ( German: ˈalbɐt ˈaɪ̯nʃtaɪ̯n; English: ˈælbɝt ˈaɪnstaɪn (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955 was a German -born theoretical

Louis Pasteur's portrait in his later years. Louis Pasteur (27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895 a French Chemist and Microbiologist, is best known for remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and

An early scientific method which emphasized experimentation was first used by the Iraqi Muslim Arab physicist and polymath Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen), circa 1021 AD, in his Book of Optics, and he has been described as the "first scientist" for this reason. Scientific method refers to bodies of Techniques for investigating phenomena In scientific inquiry an experiment ( Latin: Ex- periri, "to try out" is a method of investigating particular types of research questions or For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion A polymath ( Greek polymathēs, πολυμαθής "having learned much" is a person whose knowledge is not restricted to one subject area TemplateInfobox Muslim scholars --> ( Arabic: ابو علی، حسن بن حسن بن هيثم Latinized The Book of Optics ( Arabic: Kitab al-Manazir, Latin: De Aspectibus or Opticae Thesaurus Alhazeni ^[11]

There are notable examples of people who have moved back and forth among disciplines. Such polymaths were common during the Islamic Golden Age and European Renaissance. A polymath ( Greek polymathēs, πολυμαθής "having learned much" is a person whose knowledge is not restricted to one subject area The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Many of these early polymath scientists were also religious priests and theologians: for example, the polymath scientists Alhazen and al-Biruni were mutakallimiin; the polymath physician Avicenna was a hafiz; the polymath physician Ibn al-Nafis was a hafiz, muhaddith and ulema; the astronomer and physician Nicolaus Copernicus was a priest; and Gregor Mendel, whose discoveries on inheritance founded modern genetics and provides a mechanism to explain Charles Darwin's observations about evolution, was also a priest. A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Kalām (علم الكلام is the Islamic philosophy of seeking Islamic theological principles through Dialectic. TemplateInfobox Muslim scholars --> ( Persian /ابو علی الحسین ابن عبدالله ابن سینا (born Hafith or Hafiz ( Arabic: حافظ قرآن or حافظ plural huffaz) literally meaning 'guardian' is a term used by Muslims in modern TemplateInfobox Muslim scholars --> Ala al-Din Abu al-Hassan Ali ibn Abi-Hazm al-Qarshi al-Dimashqi ( Muhaddith is an Islamic title referring to one who profoundly knows and narrates Hadiths the chains of their narration ( asaneed) and the original and famous Ulema ( ar علماء,, singular ar عالِم,, "scholar" refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several Gregor Johann Mendel ( July 20, 1822 &ndash January 6, 1884) was "Heir" and "Heiress" redirect here For the men and women fragrances endorsed by Paris Hilton see Heiress (fragrance. Genetics (from Ancient Greek grc-Latn genetikos, “genitive” and that from grc-Latn genesis, “origin” a discipline of Biology, is Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008

Descartes was not only a pioneer of analytic geometry but formulated a theory of mechanics and advanced ideas about the origins of animal movement and perception. Analytic geometry, also called coordinate geometry and earlier referred to as Cartesian geometry or analytical geometry, is the study of Geometry The word theory has many distinct meanings in different fields of Knowledge, depending on their methodologies and the context of discussion. Mechanics ( Greek) is the branch of Physics concerned with the behaviour of physical bodies when subjected to Forces or displacements A muscles contraction (also known as a muscle twitch or simply twitch) occurs when a Muscle fibre generates tension through the action of Actin In Psychology and the Cognitive sciences perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of sensory Information. Vision interested the physicists Young and Helmholtz, who also studied optics, hearing and music. In Psychology, visual perception is the ability to interpret information from Visible light reaching the Eyes The resulting Perception is also A physicist is a Scientist who studies or practices Physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning Thomas Young (13 June 1773 &ndash 10 May 1829 was an English Polymath who contributed to the scientific understanding of vision, Light Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Newton extended Descartes' mathematics by inventing calculus (contemporaneously with Leibniz). Sir Isaac Newton, FRS (ˈnjuːtən 4 January 1643 31 March 1727) Biography Early years See also Isaac Newton's early life and achievements Calculus ( Latin, calculus, a small stone used for counting is a branch of Mathematics that includes the study of limits, Derivatives He provided a comprehensive formulation of classical mechanics and investigated light and optics. Classical mechanics is used for describing the motion of Macroscopic objects from Projectiles to parts of Machinery, as well as Astronomical objects Light, or visible light, is Electromagnetic radiation of a Wavelength that is visible to the Human eye (about 400–700 Fourier founded a new branch of mathematics — infinite, periodic series — studied heat flow and infrared radiation, and discovered the greenhouse effect. Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier ( March 21, 1768 &ndash May 16, 1830) was a French Mathematician and Physicist In Mathematics, a Fourier series decomposes a periodic function into a sum of simple oscillating functions In Physics, heat, symbolized by Q, is Energy transferred from one body or system to another due to a difference in Temperature In the various subfields of Physics, there exist two common usages of the term flux, both with rigorous mathematical frameworks Infrared ( IR) radiation is Electromagnetic radiation whose Wavelength is longer than that of Visible light, but shorter than that of The Greenhouse effect refers to the change in the Thermal equilibrium temperature of a planet or moon by the presence of an Atmosphere containing gas that absorbs Von Neumann, Turing, Khinchin, Markov and Wiener, all mathematicians, made major contributions to science and probability theory, including the ideas behind computers, and some of the foundations of statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics. Alan Mathison Turing, OBE, FRS (ˈt(jʊ(ərɪŋ (23 June 1912 &ndash 7 June 1954 was an English Mathematician Aleksandr Yakovlevich Khinchin ( Russian Алекса́ндр Я́ковлевич Хи́нчин French Alexandre Khintchine ( July 19, 1894 Andrey (Andrei Andreyevich Markov (Андрей Андреевич Марков (June 14 1856 N Norbert Wiener ( November 26, 1894, Columbia Missouri – March 18, 1964, Stockholm, Sweden) was an American Probability is the likelihood or chance that something is the case or will happen A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions. Statistical mechanics is the application of Probability theory, which includes mathematical tools for dealing with large populations to the field of Mechanics Quantum mechanics is the study of mechanical systems whose dimensions are close to the Atomic scale such as Molecules Atoms Electrons Many mathematically inclined scientists, including Galileo, were also musicians. Galileo Galilei (15 February 1564 &ndash 8 January 1642 was a Tuscan ( Italian) Physicist, Mathematician, Astronomer, and Philosopher A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a

In the late 19th century, Louis Pasteur, an organic chemist, discovered that microorganisms can cause disease. Louis Pasteur (27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895 a French Chemist and Microbiologist, is best known for remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and Organic chemistry is a discipline within Chemistry which involves the scientific study of the structure properties composition reactions, and preparation A microorganism (also spelled micro organism or micro-organism and also called a microbe) is an Organism that is Microscopic (usually A disease is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions and can be deadly A few years earlier, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., the American physician, poet and essayist, noted that sepsis in women following childbirth was spread by the hands of doctors and nurses, four years before Semmelweis in Europe. Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr, (August 29 1809 &ndash October 7 1894 was a Physician by profession but achieved fame as a Writer; he was one of the best The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A physician, medical practitioner or medical doctor who practices Medicine, and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human Health This article is an abbreviated list of Essayists - individuals notable for writing essays on various topics Sepsis is a serious medical condition characterized by a whole-body inflammatory state (called a Systemic inflammatory response syndrome or SIRS caused Childbirth (also called labour, birth, partus or parturition) is the culmination of a Human Pregnancy or A nurse is responsible—along with other Health care Professionals —for the treatment safety and recovery of acutely or chronically Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis ( July 1, 1818 &ndash August 13, 1865) also Ignac Semmelweis (born Semmelweis Ignác Fülöp There are many compelling stories in medicine and biology, such as the development of ideas about the circulation of blood from Galen to Harvey. Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the Foundations of modern biology There are five unifying principles Blood is a specialized Bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body's cells ��such as nutrients and oxygen—and transports Waste products Galen ( Greek: Γαληνός Galēnos; Latin: Claudius Galenus, Aelius Galenus, Claudius Aelius Galenus, or William Harvey ( April 1, 1578 – June 3, 1657) was an English Physician who is credited with being the first in The flowering of genetics and molecular biology in the 20th century is replete with famous names. Genetics (from Ancient Greek grc-Latn genetikos, “genitive” and that from grc-Latn genesis, “origin” a discipline of Biology, is Molecular biology is the study of Biology at a molecular level Ramón y Cajal won the Nobel Prize in 1906 for his remarkable observations in neuroanatomy. Santiago Ramón y Cajal ( May 1 1852 &ndash October 17 1934) was a Spanish histologist, Physician, and The Nobel Prize (Nobelpriset (Nobelprisen is a Swedish prize established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Peace, Literature Neuroscience is a field devoted to the scientific study of the nervous system

Some see a dichotomy between experimental sciences and purely "observational" sciences such as astronomy, meteorology, oceanography and seismology. A dichotomy is any splitting of a whole into exactly two non-overlapping parts Observation is either an activity of a living being (such as a Human) which senses and assimilates the Knowledge of a Phenomenon, or the recording of data Astronomy (from the Greek words astron (ἄστρον "star" and nomos (νόμος "law" is the scientific study Meteorology (from Greek grc μετέωρος metéōros, "high in the sky" and grc -λογία -logia) is the Interdisciplinary Oceanography (from the greek words Ωκεανός meaning Ocean and γράφω meaning to write also called oceanology or Seismology (from Greek grc σεισμός seismos, "earthquake" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of Earthquakes But astronomers have done basic research in optics, developed charge-coupled devices, and in recent decades have sent space probes to study other planets in addition to using the Hubble Telescope to probe the origins of the Universe some 14 billion years ago. Historically Astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky while Astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena A charge-coupled device ( CCD) is an analog Shift register, that enables the transportation of analog signals (electric charges through successive stages (capacitors History First orbital flights The first successful orbital launch was of the Soviet unmanned Sputnik A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is The Hubble Space Telescope ( HST; also known colloquially as "the Hubble" or just "Hubble" is a space telescope that was carried into The Big Bang is the cosmological model of the Universe that is best supported by all lines of scientific evidence and Observation. The Universe is defined as everything that Physically Exists: the entirety of Space and Time, all forms of Matter, Energy Microwave spectroscopy has now identified dozens of organic molecules in interstellar space, requiring laboratory experimentation and computer simulation to confirm the observational data and starting a new branch of chemistry. Rotational spectroscopy or microwave spectroscopy studies the absorption and emission Electromagnetic radiation (typically in the Microwave An organic compound is any member of a large class of Chemical compounds whose Molecules contain Carbon. A laboratory (informally lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific Research, Experiments and A computer simulation, a computer model or a computational model is a Computer program, or network of computers that attempts to simulate an Debt AIDS Trade in Africa (or DATA) is a Multinational non-government organization founded in January 2002 in London by U2 's Computer modeling and numerical methods are techniques required of students in every field of quantitative science. A computer simulation, a computer model or a computational model is a Computer program, or network of computers that attempts to simulate an A number is an Abstract object, tokens of which are Symbols used in Counting and measuring. A quantitative attribute is one that exists in a range of magnitudes and can therefore be measured. Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding

Those considering science as a career often look to the frontiers. Career is a term defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as an individual's "course or progress through life (or a distinct portion of life" These include cosmology and biology, especially molecular biology and the human genome project. Physical cosmology, as a branch of Astronomy, is the study of the large-scale structure of the Universe and is concerned with fundamental questions about its Foundations of modern biology There are five unifying principles Molecular biology is the study of Biology at a molecular level The human genome is the Genome of Homo sapiens, which is stored on 23 chromosome pairs Other areas of active research include the exploration of matter at the scale of elementary particles as described by high-energy physics, and nanotechnology, which hopes to develop electronics including microscopic computers, and perhaps artificial intelligence. Matter is commonly defined as being anything that has mass and that takes up space. In Particle physics, an elementary particle or fundamental particle is a particle not known to have substructure that is it is not known to be made Particle physics is a branch of Physics that studies the elementary constituents of Matter and Radiation, and the interactions between them Nanotechnology, sometimes shortened to nanotech, refers to a field of Applied science whose theme is the control of matter on an Atomic and Molecular Electronics refers to the flow of charge (moving Electrons through Nonmetal conductors (mainly Semiconductors, whereas electrical A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions. Although there have been remarkable discoveries with regard to brain function and neurotransmitters, the nature of the mind and human thought still remain. The brain is the center of the Nervous system in animals All Vertebrates and the majority of Invertebrates have a brain See Chemical synapse for an introduction to concepts and terminology used in this article MIND ( Moving In New Directions) (est 1975 is an alternative education high school in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus Thought and thinking are mental forms and Processes respectively ("thought" is both

Types of scientists

Archeologists

Astronomers 

astrophysicists

Biologists 

astrobiologists, botanists, entomologists, evolutionary biologists, ecologists, geneticists, herpetologists, ichthyologists, immunologists, lepidopterists, microbiologists, neuroscientists, ornithologists, paleontologists, pathologists, pharmacologists, physiologists, and zoologists

Chemists 

biochemists

Computer scientists

Earth scientists

geologists, mineralogists, seismologists, volcanologists, hydrologists, glaciologists, limnologists, meteorologists, and oceanographers

Mathematicians

Physicists

Philosophers

Psychologists

Social scientists 

anthropologists, demographers, economists, geographers, political economists, political scientists, and sociologists

Technological and agricultural scientists

Medical scientists

Military scientists

See also

• Fields Medal
• Gentleman scientist
• History of science (and the History of science category)
• Lay people
• Mad scientist
• Natural science
• Nobel Prize
• Protoscience
• Pseudoscience
• Social science
• Women in science

Related lists

• List of engineers
• List of mathematicians
• List of scientists

References

External articles

Further reading

• Science, The Relation of Pure Science to Industrial Research. American Association for the Advancement of Science. Page 511+.
• Arthur Jack Meadows. The Victorian Scientist: The Growth of a Profession, 2004. ISBN 0712308946.
• Charles George Herbermann, The Catholic Encyclopedia. Science and the Church. The Encyclopedia press, 1913. v. 13. Page 598.

Websites

• The philosophy of the inductive sciences, founded upon their history (1847)- Complete Text
• Who was the greatest scientist ever? - Cafe Intellect
• For best results, add a little inspiration - The Telegraph about What Inspired You?, a survey of key thinkers in science, technology and medicine
• Peer Review Journal Science on amateur scientists