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Science

Meek

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After many years of trying to figure out what I would absolutely adore doing, I decided I would enjoy being a scientist and enjoy is an understatement.

I like being the brain behind things, or at least one of the brains.
Painting to sell art won't work for me. I will never be good enough, I know it.

I am not settling for science, though but something about it has always excited me.

Math is an awful subject for me and boring so I assume science requires a lot of math? The details are fuzzy with this.

See, my 'dream' job is an astronomer but that shit requires way too much math and I am very forgetful with maths.

Fear holds me back, though but right now, I am a house keeper and I enjoy it due to the lovely staff I work with who are always so very kind to me and appreciate me. Otherwise, the job would start looking very bleak and useless.

Has anyone ever heard of an Infp scientist? :p
 

wildcat

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After many years of trying to figure out what I would absolutely adore doing, I decided I would enjoy being a scientist and enjoy is an understatement.

I like being the brain behind things, or at least one of the brains.
Painting to sell art won't work for me. I will never be good enough, I know it.

I am not settling for science, though but something about it has always excited me.

Math is an awful subject for me and boring so I assume science requires a lot of math? The details are fuzzy with this.

See, my 'dream' job is an astronomer but that shit requires way too much math and I am very forgetful with maths.

Fear holds me back, though but right now, I am a house keeper and I enjoy it due to the lovely staff I work with who are always so very kind to me and appreciate me. Otherwise, the job would start looking very bleak and useless.

Has anyone ever heard of an Infp scientist? :p

Try simple equations on your own, without a guide book or a teacher.
You either solve them or then you don't.
If you do not solve them, forget about science.
You will find other things.
 

Octarine

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I disagree with Wildcat - his 'test' shows that you aren't suited for pure math, not that you aren't suited towards science. Depending on the field, the math can often be more data-analysis oriented (using computers and sometimes programming models), rather than solving mathematical proofs on paper.

You still need a strong interest in whatever field you choose though. You must find discussing the intricacies of a particular field very interesting if not exciting. The question is what field will most keep your interest.

Being 'forgetful' of small details is not such a big deal, so long as you have a conceptual understanding of what you are doing - if you are working with a mathematical model, then you will work with it until it works properly - you can learn to spot your mistakes. Astrophysics for example does typically require some high level programming skills. Often with specialised applications that make the job easier - you are not programming applications in the typical sense.
Here is an example of such a (highly cited) astrophysics paper: http://iopscience.iop.org/0004-637X/556/1/121/53006.text.html
The math itself is not that sophisticated, it is the scientific modelling that is sophisticated. Such papers are difficult for non-specialists (including myself) to understand, but not that difficulty for those trained in the field.

Biology and medical research is becoming increasingly math based too, but in these fields, research is very much team based and the math/programming is usually performed by specialists.
 

Tamske

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Try simple equations on your own, without a guide book or a teacher.
You either solve them or then you don't.
If you do not solve them, forget about science.
You will find other things.
EQUATIONS?!? Please don't. Science isn't about equations, just like literature isn't about spelling. You need to have some mathematical insight, but that can be learnt, just as spelling can be learnt.

I've met lots of people who tell me "whoa, you're scientist? I've never understood that." And further in the conversation they ask me how soap works, and I tell them, and they wonder why they never liked science in school. "That's easy, if the teacher at school explained it like that...!"
There are two problems with "science at school". One is the way it's taught and especially, how it's tested. The teacher can explain everything, but if the tests are all about the equations, the students will study the equations and remember science as being all about equations. The other is that, in this occasion, the "student" asked a specific question he's interested in, it's always more fun to get an answer on something you already wondered than to be flooded with knowledge you never asked for.

The second isn't a problem at all for you. After all, you want to be a scientist.
The first... well, you'll need the math, of course. But the math will become easy and even fun as soon as the scientific insight is there. I promise.

Let me try a few science questions. You don't need to get them "right" at first sight, just see if they tickle you.

(1) You've got two balls, equal diameter, one made of wood and the other of iron. Both are painted with the same paint. You let them fall. Which one will land first?

(2) You glue the balls of question (1) together. How fast will the combined ball fall, compared to the separate ones?

(3) You've got two identical light bulbs. Firstly, you connect one of them to a battery. Then you add the second in series. Will the first lamp burn brighter, less bright, or equally bright after you added the second bulb?

If science interests you, please don't hesitate. Try. Don't let the maths scare you. If you can grasp concepts like force and velocity, the mathematical concept of vectors will suddenly be easy. Heck, even the relativity equations are... just equations. You can look them up if you need them. Relativity isn't about E = mc^2, to take the best known (and easiest) equation of relativity, but about inertia (the property of resisting against change) and energy (the property of being able to cause change) being one and the same. See the difference?

Never mind type. I can't name a well-known INFP scientist (though I suspect some of my former colleagues), but why would that stop you? If there aren't INFP scientists yet, there should be!

Last but not least: if you started to do experiments in order to answer my questions, you don't have to become a scientist. Then you are one already.
 

Meek

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EQUATIONS?!? Please don't. Science isn't about equations, just like literature isn't about spelling. You need to have some mathematical insight, but that can be learnt, just as spelling can be learnt.

I've met lots of people who tell me "whoa, you're scientist? I've never understood that." And further in the conversation they ask me how soap works, and I tell them, and they wonder why they never liked science in school. "That's easy, if the teacher at school explained it like that...!"
There are two problems with "science at school". One is the way it's taught and especially, how it's tested. The teacher can explain everything, but if the tests are all about the equations, the students will study the equations and remember science as being all about equations. The other is that, in this occasion, the "student" asked a specific question he's interested in, it's always more fun to get an answer on something you already wondered than to be flooded with knowledge you never asked for.

The second isn't a problem at all for you. After all, you want to be a scientist.
The first... well, you'll need the math, of course. But the math will become easy and even fun as soon as the scientific insight is there. I promise.

Let me try a few science questions. You don't need to get them "right" at first sight, just see if they tickle you.

(1) You've got two balls, equal diameter, one made of wood and the other of iron. Both are painted with the same paint. You let them fall. Which one will land first?

(2) You glue the balls of question (1) together. How fast will the combined ball fall, compared to the separate ones?

(3) You've got two identical light bulbs. Firstly, you connect one of them to a battery. Then you add the second in series. Will the first lamp burn brighter, less bright, or equally bright after you added the second bulb?

If science interests you, please don't hesitate. Try. Don't let the maths scare you. If you can grasp concepts like force and velocity, the mathematical concept of vectors will suddenly be easy. Heck, even the relativity equations are... just equations. You can look them up if you need them. Relativity isn't about E = mc^2, to take the best known (and easiest) equation of relativity, but about inertia (the property of resisting against change) and energy (the property of being able to cause change) being one and the same. See the difference?


This proves that science is my calling. I've had two hours of sleep and I have to go to a shitty job today. I can't drink coffee or anything to stimulate me or I have panic attacks. Reading over the balls theory and the light bulb theory woke me up, it was like reading caffeine , lol. That is the best part for me. The fun part of science, which is why I love "Young Einstein" the movie so much. It was very fun to watch. "Roll and rock!" Lols. The problem I have is forming answers in my head along with questions because sometimes, it's difficult to picture certain things and then I forget easily. I may be add or adhd, I'm not sure.

That is why I can't write stories, I get too add and go off somewhere else and get way too distracted. :/
I hated school. I hated science class because all of the teachers I knew were jerks and treated me like crap
for wanting to do things at my own pace.
 

Meek

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I was starting to wonder where I fall into this category and started getting a little sad. Then, I saw the last square and laughed so hard and it made me feel better. :) : )
get-file.xqy

It really came as a huge surprise haha
 

Meek

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EQUATIONS?!? Please don't. Science isn't about equations, just like literature isn't about spelling. You need to have some mathematical insight, but that can be learnt, just as spelling can be learnt.

I've met lots of people who tell me "whoa, you're scientist? I've never understood that." And further in the conversation they ask me how soap works, and I tell them, and they wonder why they never liked science in school. "That's easy, if the teacher at school explained it like that...!"
There are two problems with "science at school". One is the way it's taught and especially, how it's tested. The teacher can explain everything, but if the tests are all about the equations, the students will study the equations and remember science as being all about equations. The other is that, in this occasion, the "student" asked a specific question he's interested in, it's always more fun to get an answer on something you already wondered than to be flooded with knowledge you never asked for.

The second isn't a problem at all for you. After all, you want to be a scientist.
The first... well, you'll need the math, of course. But the math will become easy and even fun as soon as the scientific insight is there. I promise.

Let me try a few science questions. You don't need to get them "right" at first sight, just see if they tickle you.

(1) You've got two balls, equal diameter, one made of wood and the other of iron. Both are painted with the same paint. You let them fall. Which one will land first?

(2) You glue the balls of question (1) together. How fast will the combined ball fall, compared to the separate ones?

(3) You've got two identical light bulbs. Firstly, you connect one of them to a battery. Then you add the second in series. Will the first lamp burn brighter, less bright, or equally bright after you added the second bulb?

If science interests you, please don't hesitate. Try. Don't let the maths scare you. If you can grasp concepts like force and velocity, the mathematical concept of vectors will suddenly be easy. Heck, even the relativity equations are... just equations. You can look them up if you need them. Relativity isn't about E = mc^2, to take the best known (and easiest) equation of relativity, but about inertia (the property of resisting against change) and energy (the property of being able to cause change) being one and the same. See the difference?

Never mind type. I can't name a well-known INFP scientist (though I suspect some of my former colleagues), but why would that stop you? If there aren't INFP scientists yet, there should be!

Last but not least: if you started to do experiments in order to answer my questions, you don't have to become a scientist. Then you are one already.

What do you think of this? http://wuphys.wustl.edu/~katz/scientist.html
 

Scott N Denver

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I have a MS in physics and recently had my 5 year working anniversary.

"Science" is pretty broad, do you have a more particular idea of what kind of science you would like to do?

Any science research I've ever heard of will require a 4 year university degree, and often additional years and degree(s) beyond that as well. That's a significant amount of time to invest.

Realize that there isn't exactly a particularly broad group of MBTI types that get drawn to science, and of those who start down that road only a subset will stick through with it. I TA'ed for years, not everyone that goes in thinking its what they want still feels that way after they see what it takes to get there and what it takes to stay there.

The experience of others may differ perhaps, but in my experience there is not a very wide group of MBTI types who stick with science. If you don't like the types who do populate the field, or you don't function very effectively in their culture/workplace, those can be very big issues. In my experience, INT's form the majority of researchers, and usually NTJ's are the ones in the management positions.

When you say "science" are you thinking specifically of being a "researcher" of some sort or other, or would you include "technology" and applying science/technology as well? Engineers learn a decent amount of science, thought they are much more on the applied side of things.
 

Tamske

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This is also true. But then again, what do you mean by "becoming a scientist"?
I've studied physics until I was 22, then did a PhD for four years. Trying to work out other people's ideas, indeed - though I DID sometimes, almost secretly, try out a few things myself. They never worked out. But then again, that is research - if you don't try, you don't know it doesn't work. Only the working theories will get known. I did one year of postdoc afterwards. This is the only year I consider "lost", with hindsight - I worked long and hard to obtain zero new insights. Frustrating, yes. But it could also have worked...
After that I became a teacher.
So instead of at 22, I got my teacher's diploma at 28 years old. I could have done that earlier. True. But I don't consider those PhD years as lost. I did lots of science, I was really immersed and interested in it, I earned money and I was happy.

My greatest dream is becoming a professional writer. If I ever become one, would those previous careers - a physics researcher, a teacher - be lost? Of course not. Only if you see the last thing as something ultimate, as something you should have geared to from the beginning, yes.
I'm not resentful of the strange path I've taken to becoming a high school teacher. And if I become a writer, I'll have lots of science and teaching experience to mine inspiration from.

So again, what is "becoming a scientist" to you? Do you want to be a researcher? A teacher? A learner? Do you just want to know how everything works because that's just cool? I'm a geek scientist too! :)
And not a researcher any more, because I was fed up with the way academics worked . And because I need deadlines to be productive. That doesn't take away any of my interest in science.
 

Randomnity

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scientist = 4-5 years undergrad, then 4-7 years phd, depending how slow you are (and whether you need a masters first). If you do that, very very early in the undergrad part of it, try to work for at least a summer in a lab and see what it's like. The daily job is nothing like the undergrad (like any job, I guess). And it's a lot of school if you're not certain that you actually want the career.

What kind of science do you spend your free time learning about? That'll give you a clue as to undergrad direction. What is your favourite science class in high school (you will need to take all three in many cases)

<--grad student in science

I'm not planning to be a prof, but that path has additional difficulties that you definitely should research if that's your plan.

edit: while you will need varying amounts of math at the end job (anywhere from almost none to lots of addition/basic algebra to complex equations, depending on the field/specific job), you definitely need to pass several classes of it in undergrad, preferably with a decent mark. Math is just practicing for the most part, though.
 

Coriolis

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scientist = 4-5 years undergrad, then 4-7 years phd, depending how slow you are (and whether you need a masters first). If you do that, very very early in the undergrad part of it, try to work for at least a summer in a lab and see what it's like. The daily job is nothing like the undergrad (like any job, I guess). And it's a lot of school if you're not certain that you actually want the career.

What kind of science do you spend your free time learning about? That'll give you a clue as to undergrad direction. What is your favourite science class in high school (you will need to take all three in many cases)

edit: while you will need varying amounts of math at the end job (anywhere from almost none to lots of addition/basic algebra to complex equations, depending on the field/specific job), you definitely need to pass several classes of it in undergrad, preferably with a decent mark. Math is just practicing for the most part, though.
The highlighted is not universally true. There are many scientific and technical occupations that do not require a PhD, some not even a Master's. You may need graduate degree(s) to be a project leader, and certainly a professor, but if you just want to do the work, even a BS suffices in some settings, especially if you can get some research experience through internships or co-op programs. You can always go back to school later.

Randomnity's questions about identifying a direction are good. I would recommend also that you ask yourself why you want to be a scientist -- what aspects of scientific work interest or intrigue you. Is it hands-on experimentation, predicting outcomes through models, understanding fundamental properties of the universe, designing things and making them work? Another way of putting it: just what do you envision yourself doing all day as a scientist? Answers to these will also help you determine not only what kinds of courses to take, but what kinds of research experiences to look for.

Do not be put off by math. First, you probably are more capable here than you think. Second, there are many fields and subfields of science, and they vary in how math-intensive they are. Third, contrary to (some) stereotypes, few scientists operate as the Lone Ranger. Most work in teams where something that is not your strong suit will be a strength of someone else, while you have some strength that they lack.

If you are interested in science, do not let anything, especially not your MBTI type, deter you. Yes, depending on your field you may run into more INTJs than you otherwise would. Just keep being yourself, doing a good job, and the variety will actually be quite welcome.
 

Randomnity

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yeah, I guess my definition of scientist is a little different, but yeah there are jobs in scientific fields that don't need grad school - research technicians and so on. They're just more detail-oriented as opposed to research-oriented. You'll still need a BSc for those, though.
 

Sanctus Iacobus

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Scientist isn't really a profession, it's an occupation. That is, it's a means to an end and that end will be the mark of your professional nature far more than the profession of science. Often times, people in your position are considering what attracts them to a profession, so you need to consider whether you will actually enjoy the occupation of scientist. This is especially important if you're the type of person who enjoys certain details about their job like the people you're currently working with. This will be difficult, though, because as others have stated the occupational nature of scientists vary widely. I'd say your success in this endeavor will depend on your interest in the field rather than your interest in the profession. What fields are you interested in? (ex. fuel technologies, medicine, materials?)
 

shoshana

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After many years of trying to figure out what I would absolutely adore doing, I decided I would enjoy being a scientist and enjoy is an understatement.

I like being the brain behind things, or at least one of the brains.
Painting to sell art won't work for me. I will never be good enough, I know it.

I am not settling for science, though but something about it has always excited me.

Math is an awful subject for me and boring so I assume science requires a lot of math? The details are fuzzy with this.

See, my 'dream' job is an astronomer but that shit requires way too much math and I am very forgetful with maths.

Fear holds me back, though but right now, I am a house keeper and I enjoy it due to the lovely staff I work with who are always so very kind to me and appreciate me. Otherwise, the job would start looking very bleak and useless.

Has anyone ever heard of an Infp scientist? :p

I do not think you are making this decision based on the right premise... "science" is an incredibly wide subject area... saying you want to study "science" is almost laughable to me...

find things that interest you and see how you can study and learn more about them rather than say "hey i want to be the brain behind things... that must mean i want to study science"! it sounds absolutely ridiculous, unless you are in primary school.

also... i knew an astro-physics grad student very well and he was often rusty on math. Math is a tool and if astronomy is something you want to pursue than you might be able to grit through the coursework and keep your textbooks in order to look up information when you need it. also in any field of applied science in which you need to use math you are likely to not need a huge arsenal of equations memorized. if you are interested in hydrology, for instance, you would have most of the Darcy's Law equations memorized because you use them so often --- not because you have a great memory.
 
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