[NF] NFs interested in science

[William K]

When I was a kid, I was interested in science not because of the science itself but the scientists. I remember being fascinated about the inventors like Edison, Bell and the medical discoveries of Fleming, Jenner, Lister. Probably why I got into research, though I'm probably too P to win a Nobel prize Still aiming for the Turing though....

I'm also influenced a lot by fiction, whether they be books or movies. Indiana Jones made me interested in archaeology (a science?), and Jurassic Park with paleontology and genetic engineering.

 

[stardancer]

I love Science! I had wanted to become a marine biologist throughout my entire 4 years of HS, but somehow I ended up in library science. Being a marine biologist is probably more exciting than being a librarian. Ah well. I also have an interest in astronomy, forensics, meteorology, and archaeology

 

[sculpting]

I have a BS in biochem and an MS in biophysics. I was never as smart as the physicists but was smarter than most of the biochemists. I am scientist turned into a technical marketer.

abstract math makes me very happy. (Notice I just attached an emotive response to a logical concept?) I loved quantum mechanics in a very Fi sort of way. I found in beautifully abstract and symmetric. Bra-ket notation was very satisfying for some reason. I loved taking all the equations and shoving it in a neat little contained package which I could move around in little bundles and make symmetric. I loved physical chemistry and I molecular orbitals are very seductive-especially the imaginary pieces.

I will often open up advanced math books as for some reason all of the symbols fascinate me. I want to understand what each means as they are entrancing. It's like a challenge.

Without Ti, I couldnt keep the math details quite tight enough to be a physicist. I would get the big picture, but make too many small math mistakes. Though Noignm and Scott are both physicists.

In grad school I did NMR and crystallography of protein structures-again abstract, beautiful constructs based on complex data (and lots of shitty lab work).

I also love to troubleshoot data. I think NeTe is likely better at this than most other function combos, with NeTi coming in second. NeTe tag teamed can "lump detect" and identify Te logical inconsistencies out of very complex data sets. We take massive NeTe jumps-based on no data or linkages-with a high inaccuracy rate, yet can find the problem very fast this way.

My NTP engineers will seek me out to troubleshoot their systems and have learned to trust me.

 

[Moiety]

I like science a lot as a kid. Was in an engineering major in college.


But the truth is...it's kinda boring when you can't be that creative about it. Which is most of the time. Methods...chewing already chewed food....not for me.

Synthesizing, hypothesizing ...yes. Good.

 

[Charmed Justice]

Are there any NFs here that like science? If so, which field of science interests you the most?

I find areas in biology, chemistry, physics, and earth and space sciences very fascinating. In biology, I'm particularly interested in anatomy and physiology, genetics, botany, and evolution. Chemistry, I enjoy learning about biochemistry, organic chemistry. Physics, I like topics pertaining to wave and particle motion (i.e. sound, harmonic motion, electromagnetic spectrum), optics, and electrical circuits. Earth and space sciences, I like meteorology, astronomy, and plate tectonics.

So what of the sciences did you find interesting in school?

Love science! I wanted to be a chemist and an astronaut most of my childhood. When I wasn't laying on my bed thinking about something, most of my alone time was spent doing chemistry experiments in our kitchen or in my bathroom(or rigging up booby traps Home Alone style). I also used to build robots and make miniature cities out of shoe boxes and try to wire them with electricity. I was incredibly serious about meteorology as a young teenager, to the point that The Weather Channel was my favorite channel for years. I eventually decided that I was more interested in the social and behavioral sciences.

So, in addition to the social and behavioral sciences, I'm still very much into meteorology, ecology, biology, physics, and astronomy. If I watch tv, I pretty much stick to The Discovery Channel, The Weather Channel, or The Science Channel. Oh, and The Food Network.

 

[Scott N Denver]

My BS is math and physics, my MS is in physics, and I did all of the coursework and some of the research for a PhD in applied physics. The topic area that I work in has aspects of [semiconductor device] physics, EE, and materials science. My last job was laser research, so physics, optics, materials, some EE. Most people I meant along the way either had PhD's in physics, or were working towards them.

With that said, I've always been more of a math person. I wish I knew much more about the details of partial differential equations, and in particular non-linear PDE's and the mathematical modeling thereof.

Gifts Differing states that 25% or so of Research Scientists are NF, while most of the rest are NT. We've still got a sizable proportion of the field

To NF scientists

Who are these "NF scientists" of which you speak???


I think I've had one, read that one, NF peer in all my time, at least at the "working towards a PhD" level. INTJ's are a dime a dozen here IME , with the occasional INTP, ENTJ, or ISTP thrown in for good measure.

 

[JoSunshine]

I loved biology when I was in HS, but the dissections made me woozy, so I switched to geology when I was in college which were my favorite courses outside of sociology.

As a side, but somewhat related note, I was in accounting for 7 years...not such an NF field.

 

[toast]

I've recently discovered that all other fields of learning are only really interesting to me because of science. Such as: Anthropology , is never as interesting to me when I don't organize culture based on evolution or comparative studies. It's not the humanity, the science makes the humanity fascinating. Doesn't seem right for an ENFJ.

Either way, Neurology, Microbiology & Pathology, Cosmology & Theoretical Physics... and Leporidology... that's the greatest field ever, of course.

 

[Scott N Denver]

I would like to point out that there is a tremendous difference between being interested in science, working in science, working in the sciences pursuing research at the PhD level, and doing so in the hard sciences or engineering.

 

[Southern Kross]

I really like science too. It surprised many people when they found out I was to study arts at university and not the sciences. I now wish I had done a conjoint degree

I love:
Astronomy and cosmology
Physics (mainly theoretical physics)
Archeology
Sociology
Palaeontology
Cognitive science
Anthopology
Psychology

I also occasionally enjoy:
Chemistry
Engineering
Geography
Volcanology
Genetics

BTW for all of you NFs that like to dabble in different areas of science should read Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. Bill Bryson has to be a total NF because he writes in a way that appeals to us: interesting, unsual, informative tales and fascinating trivia told in a theoretical, accessible and witty manner. I've read it twice and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. A warning though: you will find yourself boring others with your enthusiatically told tidbits that begin with "Did you know..?" and "I read something really fascinating other day...".

 

[William K]

BTW for all of you NFs that like to dabble in different areas of science should read Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. Bill Bryson has to be a total NF because he writes in a way that appeals to us: interesting, unsual, informative tales and fascinating trivia told in a theoretical, accessible and witty manner. I've read it twice and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. A warning though: you will find yourself boring others with your enthusiatically told tidbits that begin with "Did you know..?" and "I read something really fascinating other day...".

NeSi is well-tuned for trivia? I have lots of seemingly useless facts stored in my head

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

This whole thread gives me a fuzzy feeling.

Hooray for NF's and science.

 

[Southern Kross]

NeSi is well-tuned for trivia? I have lots of seemingly useless facts stored in my head

Same here. I'm good with useless facts but if its actually important it goes in one ear and out the other

You're right it does make sense. Ne loves novelty and Si loves collecting and reviewing facts/data. The two combined = trivia

 

[Tycho]

I'm into food technology; there's not a lot of NF's studying this, it's mostly Sensors I'd say.

I like science a lot (almost any field), but I do admit that I have to trick myself into seeing a poetic side of it before I can happily immerse myself in my studies.

Also, my Ni+Ti isn't very helpful when it comes to memorizing facts; I grasp abstract concepts quite easily, but my long-term memory for scientific facts is rather weak; and I suck at repetitive laboratory work because I'm too distracted.

 

[Moiety]

BTW for all of you NFs that like to dabble in different areas of science should read Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. Bill Bryson has to be a total NF because he writes in a way that appeals to us: interesting, unsual, informative tales and fascinating trivia told in a theoretical, accessible and witty manner. I've read it twice and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. A warning though: you will find yourself boring others with your enthusiatically told tidbits that begin with "Did you know..?" and "I read something really fascinating other day...".

I can attest to most of this
One of the best books I've ever read.

 

[Southern Kross]

I can attest to most of this
One of the best books I've ever read.

Yay! I agree!

Did you go around lecturing people about that creepy but amazing slime mould, the misadventures of Guillaume le Gentil or the unappreciated genuis of Charles Lyell?

 

[Moiety]

Yay! I agree!

Did you go around lecturing people about that creepy but amazing slime mould, the misadventures of Guillaume le Gentil or the unappreciated genuis of Charles Lyell?

Alas...your Si might be tertiary but mine is inferior...


I do recall talking about Newton's stories though. And I forgot about most of what I learned there too

 

[Southern Kross]

Alas...your Si might be tertiary but mine is inferior...


I do recall talking about Newton's stories though. And I forgot about most of what I learned there too

I meant at the time you were reading it and with book in hand. I forget this stuff pretty quickly too. I only vaguely remember some things because of the second reading and because I have the book with me to confirm the details.

I figure I will retain around 30% of it by the 10th reading . And there are some benefits to a poor memory: you get to enjoy the same things over and over again.

 

[garbage]

Who are these "NF scientists" of which you speak???

All of the scientists who polled as NF in that Gifts Differing book.

I think I've had one, read that one, NF peer in all my time, at least at the "working towards a PhD" level. INTJ's are a dime a dozen here IME , with the occasional INTP, ENTJ, or ISTP thrown in for good measure.

We're also not gonna come across as feelers overall, even though it might show from time to time. In my research center of 10, I know of myself and potentially two other feelers. I say "potentially" because it's hard to tell in our environment and the kind of work we do.

This is just like the phenomenon many Ps will come across as Js when J traits are more useful--which, in the working environment, is a lot. In fact, two ENTPs here typed themselves as ENTJs when there's virtually no way of that happening based on what I've seen of how they think and work.

 

[Kaveri]

I have an amateur interest in cosmology, astronomy, physics, evolution biology, archaeology and everything pre-history. I minor in math at a university and hope that it will give me tools to better understand the fields of science that I have an amateur interest in.

"INfJ"

You don't have to type yourself with a small F just because you love science, you know.