am I a scientist? Do I really need to work in a lab to be one?

Popular opinion won't make her right. A scientist knows they are a scientist. Sounds more like a philosophical battle between you guys. Just relax and don't let people drown out what you want to accomplish.

>>7695472
Tottally agree

>>7695453
Do you make your living by doing scientific work?

This does not have to exclusively be research based but certainly a scientist scientist does research.

If not then you are not a scientist.

>>7695476
maybe?
but I apply science based on the findings of others, I work as an athletic trainer so I am knee deep in formulas and math actually, study of movement, nutrition, exercise sciences. Every aspect of my job is scientific.

>>7695453
Scientific American had a column called "Amateur Scientist" for almost a hundred years.

In my opinion, if you act and make decisions based on the principles of science, you can call yourself a scientist.

And a professional researcher should be called on it if they spout crap from authority without backing it up with scientific principles. "You're not a scientist" is the worst kind of argument, which deserves nothing but contempt.

oh and also I would like to point out that as far as the united states is concerned she doesn't have a biology degree either. She got it in brazil and it isn't recognized anywhere here, she couldn't even go to grad school on it and has to start over and get her undergrad here.

>>7695486
Then you are a scientist. And to some extend a scientist scientist because I assume your job involves research, even if not too broad.

Does it really matter? Why does everyone want to be a scientist all of a sudden? They're just jumping on the science bandwagon.

>>7695497
it does when she is spreading outright anti-scientific information and people are more inclined to believe her because she can so easily disregard me.

and I'm not a bandwagon jumper, science is really the only thing I'm good at. When I was a kid we had to take a fairly large standardized test, I ended up with the highest grade in our school, in fact I scored 2 points higher than my teacher.
I am pretty retarded everywhere else though, I have a bad memory which is why I think science is great for me because there isn't much memory required, if you don't know something you just check the data and figure out the correct answer on the spot.

>>7695511

I'm kind of curious about what she's saying now.

>>7695520
shes saying things like how eating genetically modified foods are dangerous, organic foods are healthier than conventionally grown crops

here is a big argument we had, my friend had dermatitis which was from an unknown cause, he had some open sores. her insistence was on a natural cure, he should go into the ocean and let the salt water clean his sores out.
I said fuck no, that water isn't anywhere close to "clean" enough to treat wounds with, you're putting him at risk of getting a bacterial infection.

and a big argument came from it