Ever Thought of Becoming a Scientist? You Can!

Emily Morgan
ILLUMINATION
Published in
5 min readJul 13, 2020

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Anyone can be a citizen scientist and contribute to the world’s knowledge

Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash

Where science and life intersect

I love science and scientific thinking. I’m a questioner and a critical thinker. I even conduct scientific research as part of my studies and my job. But for all of us, there are times when emotion tips the scales, when media images smash through our cautious outlook and when we struggle to make sense of all the ‘experts’ who seem to devote more energy to disagreeing with each other than to educate the public.

In today’s world of sensationalist media and poorly funded science education, it can be extremely difficult to develop an informed mindset. Being informed helps us make sure that our decisions are based on sound knowledge. Thinking scientifically means understanding and emulating how scientists think and conduct research, cultivating a questioning outlook and critical thinking skills.

This helps us not to be persuaded into poor purchasing choices by unscrupulous marketers, not to make potentially life-threatening behavioural choices in the face of medical science, and not to mistake the many offerings of the entertainment media for education.

Yawn.

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Emily Morgan
ILLUMINATION

Top Writer in Parenting, Food and Cooking. Lover of language, history, travel, writing and life! Visit @EmilyMMorganMe or http://www.emilymmorgan.info.