this post was submitted on 23 Jan 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago) (2 children)

Me, an autistic “independent scientist”: Literally making names up as a need for terminology emerges.

My interest and research philosophy is often so specific and build from physical own observations that i frequently cant find the standardized interpretations in known science even though i know they must exist.

Before anyone fights me over it (some have) I am doing this for my own growth and understanding. I don't require it to be compatible with standardized knowledge and i have no specific goal other then growing my perspective and therefor general wisdom.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 minutes ago

It'd be cool if you could format your findings in a way others can understand, though. That way we can learn from your research.

What is your field of study?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 hour ago

I think I get you. You can’t really play around with a new concept in your head until it has a name.

I hate AI slop, but one research trick they are good at is identifying the existing vocabulary others have developed. You can describe the phenomenon in pretty shaky terms and it will spit out the magic words to connect you to the research of others on that topic.

I have found that it accelerates my research significantly because I spend less time in the weeds trying it on my own. It is thus easier to find the edges of our collective knowledge and move research efforts to more unexplored areas.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 hours ago

Talking only with people in the field, so when you say "The thing does the thing with the thing", they know what you mean.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 hours ago

Nah, if you are an actual researcher dealing with hundreds of species you hardly now the common names (if the taxa even have common names, which most don't!). Also, working in a diverse international environment like the research community means that knowing only common names won't get you anywhere. It is very much necessary for you to know scientific names to be able to communicate with others.

I know many the scientific names of taxa from completely different kingdoms than my own research because I've been talking with other researchers about their field of study.

[–] [email protected] 38 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Real experts know and use a variety of names and consciously choose the best one for the specific context and audience in question.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 11 hours ago

and/or for a joke that may amuse only themselves.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 12 hours ago

"No, that's a roly-poly. Not a vulgar armadillo or whatever the fuck you just said."

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 hours ago

Love this! lol