In accordance with the misconception, I also imagined a scientist as a nerdy, short ghost-white guy that never leaves his lab. However, science is a field of study that requires one to be social and interact with colleagues and other experts. In essence, I supposed, I divorced the term “science” from “scientist.” Any scientific paper is written in a way that another scientist can understand the results and well as repeat the results. This allows others to test whether the experimenter’s conclusions are correct and to revise and suggest new ideas and explanations to the results.

I find it very interesting how science developed its own language and though processes. Standard English words became very specific scientific terms. In order to enter and go further into the world of science, one must learn this language and culture. I also found it very interesting that the science itself is objective but the chosen studies indicate a culture behind the science. One can learn of a scientist’s personal or political interest by just examining the subject of study.

The case study in this chapter dealing with bird watchers reminded me of the BioBlitz. Everyday, non-expert observers were able to contribute to actual scientific data. In this case they had even found experts’ hypothesis to be false. By designating time to bird watching, these citizens learned more about what they were observing with a small minority saying that they had learned nothing throughout their experience.

The strand framework seems like a very effective way of allowing people to internalize science learning. It includes fun and excitement as well as finding ones relationship to science in the world around him.