nonscientist
Outside the lab
A nonscientist is someone who is not a scientist—a person without formal scientific training or who works outside scientific fields.
The term often appears when distinguishing between expert and lay audiences: The book explains quantum physics for nonscientists.
It can also mark a boundary in debates about who should interpret scientific findings.
One excluded from group
- amateurNonprofessional participant
- civilianNon-military person
- noviceInexperienced newcomer to field
- untrainedLacking learned skills
general public · uninitiated · nonexpert · nonspecialist · nonprofessional · unschooled · lay reader · public
One who seeks information
- wondererOne who marvels
- questionerOne who poses inquiries
- explorerOne who investigates unfamiliar regions
- observerOne who perceives events
stargazer · nature lover · birdwatcher · hobbyist · self-taught · tinkerer · experimenter · autodidact
One who contradicts
- doubterOne who disbelieves
- criticOne who judges merit
- contrarianChronic majority-opposer
- disbelieverOne who denies truth
questioner · challenger · misinformed · conspiracy theorist · pseudoscience · alternative medicine · flat-earther · anti-vaxxer
outsider
One excluded from group
untrained · general public · uninitiated · nonexpert · nonspecialist · nonprofessional · unschooled · lay reader · public · commoner
inquirer
One who seeks information
- wondererOne who marvels
- questionerOne who poses inquiries
- explorerOne who investigates unfamiliar regions
observer · stargazer · nature lover · birdwatcher · hobbyist · self-taught · tinkerer · experimenter · autodidact · popularizer
denier
One who contradicts
- doubterOne who disbelieves
- criticOne who judges merit
- contrarianChronic majority-opposer
disbeliever · questioner · challenger · misinformed · conspiracy theorist · pseudoscience · alternative medicine · flat-earther · anti-vaxxer · climate denier
nonscientistscientist
One who studies nature
researcher · experimentalist · empiricist · natural scientist · life scientist