My Adventures As an Amateur Scientist
Can a successful scientist be self-taught? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes his conversation with Forrest M. Mims about his new memoir Maverick Scientist: My Adventures as an Amateur Scientist. Without a college science degree, Mims taught himself the fundamentals of engineering and atmospheric science that fueled an impressive career in science and technology.
In Part 1, Mims shared about his coming of age in the silicon era, including early exploits as a young inventor and experiences as a science writer. In this episode, Mims talks about how he got connected to the intelligent design community after a very public dust-up with America’s oldest magazine, Scientific American. Instead of derailing his career, the Scientific American episode actually opened the door to opportunities in atmospheric science. Mims talks about the time he proved NASA wrong on their measurements and why he still consults for NASA today. He shares details of his research conducted at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. He explains why his skepticism on Darwinian evolution is a non-issue for practically every scientist he works with. And he’s got some sage advice for young people interested in becoming amateur scientists. Hint: it involves putting your phone away and doing something!
This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Watch or listen to Part 1!
Dig Deeper
- Get your copy of Maverick Scientist: My Adventures as an Amateur Scientist, available for order now.
- Watch Part 1 of this conversation below: