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[burningbothends]

[Roy's addressing the network casually, phone propped on his desk and angled up to his face, smiling amiably.]

Since it seems to have come up a few times this month on the network, it's got me curious— How many other imPorts here consider themselves to be scientists? What's your field? Have you seen much change in it, here?

I suppose I'll count some forms of 'magic' for this as well. As long as it's an explicable phenomenon that operates on established, reliable laws. If the answer to "How does it work" is "I don't know", it doesn't count!

[So he's been a little crankier about magic since people keep comparing it to alchemy, which is a science. A real science, not a protoscience.]

I'll go first, for the sake of fairness. Back home, I was a chemist before I joined the army. Though in my time, there were only about ninety elements. I've been getting back into it now that I have the time; It's been interesting to see the developments. To think humans have reached the point where we can synthesize entirely new elements is astonishing.

Comments

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[virusbusting]

I want to be a scientist when I'm older, if that counts. My dad is one though.

[burningbothends]

That certainly counts. Do you know what field you're interested in?

[virusbusting]

Computers! Or maybe something to do with transportation, not sure yet. But computers is definitely on the list.

You said you were a chemist? What kind of stuff did you do?

[burningbothends]

Computers, hm... They seem to be popular.

[Ahaha, nothing he would tell a small child about.]

Not much, honestly, I only studied it for a few years. Does your father do computers, as well?

[virusbusting]

They're everywhere back home. A little less here, but there's still a lot.

[Excuse u he's technically a teenager now.

...Chronologically.]

And yep, he does. I think he used to used to work in a different field as well, but mostly he does computers and internet stuff these days.

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[monge]

Oh! I can turn water into ice, zura! The trick is getting it really, really cold, zura.

[burningbothends]

Incredible. Well, that's certainly science.

[monge]

I have all sorts of sciences, zura! Like...ah...oh! I can also turn corn into popped corn, zura!

Re: video

[heart_wrenching]

[ WHAT IS THIS. WINRY WANTS IT. ]

Definitely science! Hello!

[monge]

[Oh! A whole other person!]

Ah...

[Komasan straights himself up before throwing a paw into the air.]

H-Hi, I'm Komasan, zura!

[heart_wrenching]

Hello Komasen Zura, I'm Winry.

[monge]

[Oh dear.]

Eh... n-no, it's just Komasan, n-not...that, zura...

[Video]

[fullmetalbrat]

[Ed is only just outside the Residence, sprawled in a sunny patch of grass while he holds the phone up to let the camera get a shot of him.]

You know if you count some magic it's just going to make Cordelia think she can keep going on like she does.

[burningbothends]

Still. I wouldn't want to call a perfectly legitimate ad rational science magic or protoscience.

[fullmetalbrat]

Especially not one that could be helping to advance knowledge and save lives, right?

text; network id: dr. h. gottlieb

[mathemagier]

Computer Science and Engineering, Theoretical Physics, and a more recent foray into Biotechnology, though perhaps not for much longer. I prefer research over production.

Seeing as how the laws of even quantum physics seem to have changed, I don't doubt many scientists have found themselves with new information to process against questions that have long been answered for most.

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[mischiefsmith]

All forms of magic can be explained by a proper sorcerer, so would not all magic qualify as science? I come from a realm where the two are the same.

[burningbothends]

'All' is probably too generous. Just being explicable isn't quite the same as being explicable in terms of reliable laws.

[mischiefsmith]

Reliable laws? There is nothing about science that is complete, you treat it like it's something rigid, like there are universal principles involved.

[burningbothends]

The goal of science is to discover those universal principles. Unfortunately, it usually ends up doing itself...

[mischiefsmith]

I thought the goal of science was to disprove, that's why things are just theories, laws, and principles...none of that is set in stone, it's just things generally accepted that have yet to be disproved. Universal principles would require that someone have universal knowledge, I've yet to meet anyone with universal knowledge--even me.

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[notyourfathersosborn]

I lean more towards engineer personally, but I do run a chemical company so I'd be remiss if I didn't have at least a science background. At least in terms of what my company deals in, it's more or less the same as back home. Don't get me wrong, there are a few minor differences, but mostly in what people named things here.

[burningbothends]

What sort of chemicals does your company specialize in?

[notyourfathersosborn]

Trust me, that's an insanely boring conversation. Without going into huge details, our current main focus is producing plasticizers using our unique catalytic processes, though we also develop, produce, and market about 200 intermediates and are working on broadening our portfolio of monomers. You can feel free to go to OsCorp's website for specifics.

In English, we primarily work on chemicals used in plastics that ultimately wind up as packaging for various products, from food to pharmaceuticals.

[monster_san]

I'm studying computer science at home, if you think that counts. And I can tell you there has been more change in it than I could possibly have imagined... though I don't know if it's as dramatic as being able to exceed the limits of the periodic table.

[burningbothends]

I really don't know much about computers, but I'd think it'd count. What drew you to it?

[monster_san]

My parents are both computer engineers. And I agree with them that technology has amazing potential--with a few lines of code you can achieve things not even imagined by people at the beginning of this century. [...] That is, the twentieth century. It's opened up completely new ways to communicate.

[burningbothends]

Just the communicators are more than I could have imagined. Mobile communication back home usually requires about twenty pounds of equipment and even then it's usually unreliable.

[monster_san]

Goodness--it sounds like the days of Morse Code and telegrams. Although I suppose you didn't have Mr. Samuel Morse where you're from, so it would have a different name.

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[superposition]

[did somebody say SCIENCE? are we having a science-off? we are now.]

See, now, that's a reasonable attitude. Magic defies explanation by definition - if there're provable laws involved, it's not magic. [beat] Granted, that magic exists in the first place is an eternal thorn in my side, but still. [he shrugs. what can ya do.]

For my own part, my specialty is quantum physics - more specifically, its applications in computing and teleportation. [You could almost say he wrote the book on it, if he had the patience to write a book.] Not by far my only field, but it's the primary one. Have they come up with quantum yet, in your time period?