<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

"Back off, man. I'm a scientist."

Dr. Peter Venkman/Ghostbusters

A scientist is a person who engages in science, which implies a systematic approach to the understanding of observed phenomena.

In science fiction, scientists may be portrayed as the voice of reason among a group of action-oriented people, or, if they are mad scientists, quite the opposite.

Scientists are commonly used as characters in sci fi. Much of science fiction has to do with scientific advancement, and the actual development may be an important part of the plot. Superman's father, Jor-El, for example, develops the rocket that sends his son to Earth. Dr. Victor Frankenstein is the classic case of the "mad scientist" who has supposedly abandoned common sense in his quest for knowledge. Dr. Clayton Forrester in War of the Worlds is one of those noble "last chance for survival" scientists, trying to find a solution when the military has failed.

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