>>14427644Anon... As someone who is in the same boat and has had a hobby of studying the layman's perspective through various written sources and probably a thousand+ documentaries...
>>14427396 is right. You seriously need to get some self awareness.
Layman's understanding has absolutely shit all to do with real science. Anyone at all can achieve the same with 5 minutes spent on a well bulleted list on any one particular narrow subject.
I have an IQ of 143 and have a career as a software designer / architect and I know that I am objectively smarter than most people I've come across. I have noticed it in my daily life all the time. Yet I discovered a long time ago trying to read scientific papers or arguing with my phycisist friends, that the theorems, formula and proofs they refer to are not just some jargon attempted to confuse, they are literally so far ahead of my understanding that they might as well speak of a different language entirely. And yet that understanding is built on reality, tried, tested, and proven theorems and facts. And these people represent the common scientists, far from those so far beyond them, who actually discover this stuff. They too, are very aware of their own limitations and narrow understanding of any given sub field of science.
My point is that you need to develop at least some degree of self awareness. Take your own branch for example. If you're a good software developer, then you can comfortably argue and win against specialists in your own field, not just in your local office but your actual field globally. Can you say the same for even a middling theoretical phycisist? Can you even understand what they are arguing? The significance of the formulae they bring up? Do you even know the names, papers and research they are citing? Can you even apply the simplest mathematics they use?
If you can't. Then as the other Anon said, that's a no. And it's ok. I'm in the same boat. But at least be aware of your station.
