What is the title of a person that studies random stuff? or a bit of everything?
For example,
A geologist studies the earth.
A _____ studies random stuff.
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5If we've inventing stuff, I'd like to contribute "aleatologist".– David PughCommented May 19, 2015 at 19:33
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4Actively studies do a degree of knowledge depth or just happens to be interested in whatever topic comes his way and only gets a passing glance at the subject?– CatijaCommented May 19, 2015 at 20:09
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11A Jeopardy contestant :)– yuritsukiCommented May 19, 2015 at 22:58
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12It's not clear that this question is well defined, "random" itself carrying a number of interpretations. Appears random to others and actually random are quite different. The latter would imply some method of randomly selecting topics - a new one on me. For example, I don't consider browsing wikipedia or stack exchange random in this sense.– KeithCommented May 20, 2015 at 4:00
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4jack of all trades– wimCommented May 20, 2015 at 6:12
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12 Answers
Originally coined to describe one who took a superficial, rather than serious, interest in the arts, a dilettante now connotes someone who takes a light interest in many diverse fields, and a deep interest in none; a dilettante is a dabbler.
answered May 19, 2015 at 20:35
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7Though dilettante still has a strong negative connotation, which may not matter to the OP.– A.EllettCommented May 20, 2015 at 13:23
An eclectic:
noun
A person who derives ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.
ODO
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2
A polymath:
A person of great or varied learning; a person acquainted with many fields of study; an accomplished scholar. [OED]
From Greek πολυμαθής, “having learnt or knowing much.”
answered May 19, 2015 at 18:50
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I love this term, but does it imply randomness?– user66974Commented May 19, 2015 at 19:16
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5@Josh61, No, not particularly, but any seeming randomness is almost certain to be in the eye of the unsympathetic beholder. Commented May 19, 2015 at 19:20
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6The question asks for someone intrested in a bit of everything, so I think polymath, which suggests expertise or accomplishment in a variety of fields, is too strong. Simply being able to order dinner and ask directions in a dozen languages doesn't make me a polyglot, after all.– chosterCommented May 20, 2015 at 0:07
Another choice :
Renaissance man
"a man of any period who has a broad range of intellectual interests"
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2Like polymath, this has the problem of implying expertise in those fields.– MarkCommented May 20, 2015 at 20:16
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@mark the op did not say that the person was not to be proficient in these matters either, and according to this definition a broad range of itnerest does not necessary implies proficiency.– P. O.Commented May 20, 2015 at 20:23
From Wiktionary
smatterer (plural smatterers)
One who smatters; one who dabbles in or experiments with a little bit of everything, especially knowledge.
answered May 19, 2015 at 21:30
If the subject of study is about random things, then a really good word is statistician.
A statistician studies randomness.
As for one who studies things which do not seem connected, the most common example I know is genius.
A genius appears to study random subjects.
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Or a probability theorist.– user1635Commented May 21, 2015 at 4:46
It depends on what you mean by "study".
A geologist does research on the earth. Someone who "studies random things" who does actual research on all of them would be the most multidisciplinary scientist in the world; perhaps the noun multidisciplinarist can be used.
But more likely, he doesn't do much actual research, but rather reads textbooks, follows news about new discoveries and generally wants to know all there is to know about what actual scientists have found out, on a wide range of subjects. That's a science fan.
If, on the other hand, you're not talking research at all and more about studying as in doing school subjects, then a geologist is someone who did a lot of geology courses. Someone who spread out his coursework over all sorts of subjects is the opposite of a specialist -- a generalist.
"Interdisciplinary scholar" is another possibility.
Chaos Scientist would seem to fit the description you are looking for, i.e. the study of systems that seem random at first but then display characteristics of order.
a philosopher! ;) seriously anything random thing you can think of, there is a philosophy on. philosophy is from the Greek word, roughly translates as lover of wisdom or knowledge. (philosophy major)
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4As a philosophy major, you ought to understand that philosophy is a discipline, with its own priorities and methodologies. Simply because it is possible to have a philosophy about bass fishing, bass playing, the USS Bass, and Bass Pro Shop stock doesn't meant that someone with an interest in all four is best described as a philosopher. After all, they also have an economics, a statistics, and a physics to them, and we wouldn't call the dabblers economists, statisticians, or physicists.– chosterCommented May 20, 2015 at 1:19
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4@choster Except for the opinions of academics, philosopher seems like an excellent term to cover the concept.– A.EllettCommented May 20, 2015 at 3:40
To me, it sounds a bit like a TRENDY, if the random subject matters are whatever is popular at the time, it doesn't imply deep knowledge, though it doesn't really imply study either, just following whatever is 'hot' at the moment... When I was in school, everyone was becoming a marine biologist.. that faded and then it was psychology, etc...
A trivia buff is someone who knows a lot of trivia, which is interesting but not very useful pieces of knowledge.
answered May 22, 2015 at 3:23
