Experimentalist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The term experimentalist is a blanket term for all sorts of scientists engaged more in experimental activity than on the theoretical side of the various sciences.
The word is essentially equivalent to another word experimenter. The word "experimenter" emphasizes what the person is actually doing; the word "experimentalists" highlights what the person likes to do or what he or she finds important.
This term is also referred to as a personality type that builds up gradually to a work. In this instance the term is not limited to science, but frequently used to identify artists. Famous experimentalists could include Cézanne, Mark Twain, or Robert Frost. The opposite of being an Experimentalist is to be a Conceptualist.
[edit] References
David W. Galenson, Old Masters and Young Geniuses (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006). David W. Galenson, Artistic Capital (New York and London: Routledge, 2006).