Society for Amateur Scientists

"An education in science and technology is nothing less than the power to transform the entire world with a single idea.

"The Society for Amateur Scientists exists to put that power into the hands of ordinary people."

Shawn Carlson, Ph.D.

Founder and Executive Director

I founded the Society for Amateur Scientists in 1994 to help ordinary people use science and technology to make a difference in their lives and in the world.

We educate, stimulate, and facilitate everyday people of all ages--often folks with no formal education in science--to pursue their interests in the natural world or any technical field as far as their talents will take them. Here's how...

SAS’s flagship publication The Citizen Scientist, is full of how-to science tips, tricks, techniques and discoveries made by our members. We have an extensive archive of how-to articles online. We also offer discounts on many of the necessary materials of science and expert assistance and advice on your own research projects.

We also offer you something that is very hard for most citizen scientists to find-- fellowship with like-minded people. By attending our conferences you'll get to rub shoulders with some of the most outstanding citizen scientists from all over the world. You will be astonished by the range of research that citizen scientists are now doing, as well as by their talent, dedication and passion for their work.

We are working to revolutionize how science is taught and how science gets done.

iDoScience--In the category of how science gets done, we've just introduced an extraordinary new web technology that allows amateur and professional scientists to create collaborations and share data like never before. It's called iDoScience

called LABRats. Its goal is to link passionate science mentors with teenagers who share their passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. LABRats members will get a world-class science education culminating in original research that they will propose and carry out under the watchful eye of an experienced research mentor. If you're still in school, and you'd like to learn firsthand how to make your own scientific discoveries, then LABRats is being developed especially with you in mind. I wish there was a LABRats chapter ready for you to join today. Unfortunately, however, we're still developing the program. Still, we could use your help. You can learn more about what we're doing by linking to the LABRats Web site. If you sign up to our LABRats news group, we'll keep you abreast of all latest developments as we breath life into this exciting concept.

It wasn't all that long ago that all scientists were true amateurs, that is, true lovers of science. America was founded by such individuals as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Rush, who found time to contribute to scientific knowledge even while they were engaged in their titanic battle for liberty. You could say that, by reinvigorating ordinary citizens to make scientific discoveries, the Society for Amateur Scientists seeks to keep that common love of science alive by returning science to its democratic roots.

If that sounds like a good thing to do to you, then please join us by becoming a member today.