Learning

Learning (noun), as defined by Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary is,

"the activity or process of gaining knowledge or skill by studying,

practicing, being taught, or experiencing something."

While the definition above is fairly basic I feel it encompasses my personal understanding of the noun. With that said learning, I have found, is a verb and something in which you must be actively engaged and participating. The scientific community functions only because we view learning as a verb and strive to learn through every means possible. Whether it involves success, failure, or something in-between, striving to gain knowledge in the form of facts, experiences, theories, etc. is a life long pursuit.

What I've stated above is currently my best description of learning and I know it will change. That acknowledgement of the inevitable evolution of ideas is also a necessary aspect of learning. Without pursuing a more complete understanding we would be doomed to continue with the same experiments and analyze the same data only to confirm what we already know. Instead, the pursuit of knowledge through imagination, experimentation, and constant restructuring of our limited understanding, is learning.