I'm searching for a one-word synonym for "science lover". In my case, I love science and I self study it, but I never got a degree in Physics or Chemistry or any of these related subjects (except computer-science). But I enjoy experimenting stuff and see what's going on.

So, what would be a one-word good alternative for "science lover"?

The best one I found is *learner*, but that's more general I guess. *Scientist* is probably too much in my case. I saw *sciencophile* in another post, but I don't really like it–it sounds too complicated.