I think it's interesting to note the number of professions that may already fulfill a "data science" role, just with a different title. I worked a job where my primary role was data analysis: parsing data with Unix commands, feeding it to classifiers, applying standard algorithms, drawing meaningful conclusions, etc.

Sound familiar? The entire team I worked with had a similar workflow, but we went by life science domain specific titles rather than "data scientist." I'm willing to bet that other professions have similar roles, merely called something else.

I think "data scientists" are out there in the sciences. They just don't go by the latest buzzword.