Two Quibbles.

You state: "Occam’s razor cuts a lot of the cruft, because it chooses the theory that can be explained in the simplest way, not the one that tells the best story."

Not quite! Occam's razor advocates the more elegant (simpler) model over the inelegant (more complicated) one. The standard example is the Copernican vs Ptolemaic models of the Solar System. The Ptolemaic model was ugly and required many ad hoc "fixes". The Copernican model was simpler and more elegant.

Also, one does not need to get a PhD in Physics or Biochemistry to learn quite a bit of basic science. There are many popular books and media that offer anyone a chance to become conversant in basic science. All it takes is an interest in the subject matter. Jump in anywhere and you will find it gets easier and more fun as you learn more. You will also increasingly appreciate nature and your inter-connection to the world and its many parts.