What is science? Science is knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws, especially as obtained and tested through scientific method. It is a framework for gaining and organizing this knowledge. However, it is not simply a set of facts but it is also a plan of action – a procedure for processing and understanding certain types of information.
The scientific method is the center of scientific inquiry – the procedure or plan of action. It involves several steps:
1. Making observations – qualitative or quantitative. A quantitative observation may be called a measurement (and involves both a number and a unit).
2. Formulating hypotheses – forming possible explanations for an observation
3. Performing experiments – gathering new information that enables a scientist to decide whether or not the hypotheses is valid – that is, whether it is supported by the new information learned from the experiment. Experiments always produce new observations, bringing the process back to the beginning.
A theory (which is often called a model) is a set of tested hypotheses that gives an overall explanation of some natural phenomenon. An observation is something that is witnessed and can be recorded. A theory is an interpretation – a possible explanation why nature behaves in a particular way. Theories inevitably change as more information becomes available. Theories (models) are human inventions – they represent attempts to explain observed natural behavior in terms of human experiences. It is actually an educated guess. Experiments must continue and refine theories (making them consistent with new knowledge) to approach a more complete understanding of nature.
General laws (or natural laws) are often-seen observations applying to many different systems. As scientists observe nature, such observed behavior is formulated into a statement called a natural law. A law summarizes what happens; a theory (model) is an attempt to explain why it happens.
With a thorough and complete understanding of scientific theory, what types of science are there?
Examples of sciences:
· Biology
· Chemistry
· Physics
· Anatomy
· Physiology
· Botany
· Pathology
· Neurology
· Toxicology
· Ecology
· Gastroenterology
· Ichthyology
· Ornithology
· Herpetology
· Mycology
· Hematology
· Meteorology
· Geology
· Geography
· Oceanography
· Thermodynamics
· Zoology
· Epidemiology
This is only lists of mostly Natural Sciences. Many other sciences exist including those of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Social Science (such as anthropology, economics, political science, philosophy, and sociology).
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Ever since--oh, about a year ago, I've started trying to read more about science and particularly the philosophy that underpins science. (I have a good friend who's kind of an inspiration for me in this, because he went and got himself a whole college education about the history of science and philosophy and is now a scientist who makes new discoveries about cool stuff.) It seems obvious that it's so important to our cultural development, yada yada yada.
ReplyDeleteYou clearly have a solid foundation in what the scientific method is all about and the breadth of our world that it can take into account. So let me see if I can challenge you with a tougher question I read about a little while ago (you can borrow the book, but I guarantee you it will be a struggle, as it was for me):
For the last four hundred years or so, a basic assumption of the scientific world was that the entire universe boiled down more or less to a soup of particles. If Newton was right (and Newton was definitely right), then everything we experience is basically a whole ton of little tiny chunks of matter bouncing around in complicated ways, but according to certain rules. Everything was atoms and subatomic particles. Nothing more or less.
How do you feel about that idea?