Science (from the Latin word scientia, meaning "knowledge") is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.The earliest roots of science can be traced to Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia in around 3000 to 1200 BCE. Their contributions to mathematics, astronomy, and medicine entered and shaped Greek natural philosophy of classical antiquity, whereby formal attempts were made to provide explanations of events in the physical world based on natural causes. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, knowledge of Greek conceptions of the world deteriorated in Western Europe during the early centuries (400 to 1000 CE) of the Middle Ages, but was preserved in the Muslim world during the Islamic Golden Age. The recovery and assimilation of Greek works and Islamic inquiries into Western Europe from the 10th to 13th century revived "natural philosophy", which was later transformed by the Scientific Revolution that began in the 16th century as new ideas and discoveries departed from previous Greek conceptions and traditions. The scientific method soon played a greater role in knowledge creation and it was not until the 19th century that many of the institutional and professional features of science began to take shape; along with the changing of "natural philosophy" to "natural science."Modern science is typically divided into three major branches that consist of the natural sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, and physics), which study nature in the broadest sense; the social sciences (e.g., economics, psychology, and sociology), which study individuals and societies; and the formal sciences (e.g., logic, mathematics, and theoretical computer science), which deal with symbols governed by rules. There is disagreement, however, on whether the formal sciences actually constitute a science as they do not rely on empirical evidence. Disciplines that use existing scientific knowledge for practical purposes, such as engineering and medicine, are described as applied sciences.New knowledge in science is advanced by research from scientists who are motivated by curiosity about the world and a desire to solve problems. Contemporary scientific research is highly collaborative and is usually done by teams in academic and research institutions, government agencies, and companies. The practical impact of their work has led to the emergence of science policies that seek to influence the scientific enterprise by prioritizing the development of commercial products, armaments, health care, public infrastructure, and environmental protection.
So I am currently a very indecisive mechanical engineering student, who can't figure out what to major in. I have found out that I am much more interested in solving problems that deal with a lot of equations, substitution, and differential equations than I am solving statics problems.
I like...
Within one year I will be graduating in electrical engineering (mainly optics) and have no idea of what to do afterwards. I always thought of doing an academic career but during my phd I will probably publish two or three papers overall. Seeing the struggle postdocs go through to find an...
which do you think is the smarter choice, in terms of employ-ability: ms in statistics or Ms in data science? do you think "data science" is just a buzz words that will die out? is a data scientist someone who can't program as well as the computer engineer, and can't build models as well as a...
Hi,
I wanted to start this topic to discuss what are real advances in Computer Science (CS) that actually have contributed to the world, both to sciences and academia, as well as to the industries and common people.
Usually, the discoveries on Physics, Engineering, Chemestry and Biology are...
I'm currently a Computer Science major, but I'm really into physics and I was wondering if there is any practical benefit to getting a physics minor, or even a major. Is there anyone looking for people with a background in both physics and CS? And would a minor (or even a major) be enough...
(i am new and posted this in a Discussion area, it probably belongs here as I noticed marcus posts here. moderators, please delete the other message. my apologies)
I am working on a contest question:
In a causally connected universe how can one break symmetry if one assumes symmetry at one...
I recently decided to examine climate science... it wasn't my field, and I had sort of accepted the statements of general scientific consensus of man-made global warming.
It really didn't take long at all to become stunned by the intense and immense efforts focussed on data acquisition, only to...
Hello,
I'm interested in political philosophy. However, I very strongly respect rationality and the scientific method, and want my impact on the world to be maximizing its application to society in order to optimize our civilization.
In order to do this, I am completing a bioengineering...
On a episode of "PBS Spacetime" (fantastic youtube series, go check it out), the host mentioned that Bohr believed that reality doesn't exist until a quantum system is observed. Einstein believed that the universe still runs independently outside of a conscious observers mind. What is the actual...
Hello PF! This place is so great at helping me with my math homework, maybe ya'll can give me advice on life as well!
As the title indicates, I'm looking for any information/opinions what-so-ever on topics of teaching math abroad at a maximum of a high school level and how beneficial would it...
I have noticed that baseball players trying to check a swing fail to do so a significant fraction of the time. It has occurred to me that there might be a better technique than just using the muscles that control the wrist to try to stop the angular momentum of the a swing. I would much...
(This is about pop science books, not textbooks; moderators, please feel free to move if appropriate..
I'm new to the forums & new to studying physics in late middle age - here is http://']my intro thread - and I am getting geared up for self-study at more or less a high school level. My basic...
Hey everyone! I need your help.
My new girlfriend is smart, but she's misled and attracted to pseudo-scientific ideas (i.e crystal healing, astrology). I find this fairly annoying. She is a true social scientist though and searches for valid science when it comes to psychology, so I know she is...
i love to do creative things that's why i love science i love to ask myself questions and try to answer
i also love to paint and sculpt, i love to try to capture thos microexprexions that render the soul of a person, here some of my work, what do you think?
Hi all,
I read quite a lot on my way to school / elsewhere. I really enjoy reading science-based books.
I will be taking some Earth and Environmental science courses and wanted to get some 'popular' science books with good reviews on the subjects.
Subjects that I am interested in (but not...
I am having trouble creating new ideas for a physics research paper. My group has three members and we are all interested in generators that run on renewable energy. Unfortunately, we haven't found a topic yet, and the deadline is looming. We don't have a research adviser as well because to get...
Hi all,
I am a physics student taking his last year of Msc. Some friends of mine and I are thinking to make an evening of popular science. We were thinking to organize the event in a pub, inviting people that haven't a scientific training. Divide the people between the tables where each one of...
I know that a scientific theory can have a wrong part and can be replaced by another theory . So scientific theories can be false so maybe we are learning a false part in science .
Secondly can a law or fact be wrong like theories can ? Or can mathematics have some false theorems ?
This thread is mainly because I'm legitimately scared for science funding and my career, based on the new POTUS's (lack of a) science policy. One random article I pulled up by searching "Trump science policy" had this ending line: "...In short, a Trump administration would mean a crippled US...
Hello PF, I'm a high school student in a math and science program. I'm currently planning on doing a double major in math and computer science, and I have a couple questions. Firstly, are there areas of computer science that heavily use math and require originality? I understand that most likely...
Hi everyone,
My details:
Age: 26
Education: Bachelor's in Mass Media; Post-graduate Diploma in Journalism
Work ex: 5 years for an international news agency covering pharmaceuticals and healthcare.
I loved science in high school and was great at it, but couldn't continue due to some unavoidable...
Hi everyone,
My details:
Age: 26
Education: Bachelor's in Mass Media; Post-graduate Diploma in Journalism
Work ex: 5 years for an international news agency covering pharmaceuticals and healthcare.
I loved science in high school and was great at it, but couldn't continue due to some unavoidable...
I like well done visual displays of science.
Lets see what other people can come up with!
Here's one I found, overlays of the night sky from Australia, in false color of a wide range of radiation frequencies.
In science fiction (sci-fi), everything seems to be much more 'cool' / cooler than in reality.
Space travel (like Interstellar), teleport / teleportation, time travel / time machine, going to another planet / another dimensions / another universes, cell regeneration even to the point of...
Hello PF,
I am a physics sophomore this year and i took a course on java programming as an elective. And i just loved it!
Really the harder it became the more i liked it. So i decided that i want to do something about it. But i don't know if a minor or a major is better for a physics major. And...
Hello people,
I am currently a computer science student and I think that what I am doing is not making any sense. Everyday I wake up and go to a class that doesn't make any sense to me. I study just to pass a foolish exam. That's not learning. That's not life. The reason why I chose computer...
https://www.nap.edu/catalog/23595/science-literacy-concepts-contexts-and-consequences
Science Literacy: Concepts, Contexts, and Consequences
"Science is a way of knowing about the world. At once a process, a product, and an institution, science enables people to both engage in the construction...
I will be going to university next year to do biological sciences major for 1 year then move on to physics for 2 or 3 more years until I finish my bachelor for physics.
however, I'm much more of a hands-on person. I love performing simple experiments at home and playing around with the results...
I spoke with a professor I'm working with about my personal statement for graduate school. She took issue with my beginning paragraph:
"My interest in plant science grew out of my desire to create peace between humanity and their environment. Anxiety over doomsday scares of global warming drove...
https://arxiv.org/pdf/1610.02743.pdf
CMB-S4 Science Book First Edition
The next generation “Stage-4” ground-based cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiment, CMB-S4, consisting of dedicated telescopes equipped with highly sensitive superconducting cameras operating at the South Pole, the high...
Hello everyone,
I'm a sophomore student and I'm a bit confused about deciding my diploma programme. I'm really interested in physics and I don't want to work on a study field which is just full of mechanical things. EE sounds cool because of it's being hard and there are only a few people who...
It seems to happen very often nowadays that people who are not scientists or aren't interested in science feel the need to express very strong, negative views on science and research, and on professionals in these fields.
For instance, every time an article about a new scientific finding is...
I just started studying physics in undergrad and am considering working on Earth systems/climate. How much more do you think we can do in terms of science? Surely a lot, but maybe technology (energy, carbon capture) is more prudent right now. Thanks.
Hey guys. I'm Alex and I'm a 26 year old guy who just entered into University to get my Bachelor's degree in Electrotechnology with Computer Control, after 25 years of doing completely nothing this is my last chance to achieve something that I want, so I'm exited.
But to the point, I live in...
Hi, a friend and I are planning to participate in a county science fair this year. We're in need of ideas, especially since we want to focus on a project in astrophysics that we would be able to test. Or research. We can get access to an observatory, and maybe perform the research there.
Any...
I have to write an essay on a current scientific idea or concept that is still considered emerging or experimental. Does anyone have any ideas as to what topic I should write? I'm looking for more physics-related topics, and I've considered writing about the "fifth force," though I'm not sure...
I wanted to know which one was better for finding jobs and salary wise or are both pretty much the same. Computer Science or Software Engineering degree?
Also would anyone recommend getting the degree online?
I would not mind hearing about some of the things that we have either read or watched in the sci-fi world that could never happen in real life (pet peeves and/or total imposables) just to have a little fun debunking and setting strate some of the thing that we have all seen that other may...
I’ve constantly been informed that I am smart, if not brilliant by everyone around me. Unfortuantely for me, I’ve always believed that, and have never worked hard as a result, managing to get good grades without any work, which has further influenced my perception of myself. Recently, however, I...
My names tim, and I am a first year physics student but I've had a love for the natural sciences since I was little. I am 21 years old, and some of my favorite things to do are reading and playing drums. Music has always been a close second to science for me. I hope to get to know some cool...
Could be a common wrong definition or an ineffient way to solve a certain equation. I don't know, what in science and math bugs you? Educators should fill this thread! :D
Hello,
I am in my first semester of graduate school after 4 years being out of school. I brushed up on calculus but some essentials are gone. I was doing kinetic problems and had to find concentrations. I automatically knew to get rid of ln x I need to use an exponential. My mind went blank when...
Long story short... I have been in community college for quite a while now and I just recently switched my major to Electrical Engineering from Business Administration. I personally just found that career path so boring and so I started hanging out with the science nerds at my community college...
Hello! I am a first year student studying Physics. I chose Physics because I really like it.
But now that my classes have started, Physics seems a little more demanding than what I previously had in mind.
I am also keenly interested in Computer Science. So, I can't decide between the two...
The origin of the universe for an upcoming story I have planned hinges around an idea where, when the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs hit Earth, instead of wiping out the dinosaurs, it opened up a portal that deposited them in another part of the galaxy. Now, this is of course most assuredly...