What is Science?

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When we hear the word science, we think of those who are in their laboratories discovering the cure for cancer, or trying to build flying cars. While both of these assumptions are correct, science is much much more than that. Science is a large body of knowledge that observes the natural phenomena of the universe and organizes it into explanations and predictions about the universe.

Science has large ties with philosophy in the fact that both of them rely on rational evidence. However, while philosophy is concerned with questions unanswerable by observation, science intends to use observation to acquire its knowledge. There are four main features about science that everyone should know.

Science is Empirical

     Science operate using what's known as empirical evidence. Which means that all it's evidence is derived through observation and experimentation. 

Science is Largely Inductive

     Induction is the reasoning in which the premises(base of argument) provide evidence for a conclusion, but is not absolute proof. While science uses both inductive and deductive logic, most of it's information is based on induction, and unlike deductive arguments, inductive arguments can have false conclusions. 

Science is Systematic

     Everyone should know about the scientific method. The process by which scientists discover and test existing and previous knowledge. 

Science is Objective

     Objectivity of science is ensured by empirical evidence and observations. 

Indeed science is one of mankind's greatest tools in acquiring new knowledge. The various branches of science has provided us with medicine, technology, chemistry, digital entertainment, among others. Perhaps the greatest thing about science, is that anyone can partake in it, if they pay close enough attention. Science encourages us to ask questions and come up with testable answers. It also teaches us that nothing is absolute and to admit when we are wrong. 

Scientific Method

The scientific method is the backbone of science itself. It is the body of techniques that they use for investigation of natural phenomena. The scientific method validates old and new knowledge based using empirical evidence. It is based on several elements

Question
    You can't really start anything without a purpose. What is the question you are trying to answer?

Observation
    The process by which scientist acquire information through the senses and measurements. Visual and auditory observation as well as measurements of height, volume, mass, weight, size, color and many other forms of gathering info.

Hypothesis
    A proposed explanation for how things work. A hypothesis must be supported by evidence for it to graduate into a scientific theory. Hypotheses without evidence are discarded or reformulated

Prediction
    Logical inferences based on the hypothesis.

Experimentation
    The process by which scientists test out their hypotheses and gather information.

Evaluation
    The results of the data gathered. Does the data support or reject the hypothesis? Peer review by other scientists is a large part of this process. The purpose of peer review being to eliminate any bias.

Scientific Misconceptions

     Myth: Science Proves/Disproves the Existence of God

    Science is the study of the natural world. It does not attempt to prove/disprove the existence of a supernatural deity. Often times you will hear people say that, "The big bang theory disproves God" or "Evolution disproves god." Both are blatantly false. Evolution does not attempt to discern the origins of life, only the diversification of life. That its to say, evolution concerns itself with how life changes to suit it's environment. likewise The big bang theory attempts to explain how the universe came to be, it doesn't disprove the idea of a god or creator. 

Myth: Science Absolutely Proves Ideas

     Science is based on the principle that any idea or explanation it has provided can be easily overturned tomorrow if the evidence warranted it. This is the known as the problem of induction. This is an especially large problem for the scientific branch of physics.