science

Click a letter for the index

Or search the encyclopaedia:

 

 

Go

 

Any systematic field of study or body of knowledge that aims, through experiment, observation, and deduction, to produce reliable explanations of phenomena, with reference to the material and physical world.

History
Activities such as healing, star-watching, and engineering have been practised in many societies since ancient times. Pure science, especially physics (formerly called natural philosophy), had traditionally been the main area of study for philosophers. The European scientific revolution between about 1650 and 1800 replaced speculative philosophy with a new combination of observation, experimentation, and rationality.

Philosophy of science
Today, scientific research involves an interaction between tradition, experiment and observation, and deduction. The subject area called philosophy of science investigates the nature of this complex interaction, and the extent of its ability to gain access to the truth about the material world. It has long been recognized that induction from observation cannot give explanations based on logic. In the 20th century Karl Popper described scientific method as a rigorous experimental testing of a scientist's ideas or hypotheses (see hypothesis). The origin and role of these ideas, and their interdependence with observation, have been examined, for example, by the US thinker Thomas S Kuhn, who places them in a historical and sociological setting.

Sociology of science
The sociology of science investigates how scientific theories and laws are produced, and questions the possibility of objectivity in any scientific endeavour. One controversial point of view is the replacement of scientific realism with scientific relativism, as proposed by Paul K Feyerabend. Questions concerning the proper use of science and the role of science education are also restructuring this field of study.

Red represents the sun. Blue stands for the Gambia river. Green symbolizes agriculture. Effective date: 18 February 1965. >>