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Science

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Science is a way to build and organize what we know.

The Scientific Method
The Scientific Method

It uses testable ideas called hypotheses to make predictions about our universe. We can group science into different branches. The natural sciences study the physical world around us.

Stylised atom with three Bohr model orbits and stylised nucleus
Stylised atom with three Bohr model orbits and stylised nucleus

The social sciences study people and how they live in groups. Some people also study logic and math. These are called formal sciences. Other fields are called applied sciences. These use scientific knowledge for practical jobs like medicine or engineering.

How does science work to find new truths?

The Scientific Method
The Scientific Method

It often follows a specific way of thinking. Scientists start with a question or an idea. Then they perform research to see if that idea is correct. This is often done using the scientific method. This method helps researchers move from a guess to a fact. Many modern scientists work in large teams. They might work at a university or for a government agency. Some big discoveries come from one person working alone.

Science has a very long and deep history.

Plimpton 322
Plimpton 322

It began long ago during the Bronze Age. People in Egypt and Mesopotamia made early records. They studied math, stars, and medicine.

Megaliths Aswan Nubia museum
Megaliths Aswan Nubia museum

Ancient Nubians even used early antibiotics to heal people. Later, Greek thinkers tried to explain nature without using magic. Hippocrates became known as the Father of Medicine. In the 16th century, the Scientific Revolution changed how we saw the world. This era helped move us away from old traditions.

Many important names and places shaped science.

Newton's Principia title page
Newton's Principia title page

In the 3rd century BCE, Aristarchus of Samos suggested the Sun was the center of the universe. The mathematician Archimedes of Syracuse helped start calculus. During the Islamic Golden Age, scholars worked in places like the House of Wisdom in Baghdad.

ViennaDioscoridesEndpaperPeacock
ViennaDioscoridesEndpaperPeacock

A famous doctor named Avicenna wrote a medical book used for hundreds of years. In 1834, a man named William Whewell created the word "scientist." Before that, people were often called natural philosophers. These people studied the world to understand its many secrets.

Science connects to almost everything in your daily life.

Marie Curie c. 1920s
Marie Curie c. 1920s

It helps us create the technology we use every day. It leads to better health care for everyone. Science also helps us protect our environment and build strong roads.

200 y Anniversary of Berlin Academy 1900
200 y Anniversary of Berlin Academy 1900

When you use a computer or take medicine, you are using science. It is a tool that humans use to solve hard problems. Curiosity is the spark that keeps science moving forward. By asking "why," we can learn how the whole world works.

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Where will your curiosity go next?

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🖼️ Images & Media (18)
File:2021 Survey on existence of global warming and responsibility for climate change - bar chart.svg
2021 Survey on existence of global...
File:NASA-Budget-Federal.svg
NASA-Budget-Federal.svg
File:The Scientific Method.svg
The Scientific Method.svg
File:Epicycle and deferent.svg
Epicycle and deferent.svg
File:Stylised atom with three Bohr model orbits and stylised nucleus.svg
Stylised atom with three Bohr model...
File:Supply-demand-equilibrium.svg
Supply-demand-equilibrium.svg
File:Megaliths Aswan Nubia museum.JPG
Megaliths Aswan Nubia museum.JPG
File:Dinosaur exhibit - Houston Museum of Natural Science - DSC01881.JPG
Dinosaur exhibit - Houston Museum of...
File:200 y Anniversary of Berlin Academy 1900.jpg
200 y Anniversary of Berlin Academy 1900.jpg
File:MANNapoli 124545 plato's academy mosaic.jpg
MANNapoli 124545 plato's academy mosaic.jpg
File:Newton's Principia title page.png
Newton's Principia title page.png
File:ViennaDioscoridesEndpaperPeacock.jpg
ViennaDioscoridesEndpaperPeacock.jpg

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