• Question: @Franco what is the meaning of sicence

    Asked by Ned & M to Franco on 21 Jun 2016.
    • Photo: Franco Falcone

      Franco Falcone answered on 21 Jun 2016:

      Hi Ned&M
      I am assuming that you are asking ‘what is the meaning of science’?

      The word science comes from Latin Scientia. The verb ‘scire’ means ‘to know’, therefore the word ‘scientia’, from which science is derived, means knowledge.

      Science is the sytematic study of the natural and physical world through observation and experimentation. While there are many different branches of science nowadays, such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, Biophysics, Geology, and and and… the scientific method is very similar.

      When observing something (a rainbow, an electric discharge, a disease…) scientists try to explain what they have observed by formulating what is called a hypothesis. They then devise experiments by which they try to prove that their hypothesis is wrong. As long as they cannot prove that their hypothesis is invalid, it remains a possible explanation of what they have observed. If they or anyone else can show that the hypothesis is wrong, then you need to formulate a new hypothesis.

      This means that on a daily basis, scientists try to prove that what they say is wrong: how crazy is that?

      A hypothesis is different from a theory. While a hypothesis is temporary and will eventually be replaced by a new one, a theory is a hypothesis which has stood the test of time, so a hypothesis which no one has been able to disprove for many years, and therefore becomes part of what is generally accepted by all: theory of gravitation, theory of atomic structure, and yes, also the theory of evolution. So theory is the best we have in science. It is not absolute, and could be proven wrong one day, but it is very, very difficult to do so as there is so much evidence supporting it.

Comments

  • Photo: Claire

    Claire commented on :

    Hi Ned and M,
    excellent answer from Franco (big thumbs up from me!). The great thing about science is that we can all use a scientific (or ‘knowledge-based’) approach to seeing the world. We can come up with our own hypotheses and test them out experimentally, then use the information (or data) collected from the experiments to decide whether or not our initial hypothesis is true or untrue. Hypotheses can be as simple as: ‘I wonder if I cycle this way, I will get to work more quickly’ or ‘will more birds and/or more different bird species come to my garden if I put out a bird feeder’ and don’t need a special laboratory, so you can give it a try too! There are lots of interesting smartphone apps that can be used to collect information that you can use to conduct your own experiments (e.g. apps that track your sleep patterns, record weather information in your local area, or help to record bird species that you see if your garden). By being aware of the potential flaws in your experiments and avoiding them where possible, you will be better able to collect good quality evidence that will give you a more accurate answer to your original questions. Like Franco says, scientists try to prove themselves wrong on a daily basis so that we keep an open mind and avoid accepting things at face value.

  • Photo: Mark

    Mark commented on :

    @Ned&M – all that is said above, but let me put it away. Science means never having to take things at face value. It gives us a space to question anything. It gives purchase to skeptics, method to those who want to know how and why things work. It is an antidote to heresay and received wisdom, the backbone of evidence.