Branches of Science

Study Notes

Natural Sciences:
- Biology: study of living organisms
- Chemistry: study of matter and its properties
- Physics: study of energy, matter, and the fundamental laws of the universe
Formal Sciences:
- Mathematics: study of mathematical structures, numbers, and quantities
- Logic: study of reasoning and argumentation
Applied Sciences:
- Engineering: application of scientific knowledge to design, build, and maintain structures, machines, and systems
- Computer Science: study of computation, algorithms, and information processing
Social Sciences:
- Psychology: study of human behavior and mental processes
- Sociology: study of human social behavior, relationships, and institutions
- Anthropology: study of human cultures, languages, and societies
- Economics: study of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services
Interdisciplinary Sciences:
- Environmental Science: study of the natural world and human impact on the environment
- Neuroscience: study of the structure and function of the nervous system
- Biomedical Science: study of the biological and chemical processes that occur within living organisms

Observation: making observations about the world around us
Hypothesis: forming a hypothetical explanation for the observations
Prediction: making predictions based on the hypothesis
Experimentation: designing and conducting experiments to test the hypothesis
Analysis: analyzing the data collected during the experiment
Conclusion: drawing conclusions based on the analysis

Empiricism: the idea that knowledge comes from sense experience and observation
Objectivity: the idea that scientific knowledge is independent of personal opinions and biases
Parsimony: the idea that the simplest explanation is usually the best one
Falsifiability: the idea that scientific theories must be open to testing and potential falsification

Natural Sciences consist of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, which study living organisms, matter, and the fundamental laws of the universe respectively.
Formal Sciences comprise Mathematics, which studies mathematical structures, numbers, and quantities, and Logic, which focuses on reasoning and argumentation.
Applied Sciences include Engineering, which applies scientific knowledge to design, build, and maintain structures, machines, and systems, and Computer Science, which studies computation, algorithms, and information processing.
Social Sciences encompass Psychology, which studies human behavior and mental processes, Sociology, which examines human social behavior, relationships, and institutions, Anthropology, which explores human cultures, languages, and societies, and Economics, which analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
Interdisciplinary Sciences involve Environmental Science, which studies the natural world and human impact on the environment, Neuroscience, which investigates the structure and function of the nervous system, and Biomedical Science, which explores the biological and chemical processes that occur within living organisms.

The scientific method begins with Observation, making observations about the world around us.
This is followed by Hypothesis, forming a hypothetical explanation for the observations.
Prediction involves making predictions based on the hypothesis.
Experimentation involves designing and conducting experiments to test the hypothesis.
Analysis entails analyzing the data collected during the experiment.
The final step is Conclusion, drawing conclusions based on the analysis.

Empiricism states that knowledge comes from sense experience and observation.
Objectivity ensures that scientific knowledge is independent of personal opinions and biases.
Parsimony suggests that the simplest explanation is usually the best one.
Falsifiability requires that scientific theories must be open to testing and potential falsification.