Branches of Science

Study Notes

Natural Sciences:
- Biology (study of living organisms and their interactions)
- Chemistry (study of the composition, properties, and reactions of matter)
- Physics (study of the natural world around us, including energy, matter, and the fundamental laws of the universe)
Formal Sciences:
- Mathematics (study of numbers, quantities, and shapes)
- Logic (study of reasoning and argumentation)
Applied Sciences:
- Engineering (application of scientific knowledge to design, build, and maintain structures, machines, and systems)
- Medicine (application of scientific knowledge to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases)

Scientific Theories: Well-substantiated explanations for a set of phenomena, often incorporating multiple laws and principles
Scientific Laws: Mathematical descriptions of the natural world, often expressed as mathematical equations

Objectivity: Science strives to be objective, unbiased, and neutral
Empiricism: Science relies on empirical evidence and observation
Skepticism: Science encourages skepticism and questioning of established knowledge
Reproducibility: Scientific results should be reproducible and verifiable
Parsimony: Scientific explanations should be as simple as possible while still explaining the data

Natural Sciences consist of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics
Biology is the study of living organisms and their interactions
Chemistry is the study of the composition, properties, and reactions of matter
Physics is the study of the natural world, including energy, matter, and the fundamental laws of the universe
Formal Sciences consist of Mathematics and Logic
Mathematics is the study of numbers, quantities, and shapes
Logic is the study of reasoning and argumentation
Applied Sciences consist of Engineering and Medicine
Engineering is the application of scientific knowledge to design, build, and maintain structures, machines, and systems
Medicine is the application of scientific knowledge to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases

Observation involves making an observation about the world around us
Question involves asking a question about what we have observed
Hypothesis involves formulating a hypothesis to explain what we have observed
Prediction involves making predictions based on our hypothesis
Experiment involves designing and conducting an experiment to test our hypothesis
Analysis involves analyzing the data collected from our experiment
Conclusion involves drawing a conclusion based on our analysis

Scientific Theories are well-substantiated explanations for a set of phenomena, often incorporating multiple laws and principles
Scientific Laws are mathematical descriptions of the natural world, often expressed as mathematical equations

Objectivity involves science striving to be objective, unbiased, and neutral
Empiricism involves science relying on empirical evidence and observation
Skepticism involves science encouraging skepticism and questioning of established knowledge
Reproducibility involves scientific results being reproducible and verifiable
Parsimony involves scientific explanations being as simple as possible while still explaining the data