Science (from the Latin word scientia, meaning "knowledge") is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.The earliest roots of science can be traced to Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia in around 3000 to 1200 BCE. Their contributions to mathematics, astronomy, and medicine entered and shaped Greek natural philosophy of classical antiquity, whereby formal attempts were made to provide explanations of events in the physical world based on natural causes. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, knowledge of Greek conceptions of the world deteriorated in Western Europe during the early centuries (400 to 1000 CE) of the Middle Ages, but was preserved in the Muslim world during the Islamic Golden Age. The recovery and assimilation of Greek works and Islamic inquiries into Western Europe from the 10th to 13th century revived "natural philosophy", which was later transformed by the Scientific Revolution that began in the 16th century as new ideas and discoveries departed from previous Greek conceptions and traditions. The scientific method soon played a greater role in knowledge creation and it was not until the 19th century that many of the institutional and professional features of science began to take shape; along with the changing of "natural philosophy" to "natural science."Modern science is typically divided into three major branches that consist of the natural sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, and physics), which study nature in the broadest sense; the social sciences (e.g., economics, psychology, and sociology), which study individuals and societies; and the formal sciences (e.g., logic, mathematics, and theoretical computer science), which deal with symbols governed by rules. There is disagreement, however, on whether the formal sciences actually constitute a science as they do not rely on empirical evidence. Disciplines that use existing scientific knowledge for practical purposes, such as engineering and medicine, are described as applied sciences.New knowledge in science is advanced by research from scientists who are motivated by curiosity about the world and a desire to solve problems. Contemporary scientific research is highly collaborative and is usually done by teams in academic and research institutions, government agencies, and companies. The practical impact of their work has led to the emergence of science policies that seek to influence the scientific enterprise by prioritizing the development of commercial products, armaments, health care, public infrastructure, and environmental protection.
I've always been interested in computer science and programming and have tried to learn the basics this past summer. It wasn't until my senior year that my school has offered a class dedicated to computer science. How should I prepare?
Hello everyone!
I'm Meron, and I'm a high school senior. As you've already guessed, this is the time for me to think of which university I should be attending. I'm currently residing in Saudi Arabia, and studying at a school which follows the Indian system. I'm thinking of being a physicist when...
Hi! Nice to meet you all! Like you guys, I am also fond of reading science articles and brainstorming for better ideas that can help us in the future! No, I am not a genius or whatsoever however Like I said I am just here to enjoy reading physics and science stuff and make friends and We might...
Besides liking countless books on the subjects of math and science, what other books do physicsforum members enjoy?
In my case, I enjoy Don Quixote, Les Miserables, Oliver Twist, and all Jack London's works.
Hello everybody,
I'm currently majoring in Applied Discrete Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science and I was wondering what sort of career options I have.
I've already taken two semesters of Object Oriented Java programming, C++, Python, Combinatorics/Graph Theory, Modern Algebra...
i was thinking about studying different science branches and I am kind of trying to do it now that i have just finished my high school
does human brain have limitation for learning and thinking ?
can i boost my brain with a good exercise and nutrition plan in a very effective way ?
i've read...
Many problems in modern science are being solved by computers and not humans (though technically it's the humans that give the task to the computer). If this keeps advancing, would there be anything left for us as a "job?" Sorry if my question sounds dumb but i thought it would be interesting to...
This feels like a strange question but it's something I've often wondered so I was curious about other peoples opinions.
I'm currently half way through a Chemistry degree and have been doing reasonably well. However I feel that the chemistry knowledge I have is only good for helping me answer...
Is majoring in computer engineering the same as doing a double major in electrical engineering and computer science?
Hi,
I'm having difficult choosing my major as an upcoming freshmen at the University of Waterloo. I'm very interested in both the hardware and software aspects of computers, but...
I am definitely interested in physics, I love it and I love doing it, but I am afraid a PhD in physics might not be enough for me to a land a decent job, by decent I mean enjoyable for me. I am very fond of programming, I know computer science is not just programming but I love programming and I...
Hi guys I'm Bruce. I'm new to this forum and I 'm currently a high school student. I was wondering if there was any good books( not too advanced) on topics such as astronomy, chemistry, biology and calculus. If you can give me one or two suggestions that will be great.
Good morning all,
I wanted to get some opinions on the following situation. Feel free to share.
I often encounter pages on social media such as Facebook where channel owners/moderators label themselves as "scientists" (without any kind of academic degree) or as people "doing science" without...
Hi, I'm currently pursuing a degree in Aerospace Engineering. I want to get a career is space technology. I'm just wondering if a minor in computer science would benefit me?
I was watching a Twilight zone episode yesterday . A spacecraft had crashed at a 'remote far corner of the Universe'...550 million miles from Earth (not even the distance to Saturn).
Today I was reading a comment that complained about a local bottling company selling bottled water and using...
This question is for the scientists and academics out there. What books on the scientific disciplines do you wish Science Fiction writers would read? I can think of books written by people like Brian Epstein and Michio Kaku. Another source would be textbooks. Anyone out there have any thoughts...
Hi,
Please share links to podcasts you recommend (science topics), They are so great to listen to on the way to work instead of the radio
I only know of
titanium physicists http://titaniumphysicists.brachiolopemedia.com
and the Joe rogan podcast episodes with brian cox and neil degrasse tyson
Sorry i am doing this summer research program and I have only taken Chem honors and we did not learn how to dram a mechanism or what a mechanism even is!
As part of my introductory physics class next year I'm planning on including more history of science into the curriculum. During one class I've decided to include excerpts of translations from Galileo's Starry Messenger and Dialogues Concerning the Two Chief World System (I'll also include...
Hi, everybody :)
I joined this forum because I'm currently writing a sci-fi story and I want to create an alien world that is scientifically correct, but due to my lack of knowledge and experience I'm facing some big troubles. I have a ton of questions(I hope I won't bother you much).
So here is...
Hey! :o
I want to begin with my master thesis and now I have to choose a topic. I am thinking about a topic that is related to theoretical computer science and more specific to Computability or to Complexity Theory. Could you give me some examples of topics that are related to Complexity Theory?
I am in my last year of high school here in my country and I've been thinking of something related to mathematics and physics and computers. I've decided that computer science would probably be the best course to choose. Do you know what is the best job you can get with a computer science...
Did Aristotle advance Western science? I know he was a geocentrist, but I'm looking at science before him, and there isn't much of anything there. The fact that he wrote down his ideas, in and of itself, seems to be an improvement in science. The fact that he was thinking, and talking, and...
I would very much appreciate if you could shed some of your insight on the following question that has been troubling me.
I faced difficulty in computer programming as many times I could not find logic for even a simple problem (which many other classmates would do easily) while in some cases I...
Science fantasy vs science fiction. Do we have it wrong?
At out science Meet Up group we were talking about Interstellar travel. As usual, the properties of matter, energy brought up.
Regardless of how described in scientific jargon, FTL is all silly gobbledygook in science fiction books and...
Hi everyone. I am in my final year of an engineering degree, hoping through this site to find some much needed help with the science aspects of my final project. I look forward to discussing science!
Hi all
I'm a software developer who has been provisionally accepted onto a doctorate programme. I've always been a lover of physics and astronomy in particular.
In short I'm someone with no formal education in Physics, but would love to work my layman's interest into my PhD.
I've considered...
Do you think Newton's piety was important to developing or fueling his philosophical and psychological impulses to be a great scientist and mathematician ?
Did his religious and alchemical goals orient his scientific researches; his outstanding mechanical, mathematical, and optical theories...
Okay, so I'm currently sitting my final exams before I'll be attending university come September. Here in Ireland if you wish to attend any third level institute then you must apply to CAO (Central Applications Office) on your CAO application you put a numbered list of courses you are interested...
Can some name easy understanding book related to earthquakes, seismic analysis so that non civil engineer or geologist etc can understand can this topic and seismic analysis basics.
So, I've been inspired by shows like Fringe, games like Deus Ex and Halo, and movies like Robo Cop, The Machine, Eva, and Blade Runner.
My interests would fall into the categories of things like neuroscience, biological engineering, nanotechnology, bionics, AI, body-computer interfaces, etc.--...
I'm familiar with the delayed choice experiment, and I'm trying to suss out this new setup.
http://www.sciencealert.com/reality-doesn-t-exist-until-we-measure-it-quantum-experiment-confirms
Reading this article is not very beneficial if there's a confounding typo. Paragraph 10:
Should that...
Hello dear physicists,
Have you ever published some scientific paper works ?
I'm a little confused about that publishment thing.Can I publish my works for exaple to Annalen der Physik and what are the norms for the publishment ?
Can I send any of my works to any physics journal ?
Thank you...
I am split on choosing to study for aerospace engineering or computer science. I have a passion for technology and all I want to do in life is to help people and the world through technology but I would just like more information on each one and what are some of the things I would be doing with...
Hello,
I am a student in high school who is about to go on summer vacation. During my long vacation, I would like to learn about computer science and mathematics. I have a few questions on this:
1. What computer science courses do you recommend me to take in order (I know the Java programming...
So... I cannot choose a career path.
So let's start with the basics i am ok at math and science poor at english. In GCSE i received B in science, C in maths and C in english. I was disappointed as this meant that i could not do A-Level Chem and Bio on college. So now i am doing applied science...
Hi, I will be graduating soon and its time to start thinking about what I want to do with my life. I will have a bachelors degree in "math & physics" and a masters degree in physics by June 2016. I've been considering, more and more strongly, to go to the developing world (Africa or the Middle...
Hi PF Family,
I'm a rising junior majoring in physics. I plan to enroll and be accepted into graduate school(s) such as UIUC, Princeton, and MIT. I know that requires much work and hard work. However, my problem is in choosing the right program. I want to be able to integrate CMP and Materials...
Hi all again, I started a post earlier and it was buried somewhere by now. I really need more input and information and hope you all can help.
How are admission process different, CM vs MS&E? CM belongs to Physics department while MS&E is usually on the engineering side.
I got my Physics...
Hi all. Awhile back I posted about potentially changing schools to study Mechanical Engineering. Unfortunately financially this was not possible.
However, my school does offer degrees in physics which I do find interesting.
Currently I am studying Computer Science, and I'm considering adding a...
Hello,
I will begin my junior year in MechE next fall. So far it's been an enjoyable degree and experience. the problem is, I tend to be more interested in the science itself of what I'm studying, rather than its applications. Which makes me sometimes think that I should have majored in a...
I am looking for a book on the history of science. I do not want one that is targeted to 'general public', in the sense that I want it to be more towards the academic community, i.e. more deeply presented and cited, etc. Are there any recommendations?
Hi PF,
I have been currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science to hopefully end up having a career as a software engineer, as I am taking classes I am finding that the assignments are getting more and more difficult to a point where I find myself lost and in need of guidance. Which got me...
I'll be a 2nd year physics student next year, and my question is should I start taking some CS classes or take CDS (Computing for Scientists)? I've heard programming is very useful for someone trying to get into research or industry, but Computing for Scientists looks obviously useful as well...
Hellow guys, I know this topic is old for many people but I've read a lot of articles and forums and I would like to finally have a discussion started by me. So join me!
I always enjoyed the universe and everything related to it, I am just very curious. As so I've seen a lot of Ted X videos...
An coworker's loves Charles Dickens and reads all sorts of other books with "high literary content". Most science fiction doesn't qualify as great literature. Lots of shallow character development, generally simplistic moral conflicts, etc. Mostly we have good stories in interesting...
Hello.
I have been contemplating whether or not I should start pursuing a degree in CE, EE, or Comp Sci. I currently work as a wildland firefighter and am not happy with what I do. I started to learn programming about 9 months ago with various online tools such as Codecademy and taking online...