2015 Issue

63 of the world around you. Science explains the world we live in, how things work, how living things come to be, and how things happen the way they do, making it one of the basic human pursuits in life, much like music, art, and literature. In the time of Aristotle (384-322 BC), science was linked with philosophy and the two words were used interchangeably. In the time of Isaac Newton (1642-1727), science was a branch of philosophy referred to as natural philosophy. There are two main branches of science: natural science and social science. I am focusing on the natural sciences in this an- swer. Biology is the study of living things. Physics explains how the world works, the interaction of matter and energy, forces, motion, and mass. Chemistry explains how the universe is put together; the atoms, the elements, the molecules, and the interac- tion of all the chemicals. Earth science encompasses climate, weather, geology, astronomy, oceanography, and geomor- phology. People study the natural sciences so they can understand planet Earth and the larger universe better. For example, knowing how the atmosphere works may allow us to ad- dress global warming. Knowing about how the body works, with its cells and systems and life functions, has led to prolonging life and creating vaccines and cures for diseases. Knowing how the Internet works provides us a pathway and access to an unlimited amount of information. Each of thesemain topics of study includes a host of specialized fields. If you Google the phrase “list of sciences,” http://phrontiseter.infor/ sciences.html, you find that 633 science titles pop up. The list ranges from acarolgy (study of mites) to zymurgy (the chemistry of fermentation, usually brewing and distilling). Everything around us concerns science and scientific processes, and we experiment, research, and follow the scientific method to discover these mechanisms of life. The scientific method starts with observation, moves to a hypothesis (educated guess based on that observation), and ends with a prediction or a theory. A theory summa- rizes a hypothesis that has been supported by repeated testing, and it remains valid as long as there is no evidence to dispute it. Science fosters logical and critical thinking in order to figure things out. Sciencemakes our lives much better, easier, and longer. Science can make life more enjoyable and pleasant and the world a safer place to exist through construction, navigation, transpor- tation, agriculture, andmedicine. Of course, one can argue that there is a downside to science. We humans have developed weapons that can destroy each other very quickly and in huge numbers. Sometimes it seems our knowledge of how to get along with each other lags behind our knowledge of how to destroy each other. Science canmake you less gullible. There is a lot of wrong or misleading information on television, and the Internet, in newspapers, and magazines and from politicians and government leaders and also from the pri- vate sector. Science helps us filter through the claims of advertising and helps us spot the hoaxes, scams, schemes, and cons that are out there. And, finally, science is a lot of fun. It can be bizarre, bewildering, excit- ing, and satisfying. Science complements literature, art, music, and religion. While religion allows us to believe in things that are not provable, science is an avenue to prove things that are hard to believe. 118. Why have humans technologically progressed while all other animals have not? Isn’t human progress truly amazing? Sev- enteenth-century philosopher Thomas Hobbes described the life of early humans as “solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short.” We humans have come so far in so little time. It is hard to imagine what our daily life would be like if we were back in those times…. The opposable thumb allowed us to make and manipulate tools with great dexterity. If you are tempted to disregard the impor- tance of an opposable thumb, try these tasks: tie your shoelaces, or blow up a bal- loon and tie it, without using your thumbs. Stereoscopic vision gave the tool of depth perception, a great aid in using tools and in hunting. Another key feature of our long march of progress is the role of a written language. Knowledge exploded when people were able to permanently record what they learned and pass it on to the next genera- tion…. But there is an element of the human ascent that is troubling, our penchant for destruc- tion of our own kind and of our environment. Warfare seems to be a scourge of human- ity. Many of us now have unprecedented wealth, comfort, longevity, medical care, and leisure time. Yet we have trouble get- ting along with each other.... What is the future of science and human- kind? Science is a cultural pursuit, in the same vein as music, art, and literature. It is difficult to comprehend the mysterious beginnings of atoms, stars, galaxies, and planets. It is humbling to be able to un- derstand how life emerged, advanced and developed into a biosphere containing creatures like us that have brains able to 250 ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS | continued on page 64