science

Examples of science in the following topics:

• History of biological science

• Basic and Applied Science

  • Basic science increases the knowledge base of a field of research while applied science uses that knowledge to solve specific problems.
  • This question focuses on the differences between two types of science: basic science and applied science.
  • Basic science or "pure" science seeks to expand knowledge regardless of the short-term application of that knowledge.
  • Some individuals may perceive applied science as "useful" and basic science as "useless."
  • Without basic science, it is unlikely that applied science would exist.

• Scientific Reasoning

  • Although using the scientific method is inherent to science, it is inadequate in determining what science is.
  • These areas of study are still sciences, however.
  • This type of reasoning is common in descriptive science.  
  • Both types of logical thinking are related to the two main pathways of scientific study: descriptive science and hypothesis-based science.
  • Descriptive science and hypothesis-based science are in continuous dialogue.

• Introduction to the Study of Biology

  • Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms.
  • Science is a process for learning about the natural world.
  • This makes science an iterative, or cumulative, process, where previous research is used as the foundation for new research.
  • Our current understanding of any issue in the sciences is the culmination of all previous work.
  • Pseudoscience is often known as fringe or alternative science.

• Branches and Subdisciplines of Biology

  • Forensic science is the application of science to answer questions related to the law.
  • Biology is the culmination of the achievements of the natural sciences from their inception to today.
  • Excitingly, it is the cradle of emerging sciences such as the biology of brain activity, genetic engineering of custom organisms, and the biology of evolution that uses the laboratory tools of molecular biology to retrace the earliest stages of life on earth.

• The Scientific Method

  • Biologists study the living world by posing questions about it and seeking science-based responses.
  • This approach is common to other sciences as well and is often referred to as the scientific method.
  • Importantly, science does not claim to "prove" anything because scientific understandings are always subject to modification with further information.
  • This step—openness to disproving ideas—is what distinguishes sciences from non-sciences.
  • Many times, science does not operate in a linear fashion.

• Introduction to Animal Behavior

  • Animal behavior has been studied for decades, by biologists in the science of ethology, by psychologists in the science of comparative psychology, and by scientists of many disciplines in the study of neurobiology.

• Introduction to Ecology

  • There are many practical applications of ecology in conservation biology, wetland management, natural resource management (agroecology, agriculture, forestry, agroforestry, fisheries), city planning (urban ecology), community health, economics, basic and applied science, and human social interaction (human ecology).
  • Finally, it is important to note that ecology is not synonymous with environment, environmentalism, natural history, or environmental science.

• CAM and C4 Photosynthesis

  • Drawing based on microscopic images courtesy of Cambridge University Plant Sciences Department.
  • Drawing based on microscopic images courtesy of Cambridge University Plant Sciences Department.

• Cognitive Learning and Sociobiology

  • Sociobiology is an interdisciplinary science originally popularized by social insect researcher E.O.
  • Wilson defined the science as "the extension of population biology and evolutionary theory to social organization."
  • This science is controversial; some have criticized the approach for ignoring the environmental effects on behavior.