What is Science?

What is Science?

"Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organize knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the Universe. In an older and closely related meaning, "science" also refers to a body of knowledge itself, of the type that can be rationally explained and reliably applied. A practitioner of science is known as a Scientist." Wikipedia 

There are still a lot of sources where we can find broader meaning of science. The study of science is really very broad because it covers almost 60 or 70% of what is in the Universe...living and non-living things. Science and Maths always go together because of the solutions for scientific laboratory research where maths is to be used for the formula.

When I was in high school (I was not able to go to college because of financial reasons) science is my first favorite subject and second is English. There was a memorable event for me in science when I was in my third year high school. I had my 1st and 2nd year in the province and I got high grades especially in science and english. When I transferred to Manila for my 3rd year, one of my classmates happened to be the Salutatorian for the whole evening class sections. 

Since I was a transferee and a total stranger of that school, I was seldom noticed by my would be classmates. I was assigned to sit at the far back of the room. The first subject I attended was Chemistry. The teacher gave her first problem to solve at the blackboard. My classmate who was a salutatorian raised immediately his hand and and confidently told the teacher to solve the problem written on the board. While he was solving I already knew that it was not the right answer. 

When the teacher asked him if his answer is right, he was very confident to say "yes". The teacher asked him the second and third time and his answer was the same. The teacher then asked the whole class if anybody knows how to solve the problem. I raised my hand and everybody was surprised since I was really a stranger in that school. I went to the board and since I already knew the formula of the solution, it did not take long for me to solve it. The teacher asked me 3x if I was sure of my answer and I said "yes". The teacher agreed and since then all my classmates want to make friends with me. Immediately I have a lot of friends in that school.

Back to the topic about science, in the book written by physicist Gregory N. Derry, the Author of What Science is and How It Works,  from the Editorial Reviews of Amazon.Com with his book, "Derry states his aim: to show his readers how to think scientifically. In this aim he is quite successful, as his narrative proceeds through case studies that draw on real world situations to discuss the importance of precise measurement, replicable experimentation, clear research design, logical thought--and imagination. He is quite clear on what constitutes good science, and he profiles a few heroes (Kepler, Einstein, Helmholtz, Joule) to illustrate how that good science conducted. He is just clear on what constitutes bad science, which often results when money and politics enter the laboratory. The fundamental virtue required of a scientist is honesty, he remarks, and a scientist who is dishonest and unethical scarcely deserves the name."

This book is a must especially for college students... and teachers.