What is the best science?

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Reply 60

ChaoticButterfly

Original post by Solivagant

It's astonishing how people can still think Biology is a science... :rolleyes:

It is because it clearly is. :rolleyes:

Reply 61

Changing Skies

Original post by Solivagant

Does the truth hurt? :tongue:

Yeah, it does :frown:

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Reply 62

Robbie242

Original post by ChaoticButterfly

I am not coming from a GCSE/alevel perspective boy. :mad:

You aren't encouraged to think about these things in high school.

Maths is a philosophical language/thought process and underpins logic. I will try and explain in a lazy way of what I am thinking.

Science is about testing models, if these models allow us to make predictions correctly then the model is said to have some kind of truth behind it. Yet it is still not considered to be fundamentally true. You can only confirm wrongness in science. That is science.

Now maths says 1 + 1 = 2. Can we scientifically test this? One can proove it in the mathematical sense but can you actually "test" it. If you were to treat it as a scientific question then one would assume that that we can never know for sure whether 1 + 1 =2. Do you bleieve 1 + 1 = 2? Is it a matter of belief? It could all be wrong and can not be scientifically tested. Therefore it is not a science. Maths is the basis of logic with which we describe nature in science.

There are different philosophical theories of what maths means that deal with questions like... Do numbers exist? Do they only exits on our minds? etc. But this is not science. I'm not discrediting maths in anyway, it underpins everything.

I still think it can be both even though most of your logic here is spot on, I view it as both a science and its own art as well,

I don't think you can rule it out as ''not a science'' though since clearly many mathematical ideas form the basis of science and testing models. For example you are able to test models ''equations'' that help you make predictions when you are given conditions. The mathematical model may not be perfect and may need to be refined, it isn't an absolute truth but it is what we know based on the information we have collected/found. Mathematical equations are experimented with everyday, refined and changed to make them more able to make solid predictions. I will admit pure mathematics and proof via abstract concepts is far less science orientated than the main sciences but there are lots of parts of mathematics which can make it a science.

Take a regression line, a mathematical idea within statistics - you will not always have a perfect line or a line that satisfies every single uncertainty/estimation error possible, the idea is highly mathematical yet it is just a model based off statistics given

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 63

Solivagant

Original post by Changing Skies

Yeah, it does :frown:

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Well at least History is a proper subject :console:

Reply 64

Arieisit

Original post by Ilovemaths96

Physics of course!
Biology is not even a science

Agreed

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Reply 65

Ilovemaths96

A friend of mine is studying biology and had an isa recently. They had to calculate the spine density of leaves, I was holding back the laughter, thinking what an absolute waste of time!

Reply 66

Changing Skies

Original post by Solivagant

Well at least History is a proper subject :console:

Hey, it actually is :tongue:

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Reply 67

aspirinpharmacist

I like them all, they all have cool aspects and not-so-cool ones. But chemistry's my favourite.

Reply 68

Solivagant

Original post by Changing Skies

Hey, it actually is :tongue:

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It's no chemistry, but it's okay :tongue:

Reply 69

ChaoticButterfly

Original post by Ilovemaths96

A friend of mine is studying biology and had an isa recently. They had to calculate the spine density of leaves, I was holding back the laughter, thinking what an absolute waste of time!

As opposed to timing the oscillations of a bouncing spring? :rolleyes:

Sociology

Maths, followed closely by physics.

Reply 72

Changing Skies

Original post by Solivagant

It's no chemistry, but it's okay :tongue:

Oh I know, it's far better :wink:

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Reply 73

ChaoticButterfly

In one of my physics isa in high school we filled a tray full of water and lifted it up slightly then dropped it. We then timed the complete oscillation of the water waves that resulted.

Those biologists with their leaves don't look so stupid now huh.

Reply 74

Solivagant

Original post by Changing Skies

Oh I know, it's far better :wink:

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I hear the people who do chemistry are much more handsome and charming though... :wink:

Reply 75

katiiiiie

My favourite is biology just because it is really interesting seeing how your own body works :P

Reply 76

Noble.

It's a pointless question. If you're referring to 'best science' in terms of GCSE/A-Level then the answer is easily chemistry. If you're just asking it as a general question then it's pointless. Once you get to undergraduate level and beyond the sciences don't massively stick within the confines of what chemistry, biology and physics are like at GCSE and A-Level. You'll have some chemists studying options which you'd think were the options of physicsts (because, well, some are) and likewise you'll have some applied mathematicians studying options which sound more like physics options (because, there's a crossover). I don't consider maths a science, but then again I pretty much entirely do pure options so it'd be disturbing if I did, but if you choose certain combinations of applied options it becomes very difficult justifying why that mathematician isn't a scientist, when a theoretical physicsts is.