Which do you think is the most important science?

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Gotta second the old maths here! Without it the other sciences wouldn't make sense, and if one area of study is ever likely to provide the answer to the secrets of the universe, it will be maths over any of the other sciences. Of course, then it's time to hand back over to the sociologists to debate what the question could have been... :smile:

Reply 121

username2950448

In terms of positive impact on humanity on a day-to-day basis, probably biology.

Reply 122

SonOfNineMothers

Original post by kassinopious

not really brah because maths just describes the reality and physics of atoms, so matter comes before the maths. the Big Bang and other things can be described using physics and chemistry so maths isn't over the other sciences loool

Needless to say.

Physics is probably the most significant when you consider all three in isolation. Physics applications are present in engineering which helps build homes, tech, planes etc. Chemistry allows us to synthesise various drugs, analyse materials and develop uses based on property (Kevlar is a good example) and also plays apart in engineering too. Biology is probably the least significant, as all it's medical applications revolve around chemistry - you can't treat a disease when you don't have chemists to make a drug for it. I also think a big part of advanced biology is chemistry, because all this genetic and drug research stems from looking at cells down to the molecular level, analysing their reactions and working out how they can be altered for benefit.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 125

MaherphD

Original post by awkwrdbby

Out of physics, biology and chemistry, Which do you think is most important?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Chemistry:
Is the study of composition and decomposition of matter.

And everything in this world is made up of matter.

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 7 years ago)

Physics!!!

Geography...

Original post by BigYoSpeck

Biology and chemistry have done far more to improve the quality of life for people than physics has ever done, chemistry has probably been responsible for the greatest loss of life of all 3 sciences, so biology wins by default.

No achievement of which would have ever approached our horizons without physics (electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, and pretty much most analytical chemical techniques used in making all the big discoveries of proteins and DNA and stuff are based on physics). So Physics wins.

Reply 129

oShahpo

Original post by Percypig17

Not exactly a helpful discussion, and predictably most people here are saying Physics because it's the most 'interesting'. However that wasn't the term of the question and interesting has no real bearing on worth or importance.

Whilst it is true that physics has had great importance in engineering etc in the past and today, it's pretty clear that most modern medicines and cures are being designed by specialists in chemistry and biology. Its probable, in fact, that day to day biomedical research has the greatest short term impact on most of us than something like theoretical physics.

That's ********. Theoretical physics led to the invention of transistors, which pretty much every electronic system in existence, including every single machine in every single decent hospital, are built upon. So that's not really true.

Not to mention that most analytical chemistry, without which you can't really make drugs or any 'deep' microscopic discoveries, is built upon fundamental and theoretical physics.
For example DNA was discovered through electron microscopy, which itself is a machine based on the fact that electrons are also wave-y, which is a fact of theoretical physics.

Reply 130

The_Physicist

Original post by BigYoSpeck

Biology and chemistry have done far more to improve the quality of life for people than physics has ever done.

Not necessarily true. Physics is responsible for us having electricity and modern appliances, and is partly responsible for all the technological advancements since the 18th century. Phones and communication grounds rely mostly on Physics, because Radio Waves are the ones that facilitate the communication methods. You cannot say Physics has not improved the quality of our lives.

Reply 131

BigYoSpeck

Original post by The_Physicist

You cannot say Physics has not improved the quality of our lives.

And I didn't.

Reply 132

Kallisto

Entertainment Forum Helper

Original post by Kyx

Physics!!!

Yeah, we know your passion to this. It is so obviously. Are you biased or can you reason why it is more important than the other sciences?

Reply 133

_NMcC_

Original post by oShahpo

True, a lot of Chemistry derives from Physics but It wasn't Physicists that were actually interpreting the IR/NMR/GC-MS/X Ray Spectrums and making these big discoveries. That was down to Chemists. Rosalind Franklin was not a Physicist. Neither were Watson and Crick or Linus Pauling.

I have a friend studying Theoretical Physics. If your statement was true, then himself (and you for that matter) would be able to interpret degree level IR/NMR/GC-MS. He cannot interpret them. He simply hasn't the knowledge of Chemistry to be able to quantitatively determine the regions of the spectra where certain bonds resonate (with IR/NMR).

My point is, yes you can do the reductionist approach and say 'Well Chemistry is just applied Physics' but that doesn't make Physics anymore important than Chemistry as it's Chemists not Physicists that are the people actually advancing the subject.

You could say 'Biology is just applied Chemistry' but is it Chemists that are actually making the important discoveries in Biology? No. Sure it has a lot of overlap but an Experienced Synthetic Organic Chemist usually cannot replace an Experienced Molecular Biologist (unless they have significant outside experience or a non-specialist degree). They use different techniques and work on different scales.

The reductionist approach is totally false. If it were true then every Physicist would somehow automatically 'know' every other science. Stupid!

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 134

tamil fever

Psychology.Because our mind made up Biology,Chemistry and Physics.

Reply 135

Kallisto

Entertainment Forum Helper

Original post by MaherPhd

Chemistry:
Is the study of composition and decomposition of matter.

And everything in this world is made up of matter.

Posted from TSR Mobile

That is a good and clear argument for chemistry, but can chemistry tell you how the matters (molecules and atoms) work and interact with each other without biological aspects?