Science as we know today had evolved from a slow practical age long process of building and breaking, moulding and marring and consistency of our father who wants the best for our world.
Etymologically,science comes from a Latin word 'Scientia', meaning Knowledge. However when we talk about science today, we know it has grown from a mere simple meaning to a lot more complex thing.
Formally, science was called 'philosophy', with no differentiating factor in it amongst mathematics, geometry and nature.
Egypt is said to be the cradle of civilization and this was long before the Greek sciences began.
Ancient Egypt made contributions to mathematics,astronomy,medicine and invented geometry. They developed calendars to mark time, used the hydraulic system of agricultural irrigation to foster the growth of their crops and developed a form of writing.
The Greeks were concerned with the stars and moon, all living things and how they came to being,so they started learning ways to organize order from the disorder using observatory methods of watching the heavens and trying to form devices that would help them in their art.
Generally,Science simply means a systematic process of asking and answering questions different from the ordinary common sense and intuition,it is a methodical, rational, and systematic discourse.
• Science and Common Sense
Though science evolved from common sense, the difference is overwhelming and these are the reason why science has taken predominance.
• Common sense
¤ It is not necessarily a form
¤ Conclusion are oftentimes not based on evidence
¤ Generalization is mostly done
¤ Selective observation
¤ Neglects and ignore contradictory element in findings.
¤ It has a large tendency towards mystification
• Science
¤ Mostly dogmatic in its assertion
¤ Does not tolerate ambiguity
¤ It is uncritical and mostly subjective
¤ Tries to adjust error and is flexible
Scientific truths are not absolute, they carry conditions(ceteribus paribus),Which include continuous documentational review,systematic control and experimentation,it avoid over-generalization and tries at ever stage to determine the strength and weakness of facts.
Science is not necessarily against common sense, because common sense is not necessarily wrong, but however, science seeks to revive all our ordinary conception by applying scientific methodology.
Therefore, one could say that science introduces into our ordinary knowledge the process of organization, assessment and research.
Classification of Science.
A) Philosophical Mode Of Science:
This is the knowledge of science that searches for the ultimate "why" of things, wanting to know things in their essence and being-ness, through systematic and analytical procedure to arrive at fundamental principles.
Some philosophical article include:
• Rationalism: Uses reason and obeys the law of reasons to arrive at conclusion.
• Logicality: Here coherence, consistency and correctness is searched for in all thoughts
• Criticality: Justification is looked for in all human thought.
• **Analyticity : Here all problem thoughts are split into manageable parts
• Veracity: Here truth is being searched for in all thoughts.
• Syntheticity: Tries to bring together different thoughts into a whole precise idea.
B) Theological Mode Of Science :
This aspect of the knowledge of science investigates into the depth of faith and realities of religion with the application of reasons to reveal the mysteries and hidden things into light.
C) Humanistic Mode Of Science:
This mode of science studies the human way of living and interest in a bid to interpret all human concerns and life approach.
D) Mathematical Mode Of Science:
This mode of science studies nature from the quantitative aspect in a bid to give logical explanation to the formal realities of things.
E) Natural and Physical Mode of Science :
This mode of scientific knowledge investigates the physical, chemical and biological content using observation and experimentation in a bid to explain all casual and intricate relationship among them.
There are other distinction of science that are also relevent to the overall knowledge of the sciences,they include:
• Pure Sciences:
These natural sciences seeks the explanation of science itself, they search for the 'proximate causes', that is all the causes that can be measured and experimented on, mostly they are based on the rigidity and exactitude of all physical law.
• Theoretical and Practical Science :
Theoretical scientific knowledge are acquired for sake of knowing them and mostly account for things from their causes.
Practical Science knowledge are applied intrinsically for the purpose of producing practical results, e.g Technology.
• Formal and Real Science:
Real science relates with the aspect of existence that we can touch,see.
Formal science relates with the abstract and measurable aspects of things.
Characteristics Of Science Today:
• Science uses methods that are objective,systematic,and predictive in nature, standardized that if another person follows same step without bias or prejudice , he/she would arrive at the same result.
• Science has no restrictions,cuts across boundaries of culture,location and religion and is a whole body of impersonality that is universally accepted for its inter subjectivity.
• Science provides evidence to support every base cause and all conclusion are made with a premise of logical reason
• Science formulates general and universal statement which are a result of red taped efficient scientific method,those that do not pass the test of efficient test method are not formulated as laws.
Scientific Methodology
Science follows certain procedure to establish knowledge, a process of intellectual inquiry into pre-existing,existing and non-existing forms to come at a base conclusion for any matter, this technique can be summarized in few steps
Problem Identification :
Knowing the problem, it's probable cause and most things being envisaged to be carried out is the first step in the scientific method of getting answers and solutions.
Observation And Collection Of Data:
Collated observation is known as data, this expresses the fact about the idea on ground. This data should be understood with analysis and preserved for further interpretation and work to be done in it.
Formation Of Hypothesis :
This is an attempt in science methodology to offer an explanation to the series of observation with the goal of establishing a scientific law. A tentative explanation of this observed regularities is called a Hypothesis.
Induction And Prediction:
This is the process where inferences are deduced from the formed hypothesis, these predictions are not evident at that particular time, but exist if the hypothesis finally becomes true.
Testing And Experimentation:
All hypothesis and predictions must be verified or falsified through series of testing and experiments, mostly using controlled experimentation.
Theory Combination:
If the hypothesis passes to the stage of certitude, having survived series of test, scientists would come together to establish such hypothesis as a scientific theory.
The birth and advancement of science in our modern day has helped to push development over the cliff and has brought a whole lot of benefits to mankind and likewise some I'll, but there is an overall advantage of science over it's disadvantage, science today is mankind's Savior and has helped bring our world closer. Image Source
Thank you for reading.
All scientific insights about the origin of science is welcome.
