George+Essay++What+is+Science

George Venizelos Science: What exactly is it? Nothing about it remains constant. Its meaning has changed, the way we view it has changed, and the way it is conducted and reviewed is and will always be ever changing until we find and understand the infinite amount of knowledge this universe has to offer (or multiple universes according to the multiverse theory). In modern day, science is the search for truth through reliable evidence. Humans have always been curious and will always be curious. It is in our nature to ask questions and to seek answers to those questions. Religion, philosophy, drugs, mediation, and science are just some of the paths in which people follow in order to seek the same thing. The search for truth is something all humans seek. With truth humans can predict the unknown. What sets science apart from all other methods for seeking the truth, is that science is the only method that uses evidence and in order to answer the questions of life. Galileo and Aristotle both had ideas that would explain how motion works, but only Galileo used experimentation and proof to back up his ideas. Religion also claims to have the answers to life, but relies on faith instead of evidence to support its claims. Evidence used by scientists can be collected in many ways. Newton gave his laws of physics the support is needed through mathematical evidence, whereas Darwin proved his theory of evolution through observations of wildlife on the Galapagos Islands. In the field of psychology, searching for answer through experimentation is the most effective way to find out how the mind works as demonstrated by Solomon Asch’s famous experiment on conformity. Science has the reputation that it does because it is based upon evidence and fact. Science is an ever changing idea that is always trying to improve. The most basic ideas of science come from the Greeks, who tried to explain natural phenomenon without using gods or deities to why they happen. Although most of their ideas were derived mostly from logic and not physical evidence or tangible proof, they laid the groundwork for explaining the way the world works without gods. Although most of the teachings of the early Greek philosophers were held by the Byzantine Empire and the Arabs, most of the information was lost in Western Europe. Any scientific progress during the middle ages was usually done through the church by monks, and would only be accepted if it did not go against the teachings of the church. Science only started to become what it is today around the time of Copernicus and Galileo. People began searching for the truth regardless of offending the church. At this time, science began rooting itself in empirical data, and backing up claims with experimental data that could be replicated by just about anyone. “Science” has continued to change based on what we use it for and it very well may change in the future. Pure scientific knowledge has no tangible purpose in society, but it’s what people take from it that makes it so beneficial for civilization. In order to truly harness the power of the natural world, engineers must understand how the world works. Inventions must be based on scientific knowledge so that they can be improved in the future and evolve with scientific knowledge. A perfect example of an inventor applying scientific knowledge to be used in the real world is Alfred Nobel. Only after understanding the nature of nitroglycerine and chemistry, he was able to create dynamite, which revolutionized warfare and mining operations. Scientific knowledge can also be translated into mechanical devises. In trying to explain the pattern of the vertical motion of planets, Nasir al-din al-Tusi theory could be directly translated into a mechanical devise that changes rotational movement into linear movement. Although his scientific theory was completely wrong, the mechanism by which he explained his theory is still used by engineers today. Where science is taught has shifted many times throughout the course of history. The first “scientific” ideas were spread through libraries and universities in Ancient Greece, Egypt and Rome. Most of the ideas came from Universities, were rational thinking and intelligent debate roamed freely. Although some of this information was kept in the east, after the fall of Rome the west lost the need for education and scientific ideas moved. Since education during the middle ages was only offered to the elites and within the church, scientific progress stopped. Most of the elite class was more focused on controlling the people than on science, and any science that came from the church was not spread to the people so that it could be translated into something tangible. During the Scientific Revolution, scientific progress came from wherever scientists found their inspiration. Darwin did his research on a boat. Madame Curie did her famous research on radioactivity in her labs, whereas Newton formulated most of his laws while working on a farm in rural England. It is more common today to find scientific research carried out in universities, government institutions, or private corporations. Mostly wherever scientists are funded is where they will do research. The relationship between technology and science is unique and ever changing. They are intertwined disciplines, but they still stay very separate. One cannot function without the other. Scientists need engineers to build more accurate told for measurements, while engineers need to understand how the world works in order to build better machines. Kepler could not have come up with his theories about planetary motion without the excellent data provide by Tycho Brahe, which he in turn was only able to get from the brilliantly engineered observatory Uraniborg. Galileo would not have been able to disprove geocentricism without the telescope. Technology heavily depends on scientific research as well. The microwave required an in depth knowledge of particle physics, before it could be made. Many diseases and viruses require knowledge in biology in order to engineer vaccines and cures for the diseases. The search for truth requires increasingly accurate measurements in order to progress, but those measurements can only come from an increased understanding of the world. Science and technology will always require one another in order for civilization to move forward towards absolute truth.