Poll: Is Biology A Science?

[Atticus89]

Economics is a subject that aims to analyze how goods are produced, distributed, and consumed. It's a study of how economic systems work, how it effects various aspects of society, and uses empirical data to create theories, hypothetical ideas, and processes (e.g. the idea of supply and demand).

I'm no economist nor an economy student so I can't give a better example of how economics is a social science.

I would, however, like to know how you see it as an art. I don't have the hands-on experience in the field like you do so you have me at a disadvantage.

Because, ultimately, much of the world runs on two things ... monetary and fiscal policy & supply and demand. Given the nature of these policies, and the nature of human greed, they are the very least like a science.

Sure there are trends ... but everything you do when you're trading in a gamble and there are no 'sure things' ... everything is reliant on supply and demand and the human capacity for consumption.

It's an art at best ... much in the same way you can say there are basic details and core constructs in art (e.g. the 7 elements of Art; line, shape, form, color, texture, space, value...) in economics (e.g. you have; politics, trends, monetary policy, fiscal policy, employment statistics, etc) is much the same.

What causes an interest rate hikes in economics is not as cement as, say, 7 + 7 = 14 ... or the relationships of adenine and thymine & cytosine and guanine in human DNA.

As I said... as someone who engaged with the market firsthand, it's a fucking art ... as the game is set against you from the first second you jump on a platform.

Okay, I can understand that. Though I would still argue that economics is still a social science. Figuratively speaking, every action has a reaction. There are tons of variables and nothing will be absolute, but I think various economic theories would be more akin to possibilities rather than actualities. If you drop a rock, it will always drop at the same gravity constant. If you drop a bunch of money into something, so many more things may occur. Again, I wouldn't know what exactly.

Social sciences won't ever be absolute like a natural science would be but they serve to rationalize and explain certain phenomena that occur with regularity within any society. An economist might, for example, search for how and why an interest spike would occur.

 

[thiosk]

Anyway. My girlfriend takes the XKCD stance

Is she a physicist or mathematician?

She has an pretty thorough understanding of physics. Most of which goes over my head completely [quarks, hadrons, strange, charmed..It all make equal sense to me. Namely, it doesn't, though I would like it to].

But is she a scientist, or a science advocate?

I know a lot about quarks and their flavors as well, but I'm not a physicist, I'm a chemist, and as of next week I'll be published in Science [http://www.sciencemag.org]. I am absolutely a scientist, regardless of what XKCD has to say about the purity of chemistry.

Even archeology is a science. Biology is certainly a science, a life science as opposed to a physical science, but a science nonetheless.

 

[blazearmoru]

Biology = Medicine

So it's up to you, do you or your girlfriend believe in hospitals and medicines and disease? or curses? The existence of disease = biology. Just a thought.

 

[Denamic]

Yes.
It most certainly is.
Biology is no less a science than physics.
It just deals with how the squishy bits work rather of how they move.

 

[Dr. wonderful]

XKCD really?

Yes, Biology is a Science by the fact it's the sum of knowledge gained from methods and discipline.

Physics? Physics is for suckers.

Wonderful OUT.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

Okay, I can understand that. Though I would still argue that economics is still a social science. Figuratively speaking, every action has a reaction. There are tons of variables and nothing will be absolute, but I think various economic theories would be more akin to possibilities rather than actualities. If you drop a rock, it will always drop at the same gravity constant. If you drop a bunch of money into something, so many more things may occur. Again, I wouldn't know what exactly.

Social sciences won't ever be absolute like a natural science would be but they serve to rationalize and explain certain phenomena that occur with regularity within any society. An economist might, for example, search for how and why an interest spike would occur.

It should work out like that, but it doesnt. See an economist might look at trends, but I'm sure there are concrete examples where the element of chaos can completely cripple her/his argument.

Philosophy has far more concrete ideals and concepts than economics will ever have.

If predictating trends is a science, then heck we're all scientists.

Humans are random ... the reason why I spend alot of money this week is because I saw a pretty outfit and the perfect pair of shoes to go with it... but the reason why I saved money week after that is because I felt guilty for last week's expenditures. Reason why I bought it in the first place? Friend was having a wedding ...

Try making that work on a calculator.

There is little rhyme or reason behind economics beyond marketing something... (and it always merely comes down to marketing something ... whether services, material, or information) And even then it's a matter of a customer seeing it, wanting it, and then buying it because they can meet the item's demand/service + material costs.

Economics should just be merged with [edit:] behavioural sciences (arguably a 'science' at all) and be done with it (and before you ask, psychology is not a science ;P it is squarely a humanities subject).

 

[9Darksoul6]

@similar.squirrel
If you're indeed not misquoting your girlfriend, tell her that she doesn't get to define "science" as a concept, even if she wants to; that was done centuries ago; (if we can't call your girlfriend an idiot, there's not much else to say).

However, if what you meant is that she thinks biology is not as 'efficient' (for lack of a better word) as math, I must agree with her (how could it be otherwise? Algebra's at least 3000 years older than Medicine).

 

[ParkourMcGhee]

Tell her to consider biology in medicine. I have to learn a bunch of stuff for my biomed eng course. It's pretty much fixed principles (ie: how mitochondria make energy, or how different types of muscles work or channels open etc etc etc), and we don't even have to know who found them out.

Wheras in arty subjects I'd say with them, that you can pretty much BS your way through at least 90% of them.

 

[Flamezdudes]

Sociology I don't think is a science, but Biology and Psychology definatly are.

 

[Faladorian]

This question hardly warrants an answer, but yes, biology is a science.

Also, if you look at the results, it seems like a few people were just being contrarian, and it's actually unanimous.

 

[Worr Monger]

Hm... I always thought that whole "logy" at the end of that "Bio" part automatically made it a science...

 

[Uszi]

If it ends with 'ology' it's a science.

Phew...

...good thing I didn't waste all those years studying ASTROLOGY.

Or SCIENTOLOGY.

Sociology I don't think is a science, but Biology and Psychology definatly are.

What makes Sociology not a science?

Okay, I can understand that. Though I would still argue that economics is still a social science. Figuratively speaking, every action has a reaction. There are tons of variables and nothing will be absolute, but I think various economic theories would be more akin to possibilities rather than actualities. If you drop a rock, it will always drop at the same gravity constant. If you drop a bunch of money into something, so many more things may occur. Again, I wouldn't know what exactly.

Social sciences won't ever be absolute like a natural science would be but they serve to rationalize and explain certain phenomena that occur with regularity within any society. An economist might, for example, search for how and why an interest spike would occur.

It should work out like that, but it doesnt. See an economist might look at trends, but I'm sure there are concrete examples where the element of chaos can completely cripple her/his argument.
*snip*

IMO:

In so far as economics is about looking at data and trends, forming hypothesis, and testing those hypothesis it is a science.

In so far as specific economists now subscribe to schools of thought, and defend their positions vehemently, and shift the goal posts when they're schools are dis-confirmed, and in so far as past results can be explained in either the positive or the negative by those "schools of thought," it is not a science.

Ergo, economics in practice is a non-science which attempts to use scientific principles, but ultimately fails.

 

[CrustyOatmeal]

this is the most one sided poll i have seen ever

 

[Chimichanga]

Your girlfriend is an idiot. Randall Munroe is an idiot. Smart, yes - but still a great big pretentious idiot.

To say it is not a science by comparing it to mathematically-based sciences is pure, arrogant, conceited snobbery - which I think is grounds to be dragged out into the street and shot.

It's like saying the color green is not a 'true' color because it is on the other side of the color wheel from red.

(To clarify: the dragged-out-into-the-street-and-shot part was more directed at that douche-bag Munroe who writes XKCD - except for a few strips, I hate both him and his webcomic with great prejudice)

*Toxicologist here*

 

[rayen020]

to be fair XKCD didn't say biology wasn't a science, just that it wasn't a base science. and even then said physics isn't a base science. Biology chemistry physics pychology and math all started as seperate branchs of learning. to beleive that they are or are not a science based on the discovery that one is simply an applied organic form of the other does not discredit it as a science.

Psychology and sociology are sciences in the same way theoretical physics and big bang cosmology are sciences in there is a lot of circumstancial evidence and reliable enough to study at length however any great discovery or paradigm shift can change it in an instant.

 

[irani_che]

All science is Math and Stamp Collecting.
While Biology is more of the memorising part.
it is still a Science and Stands Head and Shoulders ( if not Torso and Kneecaps) above Sociology, Anthropology and any psych degree below post graduate level.

There Pure Physics and Pure Biology have alot in common, I would put them together and separate from Medecine and Engineering, which are degrees in something more Practical

 

[UtopiaV1]

Everyone is going to repeat my opinion, so I'll start off by saying we need to define art.

Anyways, subsections of other sciences mean they are still science. If A is a B and all Bs are C then A is also a C.

But you can totally abuse that statement!

"All people are idiots, Einstein was a person, therefore Einstein was an idiot."