Poll: Is Biology A Science?
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Of course it's a science, sociology and psychology well I've never really grouped them in with science but if they are well... good for them. =)
No i'm saying niether are currently definitively able to be proven through expeirmnetation (except for that quantum entanglement thing but thats a whole other thread). String theory takes a hell of alot more brainpower than sociology(i will now be flamed by sociologist). i know, i am a theorectical physics student myself.irani_che said:
Psychology and Sociology are pseudosciences, that rely more on categorization and identification of possibilities. Biology deals with biological reactants, enzymes, proteins, what cells respond to, perpetuation of healthy cells, categorization and classification of millions of living creatures and their habitats, and the repeatability of experiments, hypotheses, and conclusions to yield a comprehensive understanding of how life works on a cellular level. Not how it starts, mind, just how it works.
It is the simplest of the three main sciences indeed. Viruses, germs and pointless things about how plants work have to go somewhere. Human anatomy I can stand( 
). But I only consider it a science because it I have to.
). But I only consider it a science because it I have to.I think your girlfriend misinterpreted those XKCD comics, while the author sometimes makes jokes at the expense of the other sciences he does acknowledge them as science.
Biology does form hypothesis, conduct experiments, and follow the scientific method just like any other science.
Biology does form hypothesis, conduct experiments, and follow the scientific method just like any other science.
Pointless? Really?Sensenmann said:
Can you clarify what you mean by pointless?
Pretty much all the cereal plants we eat have been improved by plant science. Plants are pretty much the method in which the majority of energy enters an ecosystem. And there's going to be a food crisis at some point in the near future unless we really improve the efficiency of our crops.
And on what basis is in the simplest? Have you seen the amount of stuff that occurs in a cell? The complexity is staggering. Literally millions of molecules all flowing around with amazing precision, enzymes perfectly involved to allow reactions to occur that would never occur, or at the very least unimaginably slowly outside of a cell, all of these linking to form huge metabolic processes. And that's just for one cell, all these cells interact with each other, sending signalling molecules constantly up and down regulating each other's activity. What about the senses, how a single photon of light is changed into an electrical impulse which in turn is then some how understood.
Your claim of simple I feel just shows your ignorance of the subject. I am not saying any science is more important then any other. Just biology is anything but simple and plants about as far as way from "pointless" as you can get.
I feel that she's putting words in the comics' mouth and erroneously misinformed.thaluikhain said:
Therefore, Biology is a science.
Yes. If you want to boils everything down to "true" science then physics isn't a science since its a mathematical study of the relation of particles and math isn't a science since its just study and theorizing on relationships of systems. On top of that, mathematics is subject to human understanding and interpretation. How we perceive it is not necessary how it is so math is. It is actually a topic of study for sociology, how we as humans created a system to perceive math. Sociology in turn derives down to psychology to biology to physics to math to sociology and so on in an infinite loop. There is no beginning or "true" science there is only axiomatic starting points. (We have to start here so we can build up since you have to choose some place to start and build from or you're stuck).
Purists piss me off since they lob these comments to try and discredit other groups (A social anthropological process ironically) without stopping to consider why we have sciences. We have different categories to specify specialized knowledge that goes beyond the general knowledge of other categories. Physics is not a be all end all because we can build something from there and that is another science. Physics in itself explains the process that other things build on. Saying that its the truth because its the lowest is again asinine since it can also be reduce to core elements that boil down to not even a science but a collection of points of data and axioms. Ah this whole thing is a stupid display of power and trying to internally legitimatize one's own position though attacking and deconstructing others. THe psychology of it all is just so stupid.
Purists piss me off since they lob these comments to try and discredit other groups (A social anthropological process ironically) without stopping to consider why we have sciences. We have different categories to specify specialized knowledge that goes beyond the general knowledge of other categories. Physics is not a be all end all because we can build something from there and that is another science. Physics in itself explains the process that other things build on. Saying that its the truth because its the lowest is again asinine since it can also be reduce to core elements that boil down to not even a science but a collection of points of data and axioms. Ah this whole thing is a stupid display of power and trying to internally legitimatize one's own position though attacking and deconstructing others. THe psychology of it all is just so stupid.
Lets look at the etymology of the word "science" shall we? Science is derived originally from scientia in latin (which is actually a conjugation of scire) which means to know or to learn. So basically the moment you are achieving new knowledge, you are technically doing a "science".
Also note that science is synonymous with words like art, technique, method, or discipline. When you think about it, linguistically there is very little in difference in between art and science (and i know like EVERYONE is going to come down on me like a tone of bricks by saying that). By which i mean how many times has someone referred to a science as an art? Or an art as a science? And no one can say that they havnt heard someone say "i study the art of learning the secrets of the universe" or something like that.
Really when you get down to it "science" and "art" are allot like "Jargon" and "slang". Seemingly two very different concepts but actually the difference being only a hair of difference. The only reason that we think instinctively that science involves a guy in a white coat is the fact that society (or in this case XKCD)has displayed that stereotype upon us.
Basically what im saying is im willing to say that not only is Biology a science, but so is going to a life drawing class for fun at uni or something of the sort.
Btw i am more than aware it took me 4 fucking paragraphs to say that :/
Also note that science is synonymous with words like art, technique, method, or discipline. When you think about it, linguistically there is very little in difference in between art and science (and i know like EVERYONE is going to come down on me like a tone of bricks by saying that). By which i mean how many times has someone referred to a science as an art? Or an art as a science? And no one can say that they havnt heard someone say "i study the art of learning the secrets of the universe" or something like that.
Really when you get down to it "science" and "art" are allot like "Jargon" and "slang". Seemingly two very different concepts but actually the difference being only a hair of difference. The only reason that we think instinctively that science involves a guy in a white coat is the fact that society (or in this case XKCD)has displayed that stereotype upon us.
Basically what im saying is im willing to say that not only is Biology a science, but so is going to a life drawing class for fun at uni or something of the sort.
Btw i am more than aware it took me 4 fucking paragraphs to say that :/
