Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
In modern use, "science" more often refers to a way of pursuing knowledge, not only the knowledge itself. It is "often treated as synonymous with 'natural and physical science', and thus restricted to those branches of study that relate to the phenomena of the material universe and their laws, sometimes with implied exclusion of pure mathematics.
Science in a broad sense existed before the modern era, and in many historical civilizations, but modern science is so distinct in its approach and successful in its results that it now defines what science is in the strictest sense of the term. Much earlier than the modern era, another important turning point was the development of the classical natural philosophy in the ancient Greek-speaking world.
*The importance of science*
The importance of science is to understand the way things work, and to not only use these advancements to our advantage, but to help maintain and control certain environments to keep animal life safe. It also helps us discover cures to many diseases like cancer and AIDS.
In recent years it seems that importance of science has declined in the past couple of years. However its necessity in growing the economy and finding new solutions to old problems and dilemnas remain the same. However history is now entering a period where the great discoveries mostly cannot be made with out some sort of financial backing for the equipment and research time. This means that there is a real chance for major nations losing ground in the sciences if they do not make the conscientious effort to invest in research and development.
So what are areas where science is important? The first is in everyday human life. Thanks to advances in the biomedical fields there are fewer infectious or lethal disease than ever before. Some illnesses that would be death sentences even just twenty years ago with advanced research into the study of bacteria and viruses are now becoming manageable and in some cases have even eradicated. People are now living longer as we understand more about aging and the nutrients need to keep the body healthy and active long into our sunset years.
Another great area where science is proving itself is industry. In industry new materials are being discovered everyday that will help technology make huge leaps. New allotropes of carbon are being discovered like graphene and carbon nanotubes that could make feats like space elevators or even faster microchips a reality.
[References : Wikipedia.com/Universetoday.com/ Answer.ask.com]
{Image Source: http://pages.uoregon.edu/gensci/}
Read more...
