Science Explained Simply – Issue #69

Hello Explorer,

We often struggle to understand the world around us, and one of the things that are often viewed as complex and very difficult to understand is Science. Albert Einstein, which is often viewed as the father of modern physics said:

Now in the light of this, I believe that we should be able to explain Science so basically that a child could understand it clearly. The first place to start at is to define what science is.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary there are multiple definitions for Science, but the first definition and the second explanation thereof is what we will look at today.

The first one states that Science is: knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws especially as obtained and tested through scientific method.

The second states that Science is: such knowledge or such a system of knowledge concerned with the physical world and its phenomena.

We see that Science is based on knowledge, the facts and information we know about a given subject. We also see that the knowledge is obtained and then tested through the scientific method.

But before we usually obtain the knowledge, we start with something way simpler and more basic. In fact, it is so simple that a pre-schooler can even do it, and usually they do it extremely well. We ask questions. The more naïve and basic the question the better, as this is where we start the entire scientific method. It is very important to note that there is no such thing as a “dumb question”. If you are ever in a situation where you do not understand, “I do not understand, can you please explain it to me?” is the best question to ask. Because if you never ask, you will never understand.

Questions are at the root of the scientific method and of Science, as it forces us to break through boundaries and gain more knowledge. We should be asking the questions that no one is asking, that is where we will find new and ground-breaking knowledge.

We have said that we test the knowledge we have obtained through the scientific method, but what does this mean? It means we have a question that we propose an answer in a simple and falsifiable statement, based on our prior knowledge (also known as a hypothesis). This statement needs to be tested to see if it is false or not so then we do a test (known as an experiment) that we can easily repeat over and over. The test needs to be repeatable so that we can easily test multiple times to ensure that the answers we are getting are accurate and correct. The test is used to determine whether the answer (or hypothesis) we have obtained is false or not. We then take the results or outcome of the tests and discuss them to clearly explain what the results mean.

So to put it simply, Science means that we are building a body of knowledge, by asking questions, answering them, testing whether our answers are false and then sharing the information.

So next time you have a what feels like a stupid question, ask it, investigate it, and keep on asking follow up questions until you can answer your seemingly stupid question. You never know, you might just discover something new and add to the body of knowledge that is already there!

If you would like to send me a message with your answers, feel free to do so on Instagram @abugmanslife or via email to [email protected].

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References

“Science.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/science. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.