Science is an organized scientific enterprise which builds and supports knowledge in the form of predictions and testable explanation about the universe. The discipline has many branches like microbiology, zoology, physics, chemistry, astronomy, and genetics. These branches have helped to shape our knowledge about living organisms, their environments, and their movements in space and time. These facts have enabled mankind to produce a huge range of technological innovations and discoveries that have improved our lifestyle and helped to solve problems.
One branch of science that has had a major role in the progress of society is the natural sciences. Natural sciences include such branches as physics, chemistry, astronomy, biology, and zoology. A hypothesis is an idea or a suspicion about a certain type of scientific fact. It is often examined in order to falsify or test it; thus, it is referred to as a hypothesis.
An explanation is a type of theory that is used to explain a specific piece of data. In the natural sciences, the most common hypothesis is evolution, the idea that biological material cannot be created or recreated. Creationism is another well-known explanation for biological material, that is, that inorganic materials such as rocks and insects are alive. While there is no disagreement among those who believe in evolution, those who believe in creationism must often search for additional evidence to support their claim.
Testing is an important part of the scientific method. Scientists use various methods in order to determine whether a hypothesis is reasonable. If it is not accepted by the scientific community, it can be rejected or strengthened, forcing scientists to develop a new hypothesis. For example, if observation indicates that a planet orbiting the sun has a highly potential to produce life forms, scientists use a variety of tools to search for life, such as telescopes, infrared technology, satellites, and detectors on Earth and in space.
The field of ecology is a large branch of science that involves the study of how ecosystems work and what can affect them. Many people think of eco-evolution as another branch of science, but it is in fact an extremely important branch of science. This branch focuses on understanding the causes of and influences of biodiversity, or the distribution of species. It also studies how human activities affect the environment, looking at how pollution, nutrient cycles, and food production and consumption have effects on ecosystems.
While these four are among hundreds of different branches of science, all of these branches have one thing in common: they all use hypothesis as a way to explain the facts. When looking at the scientific method in practice, it is easy to see how the hypothesis is used. Without this method, scientists could not test their ideas, observations, and theories. In the end, it is up to us to continue to look for ways to improve the world we live in.