science

science, any system of knowledge that is concerned with the physical world and its phenomena and that entails unbiased observations and systematic experimentation. In general, a science involves a pursuit of knowledge covering general truths or the operations of fundamental laws.

Science can be divided into different branches based on the subject of study:

• The physical sciences study the inorganic world and include the fields of astronomy, physics, chemistry, and the Earth sciences.
• The biological sciences—such as biology and medicine—study the organic world of life and its processes.
• The social sciences study the social and cultural aspects of human behavior. They include anthropology and economics, among many other disciplines.

Science is further treated in a number of articles. For the history of Western and Eastern science, see history of science. For the conceptualization of science and its interrelationships with culture, see philosophy of science. For the basic aspects of the scientific approach, see principles of physical science and scientific method.