So, what is Science?

Science is the pursuit, attainment (both in accomplishment and understanding), and organization of knowledge. It is divided into many disciplines, spanning even more subjects.

I, from the get-go, want to establish that I do enjoy Science. I like to learn new things, study things, and have always enjoyed asking and figuring out the "Hows" and the "Whys" of the universe.

Growing up, the subject of Science has always been my favorite (Lunch being a close second). I have always leaned toward the physical sciences, like Chemistry (what boy does not like to blow stuff up?) and Physics (or figuring which falls faster from a roof: a cat or a toy soldier on fire?). As I got into Jr. High I had a history teacher, we will call him Mr. N. for anonymity sake, who was the first real person in my life that really started me in the whole "Science and Religion do not mix" philosophy. And you know what? Mr. N was right, but at the time I was not as quick witted as I am now (patting myself on the back, I know).

As a reminder I went to public school from Pre-K to 12: Downer, Ford, Montalvin, Crespi, MCHS. Mr. N found out somehow who the "religious nuts" were in the class. I do not remember everyone, but I do remember Anka (he was a Jehovah Witness) who was the most outspoken in the class. There were certain days the two of them would go at it. Apparently Mr. N was a big guy on Anthropology. He would talk about all sorts of archaeological facts and data, spout off about the different forms of dating rocks and rock layers, and all sorts of other geological proofs. To which Anka, much credit to him, simply would say that God created everything and set things in motion (As I think back he was probably a theistic evolutionist). To which Mr. N's reply was always the same, "God is not Science!" He would end the conversation with that and continue on with class. But that phrase stuck with me.

Onto high school. I got the privilege of going to an unordinary high school at which I attended college classes along side of my high school ones. My freshman year I was in a general science class that was taught by one of the professors, we will call him Dr. Z. And it is to him, that I credit the definition of science at the top of this post and at the top of the next paragraph.

Science can only be executed by the Scientific Process (SP), thereby meaning, that anything that cannot be tested, examined, or otherwise manipulated, by the entirety of the Scientific Process cannot be Science. (Long definition short = If you cannot do the SP then it is not Science) If there was one principle that he hammered into us, it is what I just typed above (Enough that I remember it 15 years later). So, let me end this blurb by outlining the SP for you all:

Observation: Hmm... I noticed that every time that happens, this happens...
Hypothesis: Hmm... I think that if I do this, then this will happen...
Experimentation: Hmm... Let me do this, to see if this will happen...
Comparison: Hmm... When I did it, that did happen...
Repeat: Hmm... Let me try it again...
Peer Review: Hmm... Let me give it to others to see if they do this, will that happen for them.

So, what is my definition of Science? Science is the application of the entire Scientific Process to understand and organize the principles and laws that define Matter, Energy and Time.