GENERAL SCIENCE



The Basics



Science is not just a collection of facts. Facts are a part of science. We all need to know some basic scientific information:

  • water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit (or 0 degrees celsius), and the earth moves around the sun. But science is much more. It includes:
  • Observing what's happening
  • Predicting what might happen
  • Testing predictions under controlled conditions to see if they are correct
  • Trying to make sense of our observations

Science is not merely a collection of facts, concepts, and useful ideas about nature, or even the systematic investigation of nature,
although both are common definitions of science.
Science is a method of investigating nature

  • a way of knowing about nature

to discover reliable knowledge about it. In other words, science is a method of discovering reliable knowledge about nature.
There are other methods of discovering and learning knowledge about nature ,
but science is the only method that results in the acquisition of reliable knowledge.

Some commonly known facts in science are as folows

  • Science changes.Science is dynamic. Not everything you learned growing up is 'true' today.
  • Clear liquids aren't always water.Hydrochloric acid is clear. You wouldn't want to drink it.
  • You need oxygen to live.Just as not all clear liquids are water, not all gases contain oxygen. Plus, you can diminish the amount of oxygen when you introduce other gases (e.g., carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide from combustion, helium from a balloon). Keeping this little scientific tidbit in mind may someday save your life.
  • Hot air rises.So... if you can only heat the first or second floor of your house, heat the first floor.
  • What goes up must come down.Gravity. Don't set heavy objects where they can fall on your foot, etc.
  • Water flows to the lowest point.It's gravity in action. All liquids flow 'down'. This is handy to know if you ever need to actually find water, but its more practical applications involve plumbling and drainage.
  • Most materials expand when heated and contract when cooled.Notable exceptions are water (ice floats, also important) and some types of wax. You can use this information to help open glass jars with metal lids, among other things.
  • That which doesn't kill you does not necessarily make you stronger.I'm sure leaded paint chips taste nice and sweet. They won't kill you outright, but they aren't good for you. If you don't die immediately from something, that doesn't mean it's non-toxic.
  • While pure water doesn't conduct electricity, normal water does.Hence it's a bad plan to have electric appliances where they can fall into the tub. It's not a great idea to go to the beach during a thunderstorm.