Pocket Genius Science – What is science?
Science is the study of the universe and everything in it—from the tiny atoms that make up all matter to the forces that build stars and planets. Through the study of science, we have been able to figure out how our planet came to exist and how life on Earth developed. We are even able to work out how the universe might come to an end in the far future.
Materials science
Science can be split into three main areas—materials, physical, and life science. Materials science looks at what materials are made of, how they react with each other, how they can be combined to form new materials, and what uses they can be put to. Chemists often conduct research to create useful things rather than simply to learn about the world.
Physical science
Scientists who study forces, energy, and how they interact try to answer some big questions.
How was the universe formed?
What are the forces that hold it together? Where does energy come from?
What is light made of?
Life science
Life scientists study all living things, such as bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. They observe how organisms live, what they eat, how their bodies work, and how they work together to form different ecosystems.
What is a scientist?
Scientists discover laws that explain the world around us. They do this by making observations and then coming up with predictions, or hypotheses, for how they think things work. They then test these hypotheses in experiments to see if they fit the evidence.