4 minute read
1.1 Science is the study of the natural and physical world
In this topic, you will learn that:
• science measures what we observe (see, hear, smell and feel) and organises it into testable explanations • scientists have jobs that focus on asking questions and finding answers • some scientists work in a laboratory; all scientists work in teams • scientists answer questions by observing, recording and interpreting what they find.
Video 1.1A Ask a scientist – Dr Aaron Stewart (entomologist)
Video 1.1B Ask a scientist – Dr Jo Whittaker (geologist)
Video 1.1C Ask a scientist – Dr Niraj Lal (physicist)
Video 1.1D Ask a scientist – Ms Jenny Powell (environmental scientist)
scientist a person who studies the natural and physical world
philosopher someone who studies ideas, theories and questions
science the study of the natural and physical world
Curiosity through history
Many scientifi c discoveries start with one person who is curious about something. Our world would be a very different place without people wondering ‘How does this work?’ or ‘Why is this so?’
Sometimes curiosity comes from necessity. To survive, the fi rst humans had to discover through trial and error which foods were edible Figure 1 Early scientists were called natural and which were philosophers. poisonous. This was curiosity with life-and-death results! The information was then passed from person to person to benefi t many more people. Curiosity can also come from the desire to know more. In ancient Greece, there was much curiosity about the stars, the Sun, the Moon and our own planet. Early scientists were not called scientists at all – they were called ‘natural philosophers’ because of their interest in studying nature. Philosopher means ‘lover of knowledge’. Natural philosophers used their observations to develop calendars, to locate the Earth in the universe and to show that the Earth is round and not fl at.
Finding answers to problems that affect people and society is another result of curiosity. Many of the great advances in medicine, such as vaccinations and the discovery of penicillin, are the result of years of research. They have changed our lives, and mostly for the better.
Curiosity today
Science is in the news every day. Some issues that scientists are curious about right now include alternative and ‘green’ energy sources, clean drinking water and food for a growing world population, and new cures for diseases such as the Ebola or Corona viruses. Scientists ask questions about the survival of the human race and space travel, and whether the human brain could be replaced by a computer. Science is an ongoing process that is never ‘fi nished’ – it is always changing.
Scientists find caus of disease outbreak
Scientists develop cervical cancer vaccine Scientists create tsunami warning system
SCIENTIST AWARDED AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
Figure 2 Curiosity leads scientists to new discoveries.
Scientists in the world
There are four main branches of science: biology, physics, chemistry, and earth and space science. Within each of these branches there are many different specifi c science professions that can overlap with one another. Usually, a scientist has dedicated years of study to specialise in one particular area. Figures 3–8 show six different types of scientists and a question they may spend time researching. Science is an ever-expanding search for knowledge and, as you will read, there is still a lot of research to be done.
Figure 3 A pharmacologist studies medicines and drugs and their effects on the human body. Is an experimental vaccine for the Ebola or Corona viruses safe for human trials? Figure 4 A palaeontologist studies ancient life, including dinosaur fossils. What can the mass extinction of dinosaurs teach us about modern life on Earth? Figure 5 An environmental scientist studies the environment. How is climate change affecting the Earth?
Figure 6 A meteorologist studies the atmosphere and weather patterns. How can we accurately predict cyclones? Figure 7 A marine biologist studies life in the oceans and seas. How will rising sea waters affect the Great Barrier Reef? Figure 8 A nanotechnologist studies substances at the atomic (very small) scale. Can we design drugs to target individual cells?
1.1 Check your learning
Remember and understand
1 Identify (write) the name that was given to the early scientists. 2 Suggest one reason why being curious and asking questions is important in science. 3 Identify the four main branches of science described in this section.
Apply and analyse
4 a Ask an adult to recall one idea or invention that has changed in their lifetime due to science. b Describe one idea or invention that has changed in your lifetime due to science. 5 The meteorologist in Figure 6 is studying how to predict cyclones. Describe one advantage of this research. 6 The environmental scientist in Figure 5 is investigating climate change. Identify two other scientists in this section who may work with an environmental scientist. Evaluate and create
7 It is often said that science is never
‘finished’. Evaluate the truth of this statement (by providing examples of science that are never finished and deciding if this statement is true). 8 Look carefully at Figure 9. Propose a possible question about gorillas that the scientist may be investigating. Describe the risk the close contact may have to: a the scientist b the gorillas.
cell (in biology) the building block of living things
atmosphere the envelope of gases surrounding the Earth or another planet
