What Is Science

英國大使館文化教育處

A

What is science？ The answer is either very difficult or very easy. Illgo with the easy one： everything. Science is the study of… everything，from things so small that they cannot be seen to the universe itself， whichis everything there is and so big it never ends！ Science is the study ofthe world we live in and all the things that live （or dont） in it， including us，people.

B

If you are reading this， then you must be a person. Or maybe not.You could be a computer， of course， which is something very importantin the world of science these days， and becoming more and moreimportant all the time. Time： theres another big science word， one of thebiggest. Time has been one of the most important subjects for some ofthe greatest scientists throughout history， and what is “history” itself if notTime？

C

Anyway， we dont have time to worry about that. So lets return tothe meaning of the word “science”：the study of everything. To test if mymeaning works， I have tried to think of things — any things， real or notreal —that have not been studied by some sort of science.

D

And I cant. Can you？ Try ......

How about “nothing”？ Surely “nothing” cant be studied by science.But then I remember that “nothing” has been one of the most importantand difficult subjects throughout the great history of the science ofphilosophy： the study of “being”.

Activity 1 Which answers or examples a–f go with which question 1–6？

1. What does a biologist study？

2. What does a chemist study？

3. What does a mathematician study？

4. What does a philosopher study？

5. What does a psychologist study？

6. What does an astrophysicist study？

a. H2O， O2， H2， CO2.

b. Animals and plants.

c. E = mc2.

d. The stars.

e. How and what people

think and feel.

f. I think， and so I am.

Activity 2 Complete the sentences.

Look at the use of the words “must”， “could” and “maybe” in partB of the story. Now use those words to complete the spaces 1–3 inthe conversation between Ike and May below. Use each word once.

Ike： Do you think there is other life beyond our planet？

May： 1 ， yeah. Who knows？ There 2 be. Yeah， its possible！

Ike： Possible？！ Its more than possible！ Look at how big theuniverse is and how many stars there are in it： billions and billions.There 3 be other life！ Im sure of it.

參考答案：

Activity 1 1. b; 2. a; 3. c; 4. f; 5. e; 6. d Activity 2 1. Maybe; 2. could; 3. must