azzaman333
meh
Maths.
Which field of science do you consider the most important for the *future*
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amadeus
Bishop of Bio-Dome
Color photography?
For starters...
Kennigit
proud 2 boxer
I think chemistry is most involved there in agriculture and manufacturing.
I'd expect to be wowed by the amount of products due to mass chemical engineering. But that intersects with physics and biology so...........
Anyways, I'd say important issues are probably ranked like so:
1) agricultural developments for third-world
2) medical developments for third-world
3) climate stuff to prevent flooding (global warming and such)/soil deterioration/that type of stuff that will destroy a lot of agriculture
4) greener energy for major energy consumers
I'd expect to be wowed by the amount of products due to mass chemical engineering. But that intersects with physics and biology so...........
Anyways, I'd say important issues are probably ranked like so:
1) agricultural developments for third-world
2) medical developments for third-world
3) climate stuff to prevent flooding (global warming and such)/soil deterioration/that type of stuff that will destroy a lot of agriculture
4) greener energy for major energy consumers
sophie
Break My Heart
Depends on what you mean by important for the future.
If you mean technological progress or understanding of science in general, then I'd say chemistry. But for me, it would be understanding of human life, and the origins of life themselves. So I say biology.
Plus implicit in biology would, I assume, be discoveries of cures for various diseases and such, making life in the future a more pleasant place for all (who can afford it
).
If you mean technological progress or understanding of science in general, then I'd say chemistry. But for me, it would be understanding of human life, and the origins of life themselves. So I say biology.
Plus implicit in biology would, I assume, be discoveries of cures for various diseases and such, making life in the future a more pleasant place for all (who can afford it
).
You put particle physics in physics but not the largest field within physics, condensed matter, which includes solid state physics? I mean that contains the whole freaking semiconductor industry right there.
Silurian
Deity
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Mathematics is the mother and father of all other science
No it's not. Mathematics is useless without the scientific method, and it's entirely possible for powerful scientific theories to be created with little mathematical justification; math is used when it is necessary, not just because. It's entirely possible for complicated applied mathematics to be completely unscientific - for example, economics. To call science "applied math" is to completely miss the freaking point of science.
Anthropology is in a rather dismal scientific state, and has in no way brought us closer to understanding humans than neuroscience has, so no.
Anthropology is in a rather dismal scientific state, and has in no way brought us closer to understanding humans than neuroscience has, so no.
Silurian
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Mathematics does not require scientific method.
And science does not need scientific method it just makes it an order of magnitude more efficent.
Mathematics is used in almost all scientific advances.
Seriously?
Anyway; at the moment I would say biological sciences are very important, but for the future certain breakthroughs in Physics would have a much larger effect.
Not biased at all...
Silurian
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Seriously?
Anyway; at the moment I would say biological sciences are very important, but for the future certain breakthroughs in Physics would have a much larger effect.
Not biased at all...
Seriously yes.
In the long term almost all scientific advances require the use of mathematics.
A lot of biological science relies on statistics.
Future breakthroughs in physics may use topology.
For example...?
Verbose
Deity
Maybe the kind of biochemistry using the instrumentation of experimental physics?
I.e. I don't really expect the kind of "Kantian" scientific disciplines to survive (the kind with a presumed priori definable object of research, and possibly a distinct and specified methodology too boot). The practice of research tends to screw them up anyway. Which is why a lot of successful universities and research institutes have already dropped the traditional scientific disciplines for more problem-oriented research set-ups. ("Fields", defined inductively from where research practices lead, rather than "disciplines".)
"Experimental practice subverts discipline." — Hans-Jörg Rheinberger
I.e. I don't really expect the kind of "Kantian" scientific disciplines to survive (the kind with a presumed priori definable object of research, and possibly a distinct and specified methodology too boot). The practice of research tends to screw them up anyway. Which is why a lot of successful universities and research institutes have already dropped the traditional scientific disciplines for more problem-oriented research set-ups. ("Fields", defined inductively from where research practices lead, rather than "disciplines".)
"Experimental practice subverts discipline." — Hans-Jörg Rheinberger
Verbose
Deity
How very Positivist of you — also know as "The Great Chain of Science" (Simon Schaffer)! Comte and Whewell would be proud.
Of those listed physics, really its math because all good science is a form of applied mathematics.
Ziggy Stardust
Absolutely Sane
I like the spread of the poll 
Voted Chemistry, but actually it's the combination of fields of science (Biology and Chemistry, Chemistry and Physics) that will yield the most important results.
Voted Chemistry, but actually it's the combination of fields of science (Biology and Chemistry, Chemistry and Physics) that will yield the most important results.
I was referring to your statement that not all science uses the scientific method; I wanted you to expound on that point.
I know that science makes extensive use of mathematics; but I've yet to do anything that hasn't in some form or another subscribed to the scientific method.
Silurian
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I did not say "not all science uses the scientific method"
I said
Science can be advanced without following a testing a hypothesis etc.
Science could advance in a rambling way it would just take ten or a hundred times longer.
