Science

=== Natural science ===
[[Natural science]] is the study of the physical world. It can be divided into two main branches: [[list of life sciences|life science]] and [[Outline of physical science|physical science]]. These two branches may be further divided into more specialized disciplines. For example, physical science can be subdivided into [[physics]], [[chemistry]], [[astronomy]], and [[earth science]]. Modern natural science is the successor to the [[natural philosophy]] that began in [[Ancient Greece]]. [[Galileo Galilei|Galileo]], [[René Descartes|Descartes]], [[Francis Bacon|Bacon]], and [[Isaac Newton|Newton]] debated the benefits of using approaches which were more [[mathematical physics|mathematical]] and more experimental in a methodical way. Still, philosophical perspectives, [[conjecture]]s, and [[presupposition]]s, often overlooked, remain necessary in natural science.<ref name="Gauch2003">{{cite book | last = Gauch | first = Hugh G. Jr. | chapter = Science in perspective | title = Scientific Method in Practice | publisher = Cambridge University Press | location = Cambridge, United Kingdom | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=iVkugqNG9dAC&pg=PA71 | pages = 21–73 | isbn = 978-0-521-01708-4 | year = 2003 | access-date = September 3, 2018 | archive-date = December 25, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201225200202/https://books.google.com/books?id=iVkugqNG9dAC&pg=PA71 | url-status = live }}</ref> Systematic data collection, including [[discovery science]], succeeded [[natural history]], which emerged in the 16th century by describing and classifying plants, animals, minerals, and so on.<ref name="Oglivie2008">{{cite book | last = Oglivie | first = Brian W. | year = 2008 | chapter = Introduction | title = The Science of Describing: Natural History in Renaissance Europe | pages = 1–24 | edition = Paperback | publisher = University of Chicago Press | location = Chicago | isbn = 978-0-226-62088-6}}</ref> Today, "natural history" suggests observational descriptions aimed at popular audiences.<ref name="Wordnet definition">{{cite web|title=Natural History|url=http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=natural+history|publisher=Princeton University WordNet|access-date=October 21, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303173506/http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=natural+history|archive-date=March 3, 2012}}</ref>