Science is the pursuit of knowledge through a systematic, evidence-based methodology. The scientific method begins with observation and measurement of a phenomenon, proceeds to the formulation of a hypothesis that attempts to explain it, and then the testing of this hypothesis through replicable experiments, followed by confirmation or modification of the hypothesis based on the resulting evidence. Understanding the power and promise of science is enormously important to understanding our world today - and how it might change in the future.
The importance of science is often experienced most directly in the world of medicine and public health. Progress in epidemiology and biotechnology made it possible to develop our understanding of COVID-19’s spread and enabled vaccine development far more quickly than in the past, and advances in genetics and biology are offering important clues for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Science is also critical to our comprehension of the natural world, from the biology, zoology, and botany that underlie our understanding of plants and animals to the chemistry and atmospheric science that have made it possible to understand the systems governing the Earth’s climate - and how human activity is impacting it. On an even broader scale, physics and astronomy have steadily broadened the horizons of humanity, allowing us to explore space and deepening our contemplations of the nature of the universe and time itself.
The scientific method can be applied to human society as well, with insights from psychology, economics, political science, and other social science fields yielding important insights into the way humans live and work together as well as how we can make the world a better place. Underlying many of these advances, as well as advances in the natural sciences, is the information revolution enabled by computer science and data science, which has allowed scientific researchers in all fields to gather and use unprecedented amounts of data to inform their work.