Which Science Underpins All Understanding of the Universe?

[itallcomestoenergy]

As Einstein said; If you want to find out how the universe works, you have to study nature. What subject do you think is the most fundamental for further understanding? I am talking about physics, chemistry or biology. Is it possible to conclude on what's the most important field of knowledge?

 

[phinds]

As Einstein said; If you want to find out how the universe works, you have to study nature. What subject do you think are the most fundamental for further understanding? I am talking about physics, chemistry or biology. Is it possible to conclude on what's the most important field of knowledge?

There IS no "most important field of study". It depends on your interests.

 

[itallcomestoenergy]

There IS no "most important field of study". It depends on your interests.

Pardon my grammar. If you get me right; of all the knowledge we have up to date is there a field that is recommended to start with to get further understanding of how things work?

 

[phinds]

Pardon my grammar. If you get me right; of all the knowledge we have up to date; is there a field that is recommended to start with to get further understanding of how things work?

Math.

 

[itallcomestoenergy]

Math.

I see, the most universal language :D

 

[nuuskur]

I'd say logic - the techniques that allow one to conclude statements from assumed ones. It's imperative for mathematics and I imagine it's important for any science that draws from math, such as physics.

 

[Vanadium 50]

 

[Wrichik Basu]

Pardon my grammar. If you get me right; of all the knowledge we have up to date is there a field that is recommended to start with to get further understanding of how things work?

I would say mathematics is the most fundamental. Maths is the subject that can stand on its own. Physicists definitely require maths, and also chemistry sometimes. Chemists require both physics and maths (think of spectroscopy). Biologists require a bit less maths than physicists do, but they require physics and chemistry to large extents (think of MRI - it's actually NMR, which is again a combination of physics and chemistry).

 

[symbolipoint]

The picture in post #7 represents the general relationship among those sciences well.

Not clear just what is or how to define Mathematics, but Physics is a most or the most basic science but one should understand that it is focused on Matter, Energy, and the relations among them.

The sciences can be divided into the physical, the biological, and the behavioral.

 

[Wrichik Basu]

Not clear just what is or how to define Mathematics

That's why it's abstract. We (scientists excluding mathematicians) study the "applied" parts, but mathematicians are mostly interested in the sections which cannot be defined in practical terms.

 

[symbolipoint]

That's why it's abstract. We (scientists excluding mathematicians) study the "applied" parts, but mathematicians are mostly interested in the sections which cannot be defined in practical terms.

Take another step. Computer Science makes something practical for Mathematics. C.S. is a way to mechanize or automate things about parts of Mathematics. But then, is Computer Science Mathematics, or is it Technology? In this direction, is Computer Science any part of Sociology-Psychology-Biology-Chemistry-Physics?

 

[nuuskur]

I don't regard myself an expert in computer science, but from what I understand a computer scientist's (abstract) object of interest is a Turing machine. What can Turing machines do or how does one make a Turing machine do something specific? That all seems very math-like to me: study of classes of abstract objects.

Computer scientists, as the name suggests, likely study something related to computers, as well. Or perhaps, there is a branching within computer science similar to a branching in mathematics: applied math and pure math.