C H A P T E R What is Science? W ebster’s Dictionary defines science as “knowledge, or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws especially as obtained and tested through scientific methods.” Modern scientific endeavors began with the denial of things imperceptible to the cognitive senses As most of you know, the concept of studying the unknown has led to fantastic discoveries Things that, a few hundred years ago might have seemed “invisible” or non-existent, are now solidified as real and recorded in the annals of time The unbelievable has become believable; science fiction has become fact Scientific study of existence engages in the investigation of matter and its interactions as it manifests as diverse building blocks of the universe and various genres of objects within it Scientific thought proceeds on the hypothesis that the senses cannot deceive, although the mind and its reasoning can The mind can lead us astray; therefore, empirical evidence or “proof ” is of prime importance Since material objects and sense perception are related to things that are seen, smelled, touched, or heard, scientific exploration is based upon positive definite logic Although reason and expert testimony play their parts in validating scientific conclusions, sense perception and