An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

A branch of knowledge, including → natural sciences and → social sciences, that is based on observable phenomena and must be capable of being verified by observation.

→ empirical; → science.

A field of study that admits especially precise predictions and rigorous methods of testing hypotheses, especially reproducible experiments involving quantifiable predictions and measurements.

→ exact; → science.

Same as → informatics.

→ information; → science.

A science that deals with matter, energy, their interrelations and transformations, In other words, natural sciences are concerned with physical processes observable in nature. They can be divided into physical and biological sciences.

→ natural; → science.

The critical study of the basic principles and concepts of a particular branch of  knowledge. The philosophy of science is particularly concerned with the nature of scientific facts, the structure of scientific statements, and relations between them.

→ philosophy; → science.

The branch of astronomy that deals with the science of planets, or planetary systems, and the solar system.

→ planetary; → science.

Any set of ideas, methods, or assertions that claims to be objective and scientific but that in fact does not seriously value or attempt to apply objectivity and → scientific method to its endeavors. Pseudoscientific statements are usually not → falsifiable by means of → objective experimental or observational evidence, in contrast to scientific statements that can be refuted. Pseudoscience uses scientific-sounding terminology but totally lacks scientific support. Among pseudoscience examples are → astrology, scientology, clairvoyance, and parapsychology.

→ pseudo-; → science.

1) The study of the physical and natural phenomena, especially by using systematic observation and experiment.
2) A systematically organized body of knowledge about a particular subject. See also: → knowledge, → cognition.

M.E., from O.Fr. science, from L. scientia "knowledge," from sciens (genitive scientis), pr.p. of scire "to know," probably originally "to separate one thing from another, to distinguish," related to scindere "to cut, divide;" PIE base *skei- "to cut, split;" cf. Pers. gosastan "to tear, cut, break," from Mid.Pers. wisistan "to break, split," Av. saed-, sid- "to split, break," asista- "unsplit, unharmed;" Skt. chid- "to split, break, cut off;" Gk. skhizein "to split;" Goth. skaidan; O.E. sceadan "to divide, separate."

Dâneš, verbal noun of dân-, dânestan "to know" (Mid.Pers. dânistan "to know"), variant šenâxtan, šenâs- "to recognize, to know" (Mid.Pers. šnâxtan, šnâs- "to know, recognize"); O.Pers./Av. xšnā- "to know, learn, come to know, recognize;" cf. Skt. jñā- "to recognize, know," jānāti "he knows;" Gk. gignoskein "to know, think, judge," cognate with L. gnoscere, noscere "to come to know" (Fr. connaître; Sp. conocer); P.Gmc. *knoeanan; O.E. cnawan, E. know; Rus. znat "to know;" PIE base *gno- "to know."

A form of fiction that draws imaginatively on scientific knowledge and speculation in its plot, setting, theme, etc. (Dictionary.com).

→ science; → fiction.