Poll: Is Biology A Science?

[Ghengis John]

Discaimer: I think it is.

Anyway. My girlfriend takes the XKCD stance, whereby she claims that mathematics and physics are the only 'true' sciences, and that all aspects of biology are more akin to an art. Strangely, she seems to think that genetics is exempt, but things like ecology and taxonomy definitely do not fall within the realm of science.
She thinks the same applies to psychology and sociology, though I'd be inclined to agree sometimes, given that those subjects don't deal with phenomena that are immediately or easily quantifiable.

I agree insofar as all biology has a chemical basis, and all chemistry has a physical basis, but still. The systematic study of any phenomena, to me, is a science. We could study anatomy in terms of physics [biophysics dabbles with this], but it seems inherently ridiculous to discredit an entire branch of science because it uses a different set of vocabulary.

Thoughts?


EDIT: Be civilized. I don't appreciate anybody being called an idiot, much less somebody I'm close to. I was asking for an opinion regards this specific question, not my choice of partner.

What is XKCD and why on earth would she not accept something as clearly a science as biology (come on, molecular biology not a fucking science?) as a science.

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

An art is something that's created by human means. Biology, when ignoring genetic engineering, isn't an art, it's a field meant to broaden the understanding of organic processes.

 

[Drake_Dercon]

Science: an effort to study and understand that which is based on the testing and gathering of information.
Art: an effort to understand that which is based on self-examination, social examination and extrapolation.
Entertainment: an effort to use self-examination, social examination and extrapolation to better understand the self and society.
(note: "that which is" is used as a noun)

Biology: definitely a science, in all respects.
Social sciences: on the borderline between art and science
(note that there are very few mediums that are entirely art)
Video games: straddle the line between art and entertainment
(there are also very few mediums that exist purely to entertain. I could cite pornography or children's toys, but those don't really follow the same train of thought)

*snip*
Also, would that mean astrology isn't science, if so we're gonna have to think of a new name for sci-fi

I believe you're thinking of astronomy. Astrology isn't science (possibly an art, but I believe that the things you get in newspapers are more entertainment than anything else).

 

[Rascarin]

Your GF is joking about I'm sure... hell, I used to be like that as well (well, when I was 12) until I discovered the joys of studying creepy-crawlies (entomologist). Anyway, taken literally 'science' is just Latin for 'knowledge'. Meh...

Still, these days, science is so interdisciplinary that physics is applied to biological studies in a lot of cases (e.g. single molecule spectroscopy, TEM and so on... god that shit bores me...)

The way I see it - if you get to wear a lab coat, you're doing science.

BTW, *this* is my lab coat:

Spoiler

Two months later, I've finally remembered where I've seen that lab coat before. You live in the studio flat behind my garden!

 

[Radoh]

Your girlfriend has a weird approach to science.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Two months later, I've finally remembered where I've seen that lab coat before. You live in the studio flat behind my garden!

*blink* *blink* Zanna? Oh hey!

You found if you're going to be working at our lab this summer?

 

[Rascarin]

Two months later, I've finally remembered where I've seen that lab coat before. You live in the studio flat behind my garden!

*blink* *blink* Zanna? Oh hey!

You found if you're going to be working at our lab this summer?

Haha, hey!

And no, I didn't get the job. ;__;

 

[Ilikemilkshake]

It follows the scientific method so yes

Spoiler

At high school level, biology is definatly one of the easiest sciences, but at Degree level it basically just becomes chemistry/physics in relation to plants/animals/nature/whatever else

 

[SckizoBoy]

Haha, hey!

And no, I didn't get the job. ;__;

Pity, but I don't think you're missing that much there... coding is very very very... very... ... very mind-numbing. Company's great though! And apparently no-one compares to Lee (he did it last summer).

 

[Rascarin]

Haha, hey!

And no, I didn't get the job. ;__;

Pity, but I don't think you're missing that much there... coding is very very very... very... ... very mind-numbing. Company's great though! And apparently no-one compares to Lee (he did it last summer).

I know, I didn't expect it to be exciting work, but it would have been perfect for what I'm hoping to do for my third year project... I was so excited about working with the bees, too.

 

[EternalFacepalm]

How is biology not a science?

 

[SckizoBoy]

Pity, but I don't think you're missing that much there... coding is very very very... very... ... very mind-numbing. Company's great though! And apparently no-one compares to Lee (he did it last summer).

I know, I didn't expect it to be exciting work, but it would have been perfect for what I'm hoping to do for my third year project... I was so excited about working with the bees, too.

Just as well you didn't need to be exposed to Tommy (every other sentence is 'bees suck!'). Still, it would've been good to do a bit of hive moving/guard observation etc. Not that I'm in much position to comment about the quality of the experience: I promise ants food... but leave them hungry.

 

[Custard_Angel]

It is. It just isn't much of a science.

No... I don't feel like justifying that statement.

 

[ImanOcean]

The way I see it - if you get to wear a lab coat, you're doing science.

I expect a white coat and goggles as a bare minimum otherwise I declare their science a pseudo-science!

 

[Wintermoot]

yes it,s the study of living things

 

[Rascarin]

Pity, but I don't think you're missing that much there... coding is very very very... very... ... very mind-numbing. Company's great though! And apparently no-one compares to Lee (he did it last summer).

I know, I didn't expect it to be exciting work, but it would have been perfect for what I'm hoping to do for my third year project... I was so excited about working with the bees, too.

Just as well you didn't need to be exposed to Tommy (every other sentence is 'bees suck!'). Still, it would've been good to do a bit of hive moving/guard observation etc. Not that I'm in much position to comment about the quality of the experience: I promise ants food... but leave them hungry.

Is it true there's a lot of bee/ant competitiveness in the lab? I like both, really. My field trip to Portugal involved studying ants. I was trying to get an idea of the longevity of pheremone trails, and seeing if there were a difference in trails to permanent or temporary food sources.

 

[HerbertTheHamster]

Biology is soft science. It uses the scientific method with a subject that is kinda scientific. Only mathematics and physics are hard sciences.

stuff like sociology on the other hand...

 

[fates_puppet13]

biology is without a doubt a science
so is chemistry and physics
which are the 3 hard sciences

however
qantum physics
psychology
sociology
philosophy
taxonomy
astronomy
and geology

are all sciences in their own right in my opinion

however people will probably state that some are covered by the 3 hard sciences
are not fully considered a science yet
or that geology isn't a science

 

[SckizoBoy]

Just as well you didn't need to be exposed to Tommy (every other sentence is 'bees suck!'). Still, it would've been good to do a bit of hive moving/guard observation etc. Not that I'm in much position to comment about the quality of the experience: I promise ants food... but leave them hungry.

Is it true there's a lot of bee/ant competitiveness in the lab? I like both, really. My field trip to Portugal involved studying ants. I was trying to get an idea of the longevity of pheremone trails, and seeing if there were a difference in trails to permanent or temporary food sources.

Not really, there are only two other 'ant-people' while most of the others concentrate on apiculture (except the Swiss postdoc who does a bit of both). Though being around them for a while, they're all bug-happy!

Biology is soft science. It uses the scientific method with a subject that is kinda scientific. Only mathematics and physics are hard sciences.

stuff like sociology on the other hand...

Ahem... I'll ignore the last comment regarding a certain 'non'-science. But the thing is, there no longer is much of a divide between 'hard' and 'soft' sciences largely due to the massive overlap in research areas. A great deal of biochemistry (and almost all of protein biology/chemistry) and analytical chemistry employ such a lot of physics/physical methods and techniques that it's difficult to genuinely classify it e.g. protein chemists aren't really chemists, they're biophysicists. *shrug* (Then again, as a synthetic chemist/entomologist, I'm inclined to defend biology.)

 

[Ampersand]

Tell her all science is art and quit being a snob. (I'm sorry but that seems to me to be what she's doing.) Biology is every bit as much of a science as chemistry or physics or any of the other dozens of fields I could name.