User:WalkingRadiance/Physics with Applications/Introduction, Measurement Estimating/The Nature of Science

The principal aim of all sciences, including physics, is generally considered to be the search for order in our observations of the world around us. Many people think that science is a mechancial proces of collecting facts and devising theories. But it is not so simple. Science is a creative activity that in many respects resembles other creative activities of the human mind.

One important aspect of science is observation of events, which includes the design and carrying out of experiments. But observation and experiments require imagination, because scientists can never include everything in a description of what they observe. Hence, scientists must make judgements about what is relevant in their observations and experiments.

Consider, for example, how two great minds, Aristotle and Galileo, interpreted motion along a horizontal surface. Aristotle noted that objects given an initial push along the ground (or on a tabletop) always slow down and stop. Consequently, Aristotle argued, the natural state of an object is at rest.