Science, organized knowledge about nature. This definition, however, fits natural science better than social science. Natural science includes such branches as physics, chemistry, zoology, botany, astronomy and geology. These are usually refered to as pure or basic science. Applied science includes engineering, pharmacy, animal husbandry, forestry, navigation and mining. In pure or basic science, the aim is to find and test fundamental knowledge. This fundamental knowledge is often organised around major ideas called scientific principals. In applied science the principles of the basic sciences are put to work in the solution of everyday problems. In solving their problems applied scienctists find new ways to apply fundamental principals, and their discoveries often give basic scientists ideas that lead to new principles. Thus basic and applied scientists work together in discovering new truths. Much of the progress of civilizations is due to inventions and discoveries. An even greater contribution to mankind, however, is the scientific method that scientists use to find and test knowledge. This method for solving problems, developed and used succesfully in natural science, has also been useful in such social sciences as sociology, anthropology, psychology, economics and education.

All Eyes on Oldest Recorded Supernova This image combines data from four different space telescopes to create a multi-wave-length view of all that remains of the oldest documented example of a supernova, called RCW 86. The Chinese witnessed the event in 185 A.D., Origin of Dinosaur- Killing Asteroid Remains a Mystery

NASA Full-size Model of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope NASA, space science industry and government officials are seen in front of a full-size model of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore Texas-led Team Discovers Unusual Multi-Planet System Planets Under a Red Sun NASA, NOAA Data Show Significant Antarctic Ozone Hole Remains The Antarctic ozone hole, which yawns wide every Southern Hemisphere spring, reached its annual peak on Sept. 12. Herschel Space Observatory Finds Oceans of Water in Planet-Forming Disk Around Nearby Star Using data from the Herschel Space Observatory, astronomers have detected for the first time cold water vapor enveloping a dusty disk around a young star. The findings suggest that this disk, which is poised to develop into a solar system, contains great quantities of water, suggesting that water-covered planets like Earth may be common in the universe. Herschel is a European Space Agency mission with important NASA contributions. When Galaxies Collide This interacting pair of galaxies is included in Arp's catalog of peculiar galaxies as number 148. Arp 148 is the staggering aftermath of an encounter between two galaxies, resulting in a ring-shaped galaxy and a long-tailed companion. NASA's Spitzer Detects Comet Storm In Nearby Solar System NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has detected signs of icy bodies raining down in an alien solar system. The downpour resembles our own solar system several billion years ago during a period known as the "Late Heavy Bombardment," which may have brought water and other life-forming ingre- dients to Earth. Swirling Landscape of Stars This swirling landscape of stars is known as the North America Nebula. In visible light, the region resembles North America, but in this image infrared view from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, the continent disappears. National Science Researchers Discuss Sustainability, the Physics of Living Systems and the World Beyond Want to Understand Drought? Follow the Water! Water is a precious resource many take for granted until there is too little or too much. Scientists and engineers have positioned instruments at the Susquehanna Shale Hills Observatory at Pennsylvania State University to learn much more about the water cycle there. Researchers Do Precise Gene Therapy Without a Needle For the first time, researchers have found a way to inject a precise dose of a gene therapy agent directly into a single living cell without a needle. The technique uses electricity to "shoot" bits of therapeutic biomolecules through a tiny channel and into a cell in a fraction of a second. Can Indigenous Peoples Be Relied on to Gather Reliable Environmental Data? Some scientists argue that the cultural and educational differences between trained scientists and native peoples are too large for the latter's data to be relied on in environmental studies. Long-term Survey Reveals Gen Xers Are Active, Balanced and Happy Despite being stereotyped as a bunch of insecure underachievers, most members of Generation X lead active, balanced and happy lives, according to a long-term University of Michigan survey. Diamonds, Silver and the Quest for Single Photons Building on earlier work, scientists and engineers recently developed a manufacturing process that allows them to craft an assortment of miniature, silver-plated-diamond posts that enable greater control of light producing photons at the atomic scale. The research could prove important for future generations of quantum computers. Suggested Explanation for Glowing Seas--Including Currently Glowing California Seas It has long been known that spectacular blue flashes--a type of bioluminescence--that are visible at night in some marine environments (currently including coastal California waters) are caused by tiny, unicellular plankton known as dinoflagellates. However, a new study has, for the first time, detailed the potential mechanism for this bioluminescence.