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Favorite Kind of Science?

favorite science

  • Chemistry

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Biology

    Votes: 6 27.3%
  • Physics

    Votes: 5 22.7%
  • Other

    Votes: 11 50.0%

  • Total voters
    22

Dragoncat

Twilit wildcat: Aerofelis
Mine is probably biology. While it's not blowing things up like in chemistry or making things like balloon powered race cars like in physics, which I enjoyed a lot in school, I find that you can use your imagination the most with biology. I'm a naturally creative person. The final assignment in my school's biology class had us pick three cards, each had a trait of an animal. We had to combine those traits into one animal, then write a report about it and say why it was an endangered species. Oh and we did dissect frogs first...I felt sorry for mine, it was a mom with eggs in it :( My biology teacher was real fun, he once said if he caught anybody copying on the test he would rip their test up and throw it in the air like confetti and give them a zero lol. Another one: "You're going to be doing punnett squares until I'm blue in the face".

Speaking of punnett squares, when we had to research a famous scientist, I picked Gregor Mendel, the father of genetics. He had an interesting life story. He was supposed to inherit his father's farm, but his dad gave it to his big sister and her husband instead. I know I would be pretty mad if that happened to me...but as it goes, if that didn't happen, he wouldnt be famous. Anyway he took a job at the monastery as a gardener, by tending the pea plants he came up with the rules of genetics we know today. Apparently he would freak people out by asking them if they wanted to see his kids, meaning the pea plants...back then monks like him weren't allowed to have kids xD

So, vote in the poll, say why, etc. Also do you have a favorite scientist in the type you picked like I do?
 
Joined
Feb 15, 2013
You're missing Computer Science. I find most pressing problems to be computational in nature, and choose this as my "favorite", but I wouldn't undermine any of the other sciences and say it's "better". In fact the real power comes in when you learn multiple sciences and applying them together. For example if you wanted to put comsci to physics together to solve some sort of problem (i.e. computational physics)
 
Joined
Oct 20, 2008
Gender
Timecube
If I had to pick a specific field, I'd probably say physics, largely because I find the ability of applied mathematics to describe the universe and its mechanics, both amazing and beautiful. It's hard to narrow it down though, because there's a lot of interplay between areas of chemistry with physics, and so on, but in general, I'd say physics. I love science and mathematics in general, though. As for a favorite scientist, I'm not sure, to be honest. Two I can think of immediately are Richard Feynman and Enrico Fermi, but there's probably a lot more that I like, but can't think of off the top of my head.

You're missing Computer Science. I find most pressing problems to be computational in nature, and choose this as my "favorite", but I wouldn't undermine any of the other sciences and say it's "better". In fact the real power comes in when you learn multiple sciences and applying them together. For example if you wanted to put comsci to physics together to solve some sort of problem (i.e. computational physics)

I agree with this. The really fascinating things come from cross-disciplinary applications.
 

Curmudgeon

default setting: sarcastic prick
Joined
Dec 17, 2012
Gender
grumpy
Astronomy (though not chemistry or physics separately). I've had a fascination with outer space essentially my entire life.
 

Clank

Hmm
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Location
Veldin
Hmm, never really found the sciences to be too intriguing, but I am a fan of math and explosions, so I think Physics best fits me...
 

Mellow Ezlo

Spoony Bard
Joined
Dec 2, 2012
Location
eh?
Gender
Slothkin
Chemistry! <3 I was always fascinated with the whole atomic theory thing, then I took Chem and it all got explained! I still find it rather unbelievable how a substance can become something completely new just by the simple transfer of a tiny particle that's too small to see even with most microscopes.

Plus, I love blowing things up, and watching things blow up. My old science teacher liked blowing things up too, and did that a lot on class.
 
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
I couldn't choose just one if my life depended on it, so I'm going to go with Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

I've always been big on biology. I grew up in an extremely rural area where I'd spend most of my time catching bugs, fish, frogs, etc. and trying to learn everything that I could about them. I used to idolize Chris and Martin Kratt, and I wanted to be just like them when I grew up. I was also fascinated and plants and mysterious deep-sea creatures, the latter pushed me into wanting to be marine biologist, just like my uncle whom I never met (does he truly exist, ta? lol). Careerwise, my dreams of going into anything conventionally connected to biology have long since died, but several by-products of my old interests still linger on today: I still am an avid reader of biological findings and research and I've memorized hundreds, maybe thousands, of scientific names of plants, animals, fungi, etc.

Chemistry is something that I really didn't get into until high school. My main interests in such primarily centered around the periodic table of elements. I have a thing for memorizing long lists, so memorizing the periodic table was a must. Upon memorizing the whole thing, I decided to learn everything that I could about each element. That turned into my wanting to learn how each element interacted with one another and which ones I could find in everyday things like shampoo for example. I wanted to know which chemicals were involved in basic bodily functions and brain chemistry, as well, though the latter sprang from my wanting to learn what were the chemical functions behind mental disorders, as I happened to have one, and what chemicals were in the medication I had been prescribed. Because of this, I memorized nearly the entire U.S. pharmacopoeia, though I forget which year that was published in.

Physics is a tricky one. I don't exactly know where my interest in it started, but it might have been in the same place where my interest in biology started. My dad had a colleague, Mrs. Montgomery, a retired school teacher, had loads of old books that I'd read whenever I had the chance. She had so many book that she had planned on throwing some of them out, so I asked her if she could just give them to me instead, which she complied to despite the fact that they were grad-level books and I was, like, six years old (lol). I recall reading them and learning a lot about various physicists and astronomers; I thought most of them were so cool that I naturally tried to emulate them. I must have learned hundreds of complex math equations and formulas, even though I was hardly good at applying them, as math was never my forte. My lack of superior math abilities was and still is my only hang up in regards to this subject, but I am still very much enamored by it. One embarassing thing that resulted from this was my dad calling me "professor [name withheld]" all the time (lol).

To be more specific, however, if I had to choose outside of your list, I'd say my favorite fields of science are Geology, Astronomy, Meteorology—all of which more or less fit under and/or crossover into the fields in your list, I guess—and the more "fringe-y ones" such as Psychology and Sociology, the latter of which just so happens to be my major (yey). These fields are what I've always excelled in, and I feel "right at home" discussing and experimenting with them. Tidbit: I've committed extensive lists of rocks, minerals, and earth science terms (geology); all 88 constellations in alphabetical order, as well as hundreds of other random things (astronomy); I am able to recognize several cloud types and perform minor weather predictions (meteorology), and I can talk weather with an actual meteorologist if I really wanted to (lol). Lastly, I often cover the "fringe-ier ones" in most of my posts...

I didn't bother to provide an exhaustive list of my favorite scientists, as doing so would have been, well, exhausting, but Albert Einstein is, like, way up there...alongside Max Weber, Abraham Maslow, and Carl Rogers. Yes, the latter ones are sociologists/psychologists but hnnng. Oh, and Hippocrates... Okay, I'm done.
 

Mercedes

つ ◕_◕ ༽つ
Joined
Nov 12, 2007
Location
In bed
Gender
Female
Physics! I think the Universe is just spectacular and I love learning about it, and how everything works and stuff. I like biology and chemistry for the same reasons, but, I just find the Universe itself fascinating, learning about stars that make our sun look absolutely tiny and things like that. I always tune in on documentaries about it!
 
Chemistry has always been a fascination for me. It marries major concepts found in biology and physics and offers engaging real world experimentation. While physics and biology might seem more practibable and observable, I think the word "scientist" conjures a chemical laboratory in most people's minds. It certainly does in mine!
 

Firice da Vinci

Distinct lack of Leonardo
Joined
Jun 15, 2010
Location
Renaissance Italy
At my level of education, I am not able to take any of those three classes at my school. I believe that I won't ever take Physics unless I mess around with it in college. In the next two years, I have to take Biology and Chemistry, for, other than AP classes, that is all my school offers. I would also like to say this: "Oh man, why can't philosophy be considered a true science? I would choose it hands down!"

Going with "Other", I would say either Optics or Astronomy, though I am leaning more toward the former. The only reason I can come up with as to why these two branches fascinate originates from the visual beauty that they possess and their close relations. The study of stars would be quite difficult without the telescope, an optical device. Without understanding light, I could never see the gargantuan galaxies and nebulae that are scattered throughout our vast universe. Seeing how small we are compared to the rest of Everything really makes you think about the value of life and daily interactions. Do they have any true impact at the massive scale, or not? Maybe the only way to know is by standing on Mars, speeding by Neptune, and getting annihilated by a black hole. Yes, the science intrigues me very much.

I enjoy Optics from it's close ties with art and bringing out the inner substance of a piece. The lighting in any given location can make or break the aesthetic quality of a scene. It is thrilling to imagine waves and photons constantly bombarding the world around us. Varying kinds of radiation from the electromagnetic spectrum help us from talking on cellphones to microwaving frozen pizza. The subject itself is unique; a part of Physics, yet different enough to stand out. I can resonate with this placement, causing me to feel "akin" to Optics. Almost like a friend, of some sort.
 

Claire

The Geekette
Joined
Nov 25, 2007
I voted 'other.'

I like a variety of scientific fields, but my favorite would have to be Geoscience. I'm studying, and bare with me here, Environmental, Geographical, and Geological Sciences at my university (it's ridiculously long, I get that, but it spells EGGS and that's cool). I'm looking to graduate soon and intend to apply for graduate school to get a Master of Science in Geoenvironmental Studies (or something similar). My primary interests are in hydrology (water resources, surface hydrology, oceanography) and geoinformatics. This interest also reflects other interests in fields of science, such as astronomy. I'm really interested in planetary science and habitability, but I'm also an amateur astronomer (90mm Mak-Cass, baby). Stemming from my interest in habitability, I really enjoy reading articles about human origins and evolution. Just like everyone else, I have a soft spot for physics too. I have a tendency to read a lot of books on theoretical physics and astrophysics.

I've taken classes on all of the fields I've mentioned (in a broad sense [I wish my university offered a class on theoretical physics]). I've never taken a computer science class, but I enjoy programming as well. I do problems on Project Euler (a series of challenging mathematical/computer programming problems that will require more than just mathematical insights to solve) in Python for fun. I've recently been exploring citizen science projects involving programming an arduino, such as a water quality sensor.
 

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