What Is Science?

Science is an intricate system that uses observations, research, and investigations to achieve insight in nature and describe it truthfully. What do the words “true” and “truthful” mean? In the context of the Life Sciences “true” and “truthful” are defined as being in accordance with the experimental observations and measurements. Scientific practice and reporting are subject to clear ethical rules prohibiting fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism and prescribing courteous interactions with colleagues. Processing and reporting of scientific data are to be carried out meticulously. Experiments rarely measure single parameters. Most likely the relationship between parameters, for example temperature and reaction rates, are investigated. Further integration of the data yields hypotheses and theories. The latter are crucial for the advancement of scientific insights.