• Question: Which of the 3 main areas of science (Chemistry, Biology or Physics) are the most valuable to society? why?

    Asked by mtrewern to Andrew, Emma, Marianne on 21 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Marianne Baker

      Marianne Baker answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Hey mtrewern.

      I think that’s a bit of an unanswerable question.

      One thing I noticed as I studied science to a higher level, is that they all begin to merge into one. Including maths.

      The sciences are more like a rainbow, with each element blurring into a whole, than discrete areas.

      You have maths, which is a tool people use to work out the fundamental workings of forces.
      Matter interacts, via the physical laws – matter forms atoms and molecules that interact chemically.
      Chemical interactions on a larger scale make up cells and organisms and these interact in ecosystems!

      So, science is about life; what is, how things work.

      It is everything, and society is one part; the more we understand, the more we can do!

    • Photo: Andrew Maynard

      Andrew Maynard answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Hi mtewern,

      probably no surprises here – but they are all important! The really interesting science these days happens where all three overlap.

    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      It’s a good thought-provoking question and the cop-out answer is that they are all important and at their best when they interact with each other. For instance in our lab we have a biologist intersted in inflammation working with a chemist who synthesises ‘peptoids’ for use in an expensive fluoresence imaging system (designed by a physicist). But you asked about society and I’m going to stick my neck on the line and say biology because it’s the study of life and I hope society is mostly about life.

      From biology came penicillin (my designated important scientific advancement) and vaccines and enhanced farming methods (food availability).

    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      Hi mtrewern…this question is really difficult to answer! I would be biased towards biology, as this was my favourite scientific subject and secondly physics. Biology for it’s contribution towards medicine and physics for it’s contribution towards engineering. However, they all interwine really so you could say all!:)

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