Purity of sciences

[green.pixel]

 

[Davros]

 

[MfA]

Math is not a science

 

[homerdog]

 

[obonicus]

And psychology really isn't applied biology. At best, it wishes it was.

 

[digitalwanderer]

And psychology really isn't applied biology. At best, it wishes it was.

That's an interesting viewpoint, how long have you hated your father? :|

 

[Bludd]

Math is not a science

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/369194/mathematics

 

[obonicus]

That's an interesting viewpoint, how long have you hated your father? :|

More of a Jungian myself. My archetype wants to beat up your archetype for that comment.

 

[Simon F]

Math is not a science

Maths was certainly part of the faculty of science when I went through university. I suppose one could have done maths as part of a Bachelor of Arts, but given that over every toilet roll holder in the department was gratified "BA. Please take one", I doubt it was popular.:smile:

Also, something that just occurred to me. Mathematics is always in the plural, but what exactly is one mathematic?

 

[green.pixel]

Well, the word "math" is slang word for mathematics, so shouldn't "maths" be incorrect?

Also, mathematics is one of those plural-only nouns, so one mathematic doesn't mean anything?

http://www.novalearn.com/grammar-glossary/plural-only-nouns.htm
http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutwords/plurals

There is also the more difficult category of words ending in -ics which may or may not govern a plural verb. Such words used strictly for the name of a subject are regarded as singular: Economics, Ethics. Compare heroics, hysterics.

 

[pcchen]

If, by more contemporary definition of science (which generally means "knowledge acquired with scientific method"), then math is not science. However, math is so important to science, math is part of the college of science in almost every university here.

However, philosophy is almost always in the college of liberal arts, but logic (which is generally part of philosophy) is so important to math...

 

[rpg.314]

Math isn't knowledge acquired with scientific method, it is the very embodiment of scientific method.

 

[MfA]

Mathematical theorems are sometimes arrived at using inductive reasoning (the scientific method, reasoning based on observation) but the fundamental nature of mathematics is deductive. Scientific theories are sometimes arrived at deductively, but the fundamental nature of science is inductive.

Only math deals in truth, it is the only pure field, science never gets beyond theories.

 

[Bludd]

Universities in Norway have a compulsory Examen philosophicum as an introductory course for all students no matter their discipline.

Mathematics is the language of science, so I would look at it as a formal science.

 

[_xxx_]

It stems from old greek "mathema" which means knowledge, science or learning. So as such, it is a definition of science and the mother of all sciences.

 

[nintenho]

I'd say it's impossible to have a decent understanding of psychology without understanding certain chemical processes but the methodology used to gather evidence for psychological theories probably isn't too scientific in terms of how quantifiable or repeatable it is.

Also I noticed that in the same amount of space, you can fit more students in a math lab than a physics lab than a chemistry lab than a organic chemistry lab than a biology lab. Maybe the more students that you can fit, the purer the science?

 

[Gerry]

Well, the word "math" is slang word for mathematics, so shouldn't "maths" be incorrect?

As always seems to be the case with these things "maths" is used commonly just about everywhere except the USA.

 

[Tahir2]

Is 1 + 1 still 2 even if there is no one to calculate it?
(And now some smarty brains will tell us all how one add one is not always two).