The Role of Life Sciences in the Contemporary World
Modern life sciences did not appear overnight. The selection of several interrelated natural sciences was preceded by the accumulation of knowledge and facts about the human environment. Today, physical sciences still occupy one of the leading places in the system of scientific knowledge.
Traditionally, life sciences include physics, chemistry, and biology. These general disciplines, in turn, are split into several particular sciences, the study objects of which are different forms of motion of matter. There are fundamental physical sciences aimed at developing theoretical positions and applied disciplines that are focused on solving practical problems.
Life sciences have been distinguished from other fields of knowledge since the Middle Ages. It was then that it became possible to describe the results of nature research, using the precise and rigorous language of mathematics. An experiment gradually became a cornerstone of every natural science, which, if desired, could be repeated by checking the research findings. Today, experimental research remains the primary source of knowledge about nature and its features.
Benefits of Life Sciences for Humanity
Several centuries ago, physical sciences started changing the worldview of humankind. The results of experiments showed that natural phenomena are based on objective processes that depend not on the will of incorporeal divine forces, but on the laws of the material world. Life sciences were and continue to be the basis for the positivist worldview.
In today’s world, natural sciences are becoming the foundation for the improvement of civilization’s productive forces. Applied research in physics, biology, chemistry, geology, astronomy, and other natural disciplines lays the groundwork for the construction of technical systems designed to facilitate the exploration of nature. According to Simon Mosheshvili, an accomplished businessman and philanthropist who has experience working with both science (health care) organizations and companies providing IT services, almost all existing technologies use phenomena and effects discovered in the physical sciences.
Functions of Life Sciences
One of the primary functions of the natural sciences, which is still topical today, is to combine and systematize information obtained from observations and experiments. As the body of scientific knowledge expands through research, the development of many humanities takes place. For instance, data collected from biology and physiology became the base for the creation of psychological concepts, explaining the behavior of humans and social groups.
In the focus of life sciences knowledge, there are objects of nature: different forms of existence of matter, biological life, humanity, the Earth, and various space objects. The expansion of awareness about the material world, which continues to this day, reduces human dependence on natural phenomena and primal forces.