自然科學(粵拼:zi6 jin4 fo1 hok6 | 英文:natural science)泛指用科學方法嚟研究大自然嘅領域,即係會用實驗同觀察等嘅做法嚟描述、預測同埋解釋大自然入面嘅各種現象。自然科學可以按「研究大自然嘅邊一忽」嚟再細分做做好多範[1]。
自然科學同第啲科學-例如係心靈科學或者社會科學呀噉-領域一樣,會跟足科學方法嚟去研究大自然(廣義上包嗮所有唔係人造嘅嘢[2])。自然科學研究會:
- 根據手上已知係真嘅事實,諗一啲理論出嚟(「基於我哋經已觀察到嘅呢啲現象,我推測啲現象背後嘅法則係噉噉噉,令研究緊嗰樣嘢有噉嘅行為」),呢啲理論最理想係用數學模型嘅方式表達嘅;
- 跟手就靠邏輯性嘅思考,去諗吓呢柞理論會做點樣嘅預測(「如果我提倡嘅呢個理論係真確嘅,理應會...」);
- 然後就做實驗同觀察嚟攞數據,驗證吓個理論嘅預測係咪真確(「如果我呢個理論係真確,呢個實驗理應會得出某個某個結果,而個實際嘅實驗結果係...」);
- 如果數據顯示,個理論係做唔到準確嘅預測嘅話,就要一係根據攞到嘅數據睇吓個理論要點改先可以令佢做到準確啲嘅預測,一係就要諗新理論取代舊理論[3]。
上述嘅過程會係噉不斷重複,直至手上嘅理論做得到完全準確嘅預測為止-於是乎自然科學就有持續嘅發展,做到愈嚟愈準確嘅預測。到咗現代,自然科學經已有龐大嘅理論體系,有多個理論解釋各種嘅自然現象,而且自然科學家仲會不斷噉去搵新嘅現象嚟研究,睇吓呢啲理論能唔能夠解釋新現象,又或者使唔使諗新嘅理論[4][5][6]。
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