What is Science:

Science is defined as all knowledge or understanding established through observation and

the systematic and reasoned study of nature, society, and thought.

The objective of science is to discover the laws that govern the phenomena of reality,
to understand and explain them. Hence, the function of science is to describe,
to explain and predict such phenomena in order to improve human life.

The word science derives from the Latin 'scientia', which means 'knowledge' or 'to know' and, as such, does not
restricts to a specific area.

Characteristics of science
The sciences are very different in their specific purposes. However, all
they share the common pursuit of general laws; methodological principles
fundamentals; systematic character and usefulness for civilization. Let's see each
characteristic separately.

Apply the scientific method. Science applies verifiable standards and criteria to study.
the phenomena, which are referred to as the scientific method. The scientific method is based on:

observation,
proposition
formulation of hypotheses
experimentation
demonstration and
conclusions.

Types of sciences
Currently, the most widespread classification model is the one that distinguishes between sciences.
formal and factual sciences, referred to in other models as "experimental or empirical."

Formal sciences
They are those that have mental abstractions as their objective and, therefore, are analytical, like the
mathematics and logic.

They are called formal sciences because they do not deal with concrete contents, but rather with
the axioms or abstract concepts that human beings grasp through deduction and inference,
which are called 'forms' or 'ideal objects'.

The formal sciences are:

 logic;

mathematics

statistic

informatics;

computer science

theoretical computer science.

Factual sciences

The factual sciences are those that study natural, social, or human facts, according to the
Classification of Mario Bunge. Some theorists call them empirical and experimental sciences.
because they can be verified in reality, either by observation or by experimentation. They
divided into natural sciences and social and human sciences.

Natural sciences

Natural sciences are those that describe, organize, and compare natural phenomena.
that is, the objects of nature and the processes that take place in it, of which there
They can even formulate laws and rules.

The field of activity of the natural sciences is primarily constituted by research.

without a specific application.

The natural sciences are the following:

Chemistry

Physics

Biology

Astronomy

Geology

Social and Human Sciences

The social and human sciences are those that study human beings and society. That is,
they systematically study the sociocultural phenomena and processes, products of activity
of the human being and its relationship with the environment.

In this sense, it divides its field of study into different areas, which can encompass everything from the
rules of coexistence and the ways of its social organization, up to the forms of communication.

The following are social and human sciences:

 sociology

economy

history

geographer

linguistics

anthropology

psychology.

Applied sciences

Applied sciences are those that use the knowledge developed by the sciences.
formal or empirical and experimental sciences in specialized areas of interest.

Among the applied sciences, we can mention the following:

engineering

architecture

medicine

nutrition and dietetics

pharmacy

archaeology

social psychology

bioanalysis, etc.

History of science

The origin of modern science dates back to Ancient Greece, where it was consolidated.
Thanks to philosophy. The Greek philosopher had the merit of separating the understanding of nature.
from mythical thinking, and gave rise to differentiated areas such as logic, mathematics, physics, the
geometry, astronomy, biology, etc. Since then, science has evolved in its
concept and scope.

The sciences in ancient times

Greek scientific thought, which was dominant until the 16th century, relied on that
every question could be answered through abstract rational thought. Consequently,
he did not experiment or pause to evaluate the social function of the knowledge gained.
During the Middle Ages, when the influence of the Greek approach was still dominant, the
The central concern was to reconcile science and faith, while also developing the exercise of
the reason (scholastic).

The birth of modern sciences

Everything changed starting from the 16th century. On one side, the heliocentric theory of Copernicus, deduced by
Observation questioned creationism. Later, Galileo refuted the theory of movement.
Aristotle through experimentation.

These and other efforts, such as those of Kepler, led to the so-called Scientific Revolution, which
led to the rationalist thought of Descartes and the empiricism of Francis Bacon, John
Locke and David Hume.

Thus, in the Modern Age, science separated from theological thought and mere exercise.
and was seen as a promise of liberation and sociocultural progress.

The sciences in the Contemporary Age

In the Contemporary Age, the evolution of science brought new theories and discoveries that
they transformed the world. Furthermore, their alliance with technology, especially since 1870, led to the
industrial revolution to another level.

By the 20th century, science is undergoing a process of differentiation and specialization. In the 21st century,
the limits of hyperspecialization have evidenced the need for dialogue among diverse
disciplines, under interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary approaches.

Currently, while the achievements of science are celebrated, its practices are questioned.
scope, especially regarding its alliance with the technology industry (including the
arms industry) and the model of consumer society.
What are the natural sciences?

Natural sciences (also sciences of nature, physical-natural sciences or sciences

experimental) are those disciplines of study that are interested in understanding the laws that
they govern nature, and they do so according to the scientific method and the experimental method.

This means that they try to study nature objectively, relying on the
logical reasoning (borrowing tools from formal sciences), the repetition in
controlled environments of naturally observed phenomena (experimentation), and
contemplating to a lesser extent the subjective matters inherent to the human being.

In this last aspect, they are distinguished from the humanities and social sciences, as the latter
focusing their attention on culture and human society respectively. On the other hand, the
natural sciences are part of the basic sciences, that is, those that try to decipher the laws
fundamentals of the known universe, and should not be confused either with applied sciences, nor with
the terrestrial sciences.

Object of study of natural sciences

As we mentioned before, the natural sciences focus their interest on nature, that is, on the
laws that govern the world and the observable phenomena within it. In general terms, it addresses
of the phenomena that occur regardless of whether human beings are present or not to
observe it taking part in it, that is to say, of the world around us, whether in dimensions
macroscopic or microscopic.

Classification and branches of natural sciences

The natural sciences are six, classified according to the area of nature from which they
they occupy, despite the fact that among them there are numerous contact areas that, in turn, give rise to
certain number of scientific disciplines.

Thus, we can talk about:

Physical sciences. They deal with the fundamental laws of the perceivable universe. In this group
they are:

Astronomy. It studies celestial bodies and the interactions between them.

 Physics. It studies the fundamental forces of the universe (energy, space, time, etc.) and the
laws that arise from them.

Geology. It studies the Earth, our planet, as well as its formation processes.
transformation.

Chemistry. It studies the composition, structure, and reactions of matter.

Biological sciences. They deal with the fundamental laws of life as we know it. In
this group is:

Biology. The study of living beings, their internal processes, their behavior, their
origin and evolution, as well as their interactions.

Paleontology. It studies the distribution and evolution of life on Earth before

appearance of the human species.

Importance of natural sciences

Natural sciences respond to the human need to understand the world around them.
surrounding it (including what is inside it), in order to later adapt to it or adapt it to the measure.
of their needs.

Without the development of these sciences, human history would have been much more laborious, since the
technology, that great transforming factor, is directly fed by the application of the
principles, theories, and foundations that the natural sciences discover, develop, and postulate.
Worldview

The term worldview is associated with the way of observing and interpreting the world (Real
Spanish Academy, 1984). According to Ferrater (1965), the worldview is a conception of
world that penetrates the spiritual life of man and serves as a guiding framework for action
practice of individuals (p. 244). In this sense, it helps individuals to perceive the universe
as ordered and inclusive cosmogonic theories that reveal the origin of the natural world and of the
human species; contains ideas about the forces that sustain the material universe, life
individual and collective. There are different types, some represent these forces as natural laws.
and philosophical, and there are others that consider them gods, spirits, or other entities, which
They are manifested in symbols and have proper names according to the particular society (Rupflin, 1999).
A worldview is, therefore, the relationship between culture and the individual that is manifested through the
particular beliefs and knowledge of a community (Palma, 2006).

Interrelated system
The Mayan people interpret the world as an interrelated system and as a spiritual order.
watched and moral, which demands respect, gratitude, and moderation (Chochoy, et al., 2006; Palma,
2006). The Government of Guatemala recognized, through the Agreement on identity and rights of
indigenous peoples, that the Mayan worldview is based on the harmonious relationship of all
the elements of the universe, in which the human being is just another element, the earth is the mother that
gives life and corn a sacred sign ("Agreement on Identity", 1997).

For this people, all individuals have a specific mission within the totality of
elements that constitute the universe, all bring an inevitable work and function (Lima,
1995). In the Mayan conception of the world, the mission of each being in this life "is granted by the
nature, to maintain correspondence and harmony with other beings and the cosmos” (García,
Curruchiche & Taquirá, 2009, p. 233.

Aspects of the Maya worldview

According to Aj Xol Ch ’ok (2008), the most significant aspects of the Mayan worldview are the
next:
Everything is sacred.

Corn is the foundation of life.

Todotene Winaqil or Winaq, a term that refers to life, image, heart, and spirit that
share all living beings of the universe.
Everything has life. Everything that exists in the sacred Kaj Ulew (universe) is alive and fulfills a
function by which that existence has been given.
Todotene Rajawal, mother and father.

Everything needs to feed and sustain itself.

 Everything is part of every being that exists.

Everything has a language. To every situation, to every living being, to every activity, to every instrument.
One must speak respectfully, everyone has a speech.

In the Mayan worldview, corn is sacred and constitutes the foundation of life.
Taquirá, 2009, p. 155):

The sacred corn is the foundation of life, it is a central element of the Maya worldview, since the
the beginning of our existence to today. According to the Popol Wuj, our grandparents
They formed man and woman using corn, which is why the process of planting corn
Transcendental and important, the sacred corn has marked and given meaning to life, which is why there is
to keep respect, fundamentally, for the hills.

The planting of corn is sacred because it is connected to human life, which, like
corn, is born, grows, blooms, produces, matures, and dies. Corn is a living being and is established a
logical order of how each procedure practiced by our grandparents should be done.