By Jaime Yarbrough – April 4, 2021

What am I about to read? Why do I need to read it? How will it make my life better?

Where did “science” come from? When did it start? What does it mean?

From Wikipedia, where I will draw much of this article it starts out: “Science (from the Latin word Scientia, meaning “knowledge”) is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. (re: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science#:~:text=Science%20(from%20the%20Latin%20word,around%203500%20to%203000%20BCE.)

As the entry online continues, “science” as a body of interest is said to have started its earliest roots of science can be traced to Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia (Iran) in around 3000 to 1200 BCE.

(BCE means in recent years, a persistent criticism has been leveled against the use of the BCE/CE system (Before the Common or Current Era/Common or Current Era) , rather than BC/AD (Before Christ/Anno Domini or ‘Year of Our Lord’), in dating historical events.

Their contributions to mathematics, astronomy, and medicine entered and shaped Greek natural philosophy of classical antiquity, whereby formal attempts were made to provide explanations of events in the physical world based on natural causes. [There will be future edition where I will expand on the ‘slices of time’ large and small]

Science, as with many ‘bodies’ of knowledge influence everything we are and everything we do.

So, where does knowledge come from? A quick answer is learning. Learning comes from being taught (and hopefully remembering) new information or a new skill. The realization of your knowledge is a memory. It can also come from experience and/or repetition / exercise.  Some knowledge comes on a magic carpet – where someone has, long ago, perhaps far away done all the testing or validation of knowledge so you do not have to.

Remember that term “testable explanations?” To solidify the learning process called trial and error is often used. It is used to ‘test’ a hypothesis to prove it is true. Once proven a body of knowledge is said to become a fact or an established concept. Facts and concepts are used to predict future actions with similar elements.

There are several ‘vehicles’ people use to establish knowledge. Experimentation is the most common. But more frequently used is something we call ‘play’ and another called ‘work.’

It is said there is nothing new under the Sun. And knowledge applies to everything and anything. You may not know about something but if you know that thing exists you know more than you did about it. This is called deductive reasoning. I think, therefore I am.

SO, there is no subject that does not involve science. From where in human activities does the most science come from?

First in line comes History. “From the beginning” every thought and activity has added to our history and therefore knowledge. Observation, hunting, gathering, exploration, sports, commerce, the arts, education, and conflicts. Great strides are made in pursuit of excellence. In the striving to be a winner, to be the best, in any possible realm of competition.

It is often said ‘knowledge is power.’ This is where people can and often do get into trouble.  If you know something someone else does not you may be said to have ‘an advantage’ over the other person. This may get you a job or a better job than someone else. This leverage can be used for both good and bad purposes. An example of the good use of ‘powerful knowledge’ would be in medicine. A doctor can apply his knowledge of science to heal you.  An example of a bad use of scientific knowledge might be an adversary is planning to take advantage of one of your weaknesses to cripple your nations economy. 

This edition of my article was intended to focus on the importance of science in the military. How our military is a key player in keeping America free. How our military forces are suffering because of the poor physical conditioning and even more poor academic aptitude/achievement of those who want to enlist in service to this country.

Freedom is not free.  Use it or lose it. Learn from the past. Learn how we got here. Learn what works and learn what does not work. But learn.