− | [[Image:Mysteriousuniverse.jpg|right|"James Jeans, Mysterious Universe"]] | + | [[Image:Mysteriousuniverse.jpg|right|frame<center>"James Jeans, Mysterious Universe"</center>]] |
| In [[science]], the term '''natural science''' refers to a [[Rationalism|rational]] approach to the study of the [[universe]], which is understood as obeying [[rules]] or [[laws]] of [[nature|natural]] origin. The term ''natural science'' is also used to distinguish those fields that use the [[scientific method]] to study [[nature]] from the [[social sciences]], which use the scientific method to study human behavior and society, and from the [[formal science]]s, such as [[mathematics]] and [[logic]], which use a different [[methodology]]. | | In [[science]], the term '''natural science''' refers to a [[Rationalism|rational]] approach to the study of the [[universe]], which is understood as obeying [[rules]] or [[laws]] of [[nature|natural]] origin. The term ''natural science'' is also used to distinguish those fields that use the [[scientific method]] to study [[nature]] from the [[social sciences]], which use the scientific method to study human behavior and society, and from the [[formal science]]s, such as [[mathematics]] and [[logic]], which use a different [[methodology]]. |
| '''Earth science''' (also known as '''geoscience''', '''the geosciences''' or '''the Earth Sciences'''), is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet [[Earth (planet)|Earth]], including [[geology]], [[geophysics]], [[hydrology]], [[meteorology]], [[physical geography]], [[oceanography]], and [[soil science]]. | | '''Earth science''' (also known as '''geoscience''', '''the geosciences''' or '''the Earth Sciences'''), is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet [[Earth (planet)|Earth]], including [[geology]], [[geophysics]], [[hydrology]], [[meteorology]], [[physical geography]], [[oceanography]], and [[soil science]]. |