Five biggest ideas in science

"No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right: A single experiment can prove me wrong." ALBERT EINSTEIN

By Alex P. Vidal

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- What is the big idea? 
Actually, there are five: 1. The Atom 2. The Periodic Law 3. The Big Bang 4. Plate Tectonics 5. Evolution

Let us get a handle of these ideas and we are well on our way to a better understanding of life on earth and in the universe.

Are there really just five ideas that can help us appreciate and understand physics, chemistry, astronomy, earth science, and biology--in other words, the entire universe of science? 
The Five Biggest Ideas in Science does just that: It will give us the background we need to understand all of the ways in which science explores the natural world.

Because it makes sense to start with the basics, we will begin by learning about the basic building blocks of all matter--atoms. 
We will find what atoms look like, how were they discovered, and why they're so important.

Are there different kinds of atoms? 
"Sure," according to The Five Biggest Ideas in Science authors Charles M. Wynn and Arthur W. Wiggins, "and the question leads to the second idea, Chemistry's Periodic Law, where all the elements are arranged according to the configuration of their atomic structure."

"Then, Astronomy's Big Bang Theory explains how the universe began, where all of these atoms came from, and maybe even where they're going," write Wynn and Wiggins. 
"Getting back down to earth, the Plate Tectonic Model explains how the matter of the universe is arranged here on our home planet."

"And finally, evolution explores the origins and development of life itself. You'll find out how scientists go about putting these ideas to work and how they've changed our world."

IDEAS

Can just five fundamental ideas open up a way to comprehend, appreciate, and evaluate the world of science? 
Taken as a group, the five ideas in the book do exactly that, say the authors. 
Chosen especially for their power to explain phenomena, they provide a comprehensive survey of science.

Each idea represents science's tentative answer to a question about natural and artificial phenomena. 
"We say 'tentative' because as you will see, science is a never-ending search for answers to the universe's mysteries," stress Wynn and Wiggins.
"This book takes away some of the mystery and invites you to discover the reasoning that is the essence of science itself."

"Beginning with a search for the basic building blocks in universe (essentially atoms), we will explore the behavior of the different kinds of atoms that make up the universe. We will go on to ponder the past, present, and future states of the universe, consider the nature of our home planet, and, finally, study life on Earth from a molecular perspective."

Here's the list of the five biggest ideas and the questions that they answer as provided by Wynn and Wiggins. 

Question: Do basic building blocks of matter exist? If so, what do they look like? Answer: Big Idea No. 1--Physics' Model of the Atom.

Question: What relationships, if any, exist among different kinds of atoms, the basic building blocks of the universe? Answer: Big Idea No. 2--Chemistry's Periodic Law.

Question: Where did the atoms of the universe come from, and what is their destiny? Answer: Big Idea No. 3--Astronomy's Big Bang Theory.

Question: How is the matter of the universe arranged in planet Earth? Answer: Big Idea No. 4--Geology's Plate Tectonics Model.

Question: How did life on Earth's originate and develop? Answer: Big Idea No. 5--Biology's Theory of Evolution.

The authors acknowledge that these and other scientific ideas are just ideas until someone makes decisions about whether and how to apply them and weighs the potential benefits of a proposed action against potential risks.

The book is accompanied by hilarious cartoons that will have us laughing as we learn and gives us a great way to open our mind to the wonders and challenges of science.