My friend and I have a long standing debate on which is more important- math or science...what do you think?

Question

I say its math, because math in itself is used in various applications, but science itself also requires the use of math to be useful. My friend says that is being overly picky and that science is medicine, and is astronomy, and is absolutely everything in the world and its wonder and not just what you learn in books. Its a lifestyle, she says. I agree with her one hundred percent, but still believe math is more important. I like to quote Einstein who said "When God created the Universe, he did so with math" (something like that). I say what she says is completely and one hundred percent true, but that underneath all of it, it rests on the intrinsic, fundamental principles of math that govern the structure of existance. The debate rages on. What do YOU think?

Answer 1

You can't compare the two disciplines. It's like saying "Which do you like better, apples or bicycles?" And really, you can't have one with the other. Science without math is just observation. Math without science is just counting.

But to counter your argument, it's the intrinsic, fundamental principles of science, not math, that govern the structure of existence. Math is only the explanation, not the reason. If I have a closed state system that has 100 atoms of hydrogen in one container and 100 atoms of helium in another (and the two containers are connected), math (discrete math, the realm of probabilities) tells me that eventually each of the containers are going to contain 50 atoms of each. Science (chaos theory), however, tells me that this is not so. No matter how long I wait, even if the atoms, the containers, and I are all infinite, there will never be a complete 50/50 ratio (well, for any meaningful length of time).

Answer 2

As a student of both in university, I can say that you cannot do science without math. AT ALL. But you also dont need to utilize the entire range of mathmatics to do science. Alot of math is invented by the desire to study the cause and effects of motion (classical mechanics) which is a science. But also alot of science has only been enabled by mathematicians figuring out how to solve some equations. That is why many of the greatest Mathematicians in history are also scientists, to name a few: Newton, Lagrange, the entire Bernoulli family, Euler...

Answer 3

Science is more important. Without science we'd have no way to apply the math. It would be meaningless and couldn't improve our standard of living at all. Here's a quote from Aldous Huxley.

"It is only by means of the sciences of life that the quality of life can be radically changed."

Answer 4

Math is a branch of science. If you have science, you have math. But you could sit around for decades, doing abstract problems in math, and they would have little importance to the real world.

So - science, being a broader concept, is more important than math, which is merely one of its components.

Answer 5

You can't have science with out math, but you can only have some math without science. So stick with what you like and let him to do the same.

Answer 6

They are two sides of the same coin. Math is a science. Science without math is speculation.

Answer 7

Math IS one of the sciences.

Answer 8

Maths!

Answer 9

bill Russell. he's the only participant that provides MJ a run for his money simply by fact the GOAT (the merely right option Of All Time). He has greater championship rings than hands. Take him of the Celtic communities of the 60's and that they win 0 championships. He ruled the appropriate huge guy of all time (Wilt).

Answer 10

MATHS!!!
the best way to prove your science theory is demonstrating it with math. how many theories use mathematical formulas! physics, chemistry, astronomy, hydraulics... they all use math.
it's like human beings and water... how can a man survive without water, simply you cannot prove science without math...