科学是关于自然的知识总体，它代表了人类的共同努力、洞察力、研究成果和智慧。科学并不是什么新东西，在有文字记载的历史以前，当人们最初发现了在他们周围反复出现的各种关系时，就有了科学的开端。通过对这些关系的仔细观察，人们开始了解自然，而由于自然的可靠性，人们还发现他们能够做出预测，从而在某种程度上控制他们周围的环境。
科学家是一群努力洞悉自然，在表面杂乱无序中寻求规律的人。他们具有一种特殊的思考与分析能力，具有无限的耐心进行观察和收集数据。但是，并不能把一切科学发现都归因于能力和耐心，科学发现常常与创造性的想象力紧密相关。的确，想象力的飞跃往往是通向发现的第一步。另外，科学家也以其诚实而著称。他们非常重视诚实，主要是因为诚实对他们至关重要。他们提出的每一个理论都要受到进一步的检验。每一个错误或谎言必将被发现，因此，如果发现了与他们的想法相矛盾的证据，科学家不是隐瞒证据，而是修改甚至放弃他们的想法。这样他们积累了极其大量的知识，这些知识帮助我们更好地了解自己及周围的世界。
Science is the body of knowledge about nature that represents the collective efforts, insights, findings, and wisdom of the human race. Science is not something new but had its beginnings before recorded history when humans first discovered reoccurring relationships around them. Through careful observations of these relationships, they began to know nature and, because of nature’s dependability, found they could make predictions to enable some control over their surroundings.
Scientists are a small group of people who strive to gain insights into nature, seeking order in seeming disorderliness. They are credited with a special ability to think and analyze, and with infinite patience in making observations and collecting data. But ability and patience do not account for all scientific discoveries, which often have much to do with creative imagination. Indeed a leap of imagination is often the first step towards discovery. Scientists are also noted for their honesty. They place a high premium on honesty largely because it is essential to their career. Every theory they formulate is subjected to further testing. Every mistake or lie is bound to be found out. Therefore if any evidence is found contradicting their ideas, scientists do not suppress the evidence but modify or even abandon their ideas. In this way they have built up an immense body of knowledge, which helps us to understand better ourselves and the world around us.
