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I am a graduating highschool student interested in science - particularly
the "physical" realms (_geology_, oceanography, astronomy) rather than
life (such as biology). However, while researching college majors I was
confused at what the differences are between physical, earth,
environmental, and natural sciences. I appreciate your time and any help
available.
Sincerely,
Elyse
I'm not surprised that you are confused, because you have terms from
several different levels of definition there. Some of the terms overlap!
- Natural sciences
- Any of several sciences that deal with non-human nature and its
laws, as distinct from the "social sciences" which deal with
humans. This distinction is not absolute; archeology is one of several
fields with a foot in both camps.
"The sciences" are usually distinguished from "the
humanities," but this is a false dichotomy. Science can be beautiful
and uplifting in both theory and practice, and the humanities often involve
detailed technical analysis.
As you can see, everything in your question falls under the heading of
"natural science." Natural sciences are often divided into two
categories:
- Physical sciences
- The study of the non-living world; normally said to include
physics, chemistry, astronomy, oceanography and geology.
- Biological sciences
- The study of living things. However, this is quite fluid, and
includes all sorts of stuff from the physical sciences. For example, there
are fields such as biophysics, biochemistry, and environmental science,
which take techniques and theories from physics, chemistry and
geology.
Then there are the sub-specialties, which are not terribly well-defined
except by their subject matter. For example,
- Earth sciences
- The study of the Earth (this sometimes includes planetology,
the study of the other worlds of our Solar System). One can specialize in
geophysics or geochemistry as well as in geology in general, and more
recent research even comes under the heading of "biogeology," the
influence of living things upon geological processes.
- Environmental sciences
- The study of the "natural" environment. Specialties
under this heading include analytical chemistry, ecology (the study of the
interactions of living things with each other and their environments),
atmospheric chemistry and physics as well as meteorology, and so
forth.
A word of warning: "Environmental science" is
sometimes just a catchy buzz-phrase used by colleges to recruit students. I
would be very wary of "environmental science" majors unless they
are add-ons to a more traditional physics, chemistry, geology or biology
major.
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