History of Earth involves nature.
Natural science is a branch of science concerned with the description , prediction , and understanding of natural phenomena , based on observational and empirical evidence .. science. science. natural phenomena. Phenomenon. empirical evidence. empirical evidence. Mechanisms such as peer review and repeatability of findings are used to try to ensure the validity of scientific advances .. peer review. peer review. Natural science can be divided into two main branches  : life science -LRB- or biological science -RRB- and physical science .. science. science. life science. life science. physical science. physical science. Physical science is subdivided into branches , including physics , space science , chemistry , and Earth science .. physics. physics. science. science. space science. space science. chemistry. chemistry. Earth science. Earth science. These branches of natural science may be further divided into more specialized branches -LRB- also known as fields -RRB- .. science. science. In Western society 's analytic tradition , the empirical sciences and especially natural sciences use tools from formal sciences , such as mathematics and logic , converting information about nature into measurements which can be explained as clear statements of the `` laws of nature '' .. analytic tradition. analytic tradition. laws of nature. laws of science. The social sciences also use such methods , but rely more on qualitative research , so that they are sometimes called `` soft science '' , whereas natural sciences , insofar as they emphasize quantifiable data produced , tested , and confirmed through the scientific method , are sometimes called `` hard science '' .. science. science. qualitative research. qualitative research. soft science. soft science. quantifiable. quantification ( science ). scientific method. scientific method. hard science. hard science. Modern natural science succeeded more classical approaches to natural philosophy , usually traced to ancient Greece .. science. science. natural philosophy. natural philosophy. ancient Greece. ancient Greece. Galileo , Descartes , Francis Bacon , and Newton debated the benefits of using approaches which were more mathematical and more experimental in a methodical way .. Galileo. Galileo Galilei. Descartes. Rene Descartes. Francis Bacon. Francis Bacon. Newton. Isaac Newton. mathematical. mathematical physics. Still , philosophical perspectives , conjectures , and presuppositions , often overlooked , remain necessary in natural science .. science. science. Systematic data collection , including discovery science , succeeded natural history , which emerged in the 16th century by describing and classifying plants , animals , minerals , and so on .. science. science. discovery science. discovery science. natural history. natural history. Today , `` natural history '' suggests observational descriptions aimed at popular audiences .. natural history. natural history