mokslas

Mokslas (Lithuanian for science) is the systematic pursuit of knowledge about the natural world, human society, and abstract structures through observation, experimentation, and reasoning. It aims to develop explanations that are testable and useful for predicting phenomena and solving practical problems. Science encompasses natural sciences, social sciences, formal sciences, and applied sciences, each with its own methods but sharing a commitment to evidence, transparency, and scrutiny.

Central elements of scientific practice include forming testable hypotheses, developing theories and models, collecting and analyzing data, and subjecting findings to peer review. Methodologies emphasize reproducibility, falsifiability, and critical scrutiny, while ethics guide the conduct of researchers and the treatment of subjects and environments. Knowledge produced by science is provisional, open to revision in light of new evidence.

Historically, science emerged in ancient and medieval worlds but expanded rapidly during the scientific revolution and the subsequent centuries, leading to the professionalization of research, specialized disciplines, and global collaboration. The modern research enterprise relies on universities, government laboratories, private industry, and international partnerships, funded by public budgets, philanthropic grants, and enterprise investments.

Science influences technology, health, policy, and culture, while remaining limited by uncertainty, measurement challenges, and socio-political contexts. Pseudoscience and misinformation pose challenges to the public understanding of science. The discipline continues to evolve through open science, data sharing, and ethical reflection on the responsibilities of researchers.