Definition
noun
(1) An unscientific field of study which later becomes a science.
(2) A field of study that has not yet been adequately tested or at the initial phase of the scientific method, involving information gathering and hypothesis formulation, but is not yet falsifiable, or if it is, its predictions have not yet been observed.
Supplement
In protoscience, the theory may be consistent with existing science or which, where inconsistent, offers reasonable account of the inconsistency.
It may also refer to a historical philosophical discipline that existed prior to the development of scientific method, but later developed into a scientific discipline, for instance is alchemy that later became a legitimate science now known as chemistry.
Word origin: from Greek prĂ´tos, meaning first + science. The philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn first used the word in an essay, originally published in 1970.
Compare: pseudoscience.
Dictionary > Protoscience
You will also like...
Animal Water Regulation
Animals adapt to their environment in aspects of anatomy, physiology, and behavior. This tutorial will help you understa..
Plant Water Regulation
Plants need to regulate water in order to stay upright and structurally stable. Find out the different evolutionary adap..
The Water Cycle
The water cycle (also referred to as the hydrological cycle) is a system of continuous transfer of water from the air, s..
Adaptation Tutorial
Adaptation, in biology and ecology, refers to the process or trait through which organisms or the populations in a habit..
Plant Biology
Plantlife can be studied at a variety of levels, from the molecular, genetic and biochemical level through organelles, c..
The Origins of Life
This tutorial digs into the past to investigate the origins of life. The section is split into geological periods in the..