The ABCs of science

ABCs of science
Treebeard, 15 Oct 1998
----
mkummel@rain.org
http://www.rain.org/~mkummel/
http://www.treebeard.org/

"ology" means "the study of", so maybe this list should be called Ologyology!

I don't include:
   * Made up words like "Chile-ology" or "Bubbleology"
	Sam McGee's Hot Sauces
   * Pseudoscientific practices like nummerology or astrology
   * Non-scientific (but perfectly legitimate) words like "mythology"
   * Medical specialties, except a few

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General Resources
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Encyclopedia Britannica (online)
	http://www.eb.com/
WWW Virtual Library
	http://vlib.org/Overview.html
Sciences and arts: various suffixes
	http://www.angelfire.com/ok/rva/sciencename.html
Microsoft Bookshelf CDRom Dictionary

A  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acarology		- mites and ticks
Acoustics		- sound
Aegyptology 		- Egypt
Aerodynamics		- moving through air
Aeronomy		- the upper atmosphere
	http://www.oulu.fi/~spaceweb/lib/
Aeronautical Engineering	- aircraft
	http://www.ultranet.com/~adjm/aero/aeronav.html
	http://macwww.db.erau.edu/www_virtual_lib/aeronautics.html
Agroforestry		- growing trees as crops
	http://www.bio.net/hypermail/AGROFORESTRY/
Agrology		- soils and crops
Algology		- algae
	http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/collections/otherphy.html
Analysis		- physical properties of samples of matter
Anesthesiology		- knocking people out
	http://moe.med.yale.edu/vl/
Angiology		- blood vessels and lymphatics
Anatomy			- the parts of living things
Anthropology		- man
Apidology		- bees
Archaeology		- human remains
Astronomy		- the entire universe beyond the Earth
	http://webhead.com/WWWVL/Astronomy/
Astrophysics		- the physical properties of celestial bodies
	http://webhead.com/WWWVL/Astronomy/
Autecology		- individuals in the envoronment

B  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bacteriology		- bacteria
Balneology		- therapeutic use of baths (!)
Biology			- all life
Biocenology		- interactions in natural communities
Biochemistry		- chemical constituents of life
	http://golgi.harvard.edu/biopages/biochem.html
Bioengineering		- engineering of biological and medical sciences
	http://www.cato.com/biotech/
Bionics			- engineering based on living organisms
Biophysics		- physical processes of life
	http://physiology.med.cornell.edu/WWWVL/PhysioWeb.html
Biotechnology		- engineering of biological and medical sciences
	http://www.cato.com/biotech/
Botany			- plants
Bryology		- moss

C  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Caprology		- excrement
Cardiology		- the heart
Carpology		- fruit and seeds
Cartography		- maps
	http://geog.gmu.edu/projects/maps/cartogrefs.html
Celestial Mechanics	- motions of heavenly bodies
Cetology		- whales
Chemical Engineering	- practical chemistry
Chemistry		- elements and compounds
	http://www.chem.ucla.edu/chempointers.html
Chronology		- time
Civil Engineering	- structural works that serve the general public. 
	http://www.ce.gatech.edu/WWW-CE/index.html
Climatology		- weather over long periods of time
Computer Science	- computers
Conchology		- shells
Cosmology		- the big picture of the universe
Criminology		- bad guys
Cryptogamic Botany	- plants without seeds, ferns, algae, etc.
Cryptography		- secret codes
Cryptozoology		- unknown animals
Crystallography		- crystals
	http://www.gh.wits.ac.za/crystal/w3vlc/crystal.index.html
Cybernetics		- living behaviour
Cytochemistry		- chemistry of cells
Cytogenetics		- heredity and variation
Cytology		- cells

D ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Demography		- statistics of human populations
Dendrology		- trees
Dendrochronology	- dating with tree growth rings
Dermatology		- skin
Developmental Biology	- how embryos develop

E ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eccrinology		- secretion and scretory organs
Ecology			- interactions of organisms
	http://conbio.rice.edu/vl/
Egyptology 		- Egypt
Electrical Engineering	- electricity
	http://arioch.gsfc.nasa.gov/wwwvl/ee.html
Electrochemistry	- batteries, electricity from chemistry
Electrodynamics		- moving electrons, electro-magnetic waves
Electrostatics		- stationary electric charge
Electronics		- using electrons (and getting rich)
Embryology		- unborn embryos
Endocrinology		- glands
Engineering		- making things that work
Enology			- wine
Entomology		- insects
	http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Entomology/WWWVL-Entomology.html
Enzymology		- enzymes
Epidemiology		- tracking disease outbreaks
	http://www.epibiostat.ucsf.edu/epidem/epidem.html
Ergonomics		- design of devices and systems for human use
Eschatology 		- first and last things
Esthetics		- is it beautiful?
Ethics			- should I?
Ethology		- animal behavior
Ethnology		- human culture
Etymology		- word origins
Eugenics		- improvment of heredity
Exobiology		- biology of extraterrestrial life

F ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fluid Mechanics		- effects of forces and energy on liquids and gases
Forestry		- managing forests and trees
	http://www.metla.fi/info/vlib/Forestry/

G ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gemology		- gems
Genetics		- heredity and reproduction
	http://www.ornl.gov/TechResources/Human_Genome/genetics.html
	http://www.ornl.gov/TechResources/Human_Genome/links.html
Geochemistry		- chemistry of rocks
Geochronology		- isotopic chemistry and age dating of rocks
Geography		- the surface of the Earth
Geology			- the Earth
Geomorphology		- landforms
Geophysics		- physical properties of rocks
	http://www-crewes.geo.ucalgary.ca/VL-Geophysics.html
Gerontology		- growing old
Glaciology 		- glaciers and ice caps
Gynecology 		- female matters

H ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Helminthology 		- parasitic worms
Hematology		- blood
Hepatology		- the liver
Herpetology		- amphibians and reptiles
Histology		- fine structure of plant and animal tissues
Holography		- laser imaging
Horology		- clocks and time
	http://www.fisk.edu/vl/Horology.html
Hydraulics		- fluids in motion
Hydrodynamics		- fluids in motion
Hydrology		- water on and in the ground
	http://www.wiz.uni-kassel.de/kww/projekte/irrig/irrig_i.html
Hydrometeorology	- the water cycle
Hydrostatics		- fluids at rest

I ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ichthyology		- fish
	http://www.actwin.com/WWWVL-Fish.html
Immunology		- immune system
	http://golgi.harvard.edu/biopages/immuno.html
Inorganic Chemistry	- everything but carbon compounds
Iridology		- iris of the eye

J ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jungian Psychology	- depth psychology, is this legal?
Jurisprudence		- law and justice, we *wish* it were a science!

K ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karyology 		- cell nuclei and chromosomes
Kinematics		- motion other than force and mass
Kinesiology		- how humans move
Kinetics		- force and motion

L ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laryngology		- throat, larynx and nasopharynx
Limnology		- lakes and rivers
Lichenology		- lichens
Linguistics		- language
Lithology		- rocks

M ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Malacology		- mollusks
Mammalogy		- mammals
Materials Science	- properties of solid materials
Mechanical Engineering	- engines, machines, and manufacturing processes. 
Mechanics		- forces and movement
Medicine		- health
Metallurgy		- metals
Meteorology		- weather
	http://www.ugems.psu.edu/~owens/WWW_Virtual_Library/*
Metrology		- weights and measures
Microbiology		- micro-organisms
	http://microbiol.org/vlmicro/index.htm
Micropaleontology	- tiny fossils
Microscopy		- microscopes
Mineralogy		- minerals
Molecular Biology	- chemical constituents of life
	http://golgi.harvard.edu/biopages/biochem.html
	http://golgi.harvard.edu/sequences.html
Morphology		- form and structure of plants and animals
Musicology		- music
Mycology		- fungi
	http://www.keil.ukans.edu/~fungi/
Myology			- muscles
Myrmecology		- ants

N ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nanotechnology		- micro machines
Navigation		- finding where you are
Nematology		- nematode worms
Nephology		- clouds
Neurobiology		- nerves and brains
	http://neuro.med.cornell.edu/VL/
Neurology		- nervous system
Nuclear Engineering	- production and application of nuclear energy. 
Nuclear Physics		- atoms and such
	http://www.rarf.riken.go.jp/rarf/np/nplab.html

O ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oceanography		- oceans
	http://www.mth.uea.ac.uk/ocean/oceanography.html
Odontology		- teeth
Oncology		- cancer
Oology			- eggs
Ophiology		- snakes
Ophthalmology		- eyes
	http://www.visionscience.com/VisionScience.html
Optics			- light
Organic Chemistry	- chemistry of carbon
Organology		- bodily organs
Ornithology		- birds
Osteology		- bones
Otology 		- ear
Otorhinolaryngology	- ear, nose, and throat

P ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paleobotany		- fossil plants
Paleoecology		- ancient life 
Paleohydrology		- water in Earth's past
Paleontology		- fossils and the fossil record 
Palynology		- pollen and spores
Parasitology		- parasites
Pathology		- decay
Pedology		- soil
	http://www.metla.fi/info/vlib/soils/
Periglaciology		- lands near but not covered by glacial ice
Petroleum Engineering	- oil
	http://www.pe.utexas.edu/Dept/Reading/w3evl.html
Petrology  		- rocks
Pharmacology		- drugs
	http://www.cpb.uokhsc.edu/pharmacy/pharmint.html
Philosophy		- fundamentals
Photophysics		- light
Phycology		- algae, seaweed
	http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/collections/otherphy.html
Phylogenetics		- classification of living things
	http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/subway/phylo/phyloorg.html
Physics			- force, energy, what there is
Physiology		- processes of life
	http://physiology.med.cornell.edu/WWWVL/PhysioWeb.html
Phytogeography		- where plants grow
Phytology		- botany
Pomology		- fruit
Population Biology	- behavior of populations of organisms
Praxeology		- human action and conduct
Probability		- chance
Protozoology		- one-celled animals
Psychology		- the mind
Pyrology 		- fire and heat (in World Book Dictionary)
Pyrotechnics		- fireworks

Q ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quantum Mechanics	- fundamental study of mass and energy

R ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Radiology		- x-rays and radiation
Remote Sensing		- measuring from a distance
	http://www.vtt.fi/aut/rs/virtual/
Rheology		- flow in viscous materials
Rhinology		- nose
Robotics		- robots
Roentgenology		- x-rays

S ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saprobiology		- decay
Scatology		- excrement
Sedimentology		- sedimentary rocks and their formation
Seismology		- earthquakes
Serology		- blood serums
Sexology		- sex, it's even in my dictionary
Sociobiology		- social relations in animals
Sociology		- people in groups
Somatology		- body differences
Spectroscopy		- spectra
Speleology		- caves 
	http://www.goodearth.com/virtcave.html
Statics			- equilibrium of systems at rest
Statistics		- chance and sampling
	http://www.stat.ufl.edu/vlib/statistics.html
Stereochemistry		- 3D arrangement of molecules
Stoichiometry		- chemical reactions
Stratigraphy		- sedimentary strata
Structural Geology	- structures in rocks
Systematics		- classification and naming of plants

T ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Taxonomy		- classification of living things
Tectonics		- deformation, folding, and faulting of earth
Teratology 		- monsters and deviates
Thanatology		- death
Theology		- the creator
Thermodynamics		- heat, work, energy
Tocology		- childbirth
Toxicology		- poisons
Tribology		- sliding surfaces: friction, wear, and lubrication

U ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ufology 		- UFOs
Urbanology		- cities
Urology			- urinary tract

V ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Virology		- virus
	http://microbiol.org/vlmicro/index.htm
Volcanology		- volcanoes
Volumetrics (?)		- measuring volume (?)

W ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wave Mechanics		- wave properties of sub-atomic particles

X ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xenobiology		- biology of extraterrestrial life
Xylotomy 		- preparing microscope sections

Y ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yoga			- enlightenment

Z ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zoology			- animals
Zymology		- yeast and fermentation

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