The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science.

— Albert Einstein

Science involves the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the natural world through observation and experiment. One might say that science is a process of discovery. In every era of human existence, we learn new information regarding the physical nature of our universe and the relation of human beings to the cosmos and the intricate workings of reality.

The discipline of science has been a continuing alteration of our understanding of certainties as new discoveries have enlightened us and extended our sense of wonderment. Remember that we once believed Earth was the center of the universe and all things revolved around it until Copernicus and Galileo helped us to see differently.

Most of us recall from high school science teachings the definition of an atom as the smallest unit of a chemical element — a unit that consists of a nucleus composed of neurons and protons with one or more electrons orbiting the nucleus. The atom can combine with other atoms to form a molecule and are small units of matter.