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This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 7 April 2020 and 16 May 2020. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Mushtaqr06.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 05:00, 17 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 23 August 2022 and 12 December 2022. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Azizam29 (article contribs). Peer reviewers: SunnYxXxxx.

— Assignment last updated by Patt0400 (talk) 18:04, 13 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

While the veracity of the content of this article is not in question the lack of citation for several of the sections causes Wikipedia to flag them as in need of improvement. Though the detrimental effect of this is likely low, the perception that these sections are incomplete could potentially degrade the confidence those who visit the article feel towards the information contained within them. Therefore, future edits to these lacking sections, when possible, ought to add citations regarding their sources of information to remedy this issue. AM UP Editor (talk) 23:05, 2 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]

In just now editing the lead section here, I considered altering its text to read, “Natural science or empirical science is the branch of science concerned with the description, understanding, and prediction of natural phenomena, …” Instead, I altered “branch” to "aspect." Here’s why:
Until my edit, natural science was said here to be a branch of science that consists of two branches, one of which (physical science) is said here to be further divided into four branches, which are said here in turn to be subdivided into yet “more specialized branches.”
Has anyone considered the, er, ramifications of that wording? It makes, for instance, geology a branch of Earth science, and Earth science a branch of physical science, and physical science a branch of natural science, and natural science a branch of science. So, all of geology, a major scientific field, is a branch of a branch of a branch of a branch.
A head-spinning overuse of a single word. Let’s show our language more respect!
Alternatively, one might call natural science, say, “the part of science,” “the kind of science,” or “the division of science" that is "concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena,…” But not “branch,” please. Our lead section has already opened too many branches. Mucketymuck (talk) 07:42, 20 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I do not believe the word "branch" is overused in the lead paragraph. The lead paragraph uses it once, and the version before your edits is correct. As a result, I only reverted your change to the lead paragraph because the version of the paragraph before your edits is fine. ZergTwo (talk) 23:43, 20 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

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Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 17:08, 12 November 2025 (UTC)[reply]