Humboldtian science

Okay kiddo, imagine you have a toy car, and you want to learn everything there is to know about it. You would first look at its shape and color and try to figure out what it does. Then you might take it apart, look at its wheels and gears, and see how they work together. This is what scientists do with things they want to learn more about, such as plants, animals, or rocks.

A long time ago, there was a man named Alexander von Humboldt who was a scientist, adventurer, and explorer. He lived in Germany and traveled all around the world studying and collecting things. He believed that science was not just about discovering new things, but also about making connections between different ideas and disciplines.

So, Humboldtian science is a way of doing science that focuses on exploring the interconnectedness of things in the natural world. This means that scientists look at how different parts of nature, such as plants, animals, and the environment, affect each other and work together to create the world we see.

For example, if a scientist wants to study a plant, they might also look at the insects that pollinate it, the animals that eat it, and the soil it grows in. They would try to understand how all of these things are related and how they interact with each other.

Humboldtian science is important because it helps us to understand the natural world in a more holistic way. By studying the interconnectedness of things, we can learn how to protect and preserve the environment and all the living things that depend on it. So, just like you learn about your toy car by studying its parts and how they work together, scientists use Humboldtian science to learn about the world around us by looking at how all the pieces fit together.