In search of truth and rules

A young plant with mathematical formula forming a tree

Source: © Daniel Liévano/Ikon Images

To codify and predict ever more complex phenomena is one of science’s great drivers

There are a lot of reasons why people are motivated to do scientific research, with sheer curiosity about the natural world being near the top of the list. But there’s another one that I think doesn’t get enough attention: the desire to believe that there really are truths and rules.