Science is a systematic process of accumulating knowledge about the natural world through observation and experimentation. The history of science spans from early human observations and rituals to the formal scientific methodologies of today. Key developments include ancient Greek advances in rational inquiry, Islamic preservation of knowledge during the Middle Ages, the Scientific Revolution of the 16th-17th centuries, and rapid 20th century progress. Science is characterized by evidence-based empirical and measurable knowledge that provides explanations of nature and can be verified through experimentation.