In general,

Science is the socially organized activity of setting and solving problems concerned with the natural world, where the importance of the problems and the adequacy of the answers are subject to critical scrutiny.

What developments characterize “modern” science as a distinctive practice?

• Avoiding philosophical, religious questions (as a principle)
• New or transformed Institutions, training, certification
• Categories of experts, researchers, specialists
• Routine employment of experiments, mathematical models
• Mechanistic (non-magical) answers
• Publishing, peer review, open knowledge