Scienceclaw Qa

ScienceCLAW QA

Answer scientific questions with evidence-based responses, structured methodology, and proper citations across all disciplines.

When to Use

Use this skill when the user:

• Asks factual questions about any scientific discipline (natural or social sciences)
• Needs explanation of scientific concepts, theories, laws, or methods
• Requests comparison of competing scientific hypotheses or models
• Wants to understand experimental results or published findings
• Needs multi-step scientific reasoning to arrive at an answer
• Asks "how does X work" or "why does X happen" questions rooted in science
• Requests definitions, classifications, or taxonomies of scientific terms
• Needs help interpreting data, graphs, or scientific figures (without code execution)

When NOT to Use

Do not use this skill when:

• The question is opinion-based or subjective (e.g., "Is physics better than biology?")
• The user needs code execution for data analysis (use the code-execution skill)
• The user needs a literature search or paper retrieval (use the scienceclaw-retrieval skill)
• The question is about non-scientific topics (pop culture, personal advice, etc.)
• The user wants summarization of a specific paper (use scienceclaw-summarization)
• The user needs structured information extraction from text (use scienceclaw-ie)
• The user needs formal proof construction or complex causal inference (use scienceclaw-reasoning)

Methodology

Follow this four-step process for every scientific QA task:

Step 1: Identify Discipline and Scope

Determine the primary discipline and any cross-disciplinary dimensions of the question. Consult the discipline taxonomy in references/discipline-taxonomy.md for classification guidance.

• Map the question to one or more of the 17 supported disciplines
• Identify the subdiscipline(s) most relevant to the question
• Note if the question spans multiple disciplines (e.g., biophysics, neuroeconomics)
• Determine the depth of answer expected (introductory, intermediate, expert)

Step 2: Retrieve Evidence

Gather supporting evidence before constructing the answer.

• Use the literature-search skill to find relevant primary sources, review articles, and textbook references
• Prioritize peer-reviewed sources and authoritative references
• For rapidly evolving fields, check recency of evidence (prefer sources from the last 5 years unless historical context is needed)
• For contested topics, retrieve evidence from multiple perspectives

Step 3: Synthesize Answer

Construct the answer by integrating evidence from multiple sources.

• Begin with a direct, concise answer to the question
• Provide supporting explanation with appropriate depth
• Include relevant context (historical development, current consensus, open questions)
• Use discipline-appropriate terminology with definitions for technical terms
• Present numerical values with units and uncertainty where applicable
• Acknowledge limitations, caveats, or areas of active debate

Step 4: Cite Sources

Provide citations for all factual claims.

• Use inline citations with author-year format: (Author et al., Year)
• Include a references section at the end of the answer
• Prefer DOI links when available
• Distinguish between primary research, review articles, and textbook references
• For well-established facts, cite authoritative textbooks or review articles rather than original papers

Discipline-Specific QA Patterns

Natural Science Approach

For physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, materials science, astronomy, earth science, mathematics, and computer science:

• Quantitative emphasis: Include equations, numerical values, units, and error bounds
• Mechanistic explanation: Describe underlying mechanisms and causal chains
• Experimental grounding: Reference key experiments that established the finding
• Model-based reasoning: Explain which theoretical models apply and their limitations
• Scale awareness: Specify the spatial, temporal, or energy scales at which answers apply

Example pattern for natural science questions:

1. State the direct answer with key quantitative values
2. Explain the underlying mechanism or theory
3. Reference the foundational experiment(s) or derivation
4. Note boundary conditions, assumptions, and limitations
5. Cite sources (textbooks for established facts, papers for recent findings)

Social Science Approach

For economics, sociology, psychology, political science, linguistics, history, law, philosophy, and education:

• Context sensitivity: Specify cultural, temporal, and geographic scope of findings
• Effect sizes and significance: Report statistical effect sizes, not just p-values
• Methodological transparency: Note the study designs behind cited evidence (RCT, observational, meta-analysis)
• Theoretical pluralism: Present competing theoretical frameworks where relevant
• Normative vs. positive distinction: Clearly separate empirical findings from value judgments

Example pattern for social science questions:

1. State the current consensus or dominant finding
2. Describe the evidence base (study types, sample sizes, replication status)
3. Present alternative theoretical interpretations
4. Note methodological limitations and external validity concerns
5. Cite meta-analyses and systematic reviews where available

Citation Format Requirements

Inline Citations

Use author-year format within the text:

• Single author: (Smith, 2023)
• Two authors: (Smith & Jones, 2022)
• Three or more: (Smith et al., 2021)
• Multiple citations: (Smith, 2023; Jones et al., 2022)
• Direct quote: (Smith, 2023, p. 45)

Reference List Format

Author, A. B., & Author, C. D. (Year). Title of the article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Author, A. B. (Year). Title of the Book (Edition). Publisher.

Source Priority

1. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses 2. Peer-reviewed primary research articles 3. Authoritative textbooks and handbooks 4. Institutional reports (WHO, IPCC, National Academies) 5. Preprints (flag as non-peer-reviewed)

Multi-Source Evidence Synthesis

When answering questions that require integration of multiple sources:

• Convergence assessment: Identify where multiple independent sources agree
• Discrepancy resolution: When sources conflict, explain why (different methods, populations, time periods)
• Evidence weighting: Give more weight to higher-quality evidence (meta-analyses > single studies, RCTs > observational)
• Confidence calibration: Express confidence level in the answer based on evidence quality and consensus
• Knowledge frontier: Clearly mark where established knowledge ends and speculation begins

Use confidence markers:

• Well-established: Broad scientific consensus, replicated findings
• Probable: Strong evidence but some uncertainty or ongoing refinement
• Emerging: Recent findings, limited replication, active research area
• Speculative: Theoretical predictions or preliminary results, not yet validated

Cross-Discipline QA Bridging

Many questions span multiple disciplines. Handle these by:

1. Identify the bridge: Name the interdisciplinary field if one exists (e.g., bioinformatics, econophysics, cognitive linguistics) 2. Layer the explanation: Start with the discipline closest to the user's question, then bring in complementary perspectives 3. Reconcile terminology: When different disciplines use different terms for the same concept, note the equivalences 4. Integrate methods: Describe how methods from different fields complement each other in addressing the question 5. Acknowledge gaps: Note where disciplinary boundaries create blind spots in the available evidence

Response Structure Template

## Answer

[Direct, concise answer to the question]

## Explanation

[Detailed explanation with appropriate depth]

### Key Concepts
- [Concept 1]: [Definition and relevance]
- [Concept 2]: [Definition and relevance]

### Evidence Base
[Summary of supporting evidence with inline citations]

### Limitations and Open Questions
[Caveats, boundary conditions, and areas of active research]

## References
[Formatted reference list]

Integration with Other Skills

• literature-search: Always invoke for evidence retrieval before answering non-trivial questions
• scienceclaw-reasoning: Delegate to this skill when the question requires formal proof, causal inference, or extended logical argumentation
• scienceclaw-ie: Use when the answer requires extracting structured data from scientific texts
• code-execution: Redirect when the user needs computational analysis, plotting, or simulation
• scienceclaw-summarization: Redirect when the user wants a summary of a specific paper rather than a general QA response

Zero-Hallucination Rule

ALL factual claims, citations, database results, and scientific data presented to the user MUST come from actual tool results (API calls, code execution, web search) in this conversation. NEVER fabricate or "fill in" details from training data. If a tool returns no results or partial data, report exactly what happened.

Scientific Discipline Taxonomy

Comprehensive taxonomy of 17 disciplines and their subdisciplines for the ScienceCLAW QA system. Use this taxonomy to classify incoming questions and route them to the appropriate QA patterns.

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Natural Sciences

1. Physics

The study of matter, energy, and the fundamental forces of nature.

Subdisciplines:

• Classical Mechanics (Newtonian mechanics, Lagrangian/Hamiltonian mechanics, fluid dynamics)
• Electromagnetism (electrostatics, magnetostatics, electromagnetic waves, optics)
• Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics (heat transfer, entropy, kinetic theory, phase transitions)
• Quantum Mechanics (wave-particle duality, quantum field theory, quantum information)
• Condensed Matter Physics (solid state physics, superconductivity, semiconductors, soft matter)
• Nuclear and Particle Physics (Standard Model, nuclear reactions, accelerator physics)
• Astrophysics and Cosmology (stellar physics, general relativity, dark matter/energy, Big Bang)
• Plasma Physics (fusion, space plasmas, magnetohydrodynamics)
• Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics (spectroscopy, laser physics, ultracold atoms)
• Biophysics (molecular motors, membrane physics, biological networks)

2. Chemistry

The study of the composition, structure, properties, and transformations of matter.

Subdisciplines:

• Organic Chemistry (synthesis, reaction mechanisms, stereochemistry, natural products)
• Inorganic Chemistry (coordination compounds, organometallics, solid state chemistry)
• Physical Chemistry (thermochemistry, kinetics, quantum chemistry, surface chemistry)
• Analytical Chemistry (spectroscopy, chromatography, mass spectrometry, electroanalysis)
• Biochemistry (enzymology, metabolism, protein chemistry, nucleic acid chemistry)
• Polymer Chemistry (polymerization, polymer physics, copolymers, biopolymers)
• Computational Chemistry (molecular dynamics, DFT, ab initio methods, force fields)
• Environmental Chemistry (atmospheric chemistry, water chemistry, pollutant fate)
• Medicinal Chemistry (drug design, SAR, pharmacophore modeling, ADMET)
• Electrochemistry (batteries, fuel cells, corrosion, electrodeposition)

3. Biology

The study of living organisms, their structure, function, growth, evolution, and distribution.

Subdisciplines:

• Molecular Biology (DNA replication, transcription, translation, gene regulation)
• Cell Biology (cell cycle, organelles, signal transduction, cell death)
• Genetics and Genomics (Mendelian genetics, population genetics, epigenetics, GWAS)
• Evolutionary Biology (natural selection, phylogenetics, speciation, molecular evolution)
• Ecology (population ecology, community ecology, ecosystem ecology, conservation)
• Microbiology (bacteriology, virology, mycology, microbial ecology)
• Developmental Biology (embryogenesis, morphogenesis, stem cells, regeneration)
• Neuroscience (neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience)
• Plant Biology (photosynthesis, plant physiology, plant genetics, plant ecology)
• Marine Biology (marine ecosystems, oceanography, coral reefs, deep sea biology)
• Systems Biology (network biology, multi-omics integration, synthetic biology)

4. Medicine and Health Sciences

The science of diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease.

Subdisciplines:

• Clinical Medicine (internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry, radiology)
• Pharmacology (pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, toxicology, clinical trials)
• Epidemiology (infectious disease epidemiology, chronic disease, molecular epidemiology)
• Public Health (health policy, global health, environmental health, health economics)
• Immunology (innate immunity, adaptive immunity, autoimmunity, immunotherapy)
• Pathology (histopathology, molecular pathology, forensic pathology)
• Biomedical Engineering (medical imaging, prosthetics, tissue engineering, biosensors)
• Nutrition Science (macronutrients, micronutrients, metabolic disorders, dietary patterns)
• Oncology (tumor biology, targeted therapy, immuno-oncology, cancer genomics)
• Infectious Disease (virology, bacteriology, parasitology, antimicrobial resistance)

5. Materials Science

The study of the properties and applications of materials.

Subdisciplines:

• Metals and Alloys (steel, aluminum alloys, shape memory alloys, high-entropy alloys)
• Ceramics (oxide ceramics, glass, cement, piezoelectrics)
• Polymers and Composites (thermoplastics, thermosets, fiber-reinforced composites, nanocomposites)
• Nanomaterials (nanoparticles, nanowires, 2D materials, quantum dots)
• Biomaterials (biocompatible materials, scaffolds, drug delivery systems, implants)
• Electronic Materials (semiconductors, dielectrics, photovoltaics, LEDs)
• Energy Materials (battery materials, catalysts, thermoelectrics, hydrogen storage)
• Characterization Methods (electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, mechanical testing, thermal analysis)
• Computational Materials Science (DFT, molecular dynamics, phase-field modeling, machine learning for materials)

6. Astronomy and Space Science

The study of celestial objects, space, and the physical universe.

Subdisciplines:

• Observational Astronomy (optical, radio, X-ray, gravitational wave astronomy)
• Planetary Science (planetary geology, atmospheres, exoplanets, astrobiology)
• Stellar Astrophysics (stellar evolution, nucleosynthesis, supernovae, neutron stars)
• Galactic Astronomy (Milky Way structure, galaxy formation, dark matter halos)
• Cosmology (Big Bang, cosmic microwave background, dark energy, large-scale structure)
• Solar Physics (solar wind, sunspots, helioseismology, space weather)
• Astrochemistry (interstellar medium, molecular clouds, prebiotic molecules)
• Space Engineering (orbital mechanics, spacecraft design, mission planning)

7. Earth Science

The study of the Earth, its structure, processes, and history.

Subdisciplines:

• Geology (mineralogy, petrology, stratigraphy, structural geology, volcanology)
• Geophysics (seismology, geomagnetism, geodesy, geodynamics)
• Atmospheric Science (meteorology, climatology, atmospheric chemistry, climate modeling)
• Oceanography (physical oceanography, chemical oceanography, biological oceanography)
• Hydrology (surface hydrology, groundwater, water resources, flood modeling)
• Paleontology (vertebrate paleontology, invertebrate paleontology, paleobotany, micropaleontology)
• Geochemistry (isotope geochemistry, environmental geochemistry, cosmochemistry)
• Soil Science (pedology, soil chemistry, soil biology, land degradation)
• Environmental Science (climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, sustainability)

8. Mathematics

The study of quantity, structure, space, and change through abstract reasoning.

Subdisciplines:

• Algebra (group theory, ring theory, linear algebra, algebraic geometry)
• Analysis (real analysis, complex analysis, functional analysis, harmonic analysis)
• Geometry and Topology (differential geometry, algebraic topology, manifolds, knot theory)
• Number Theory (analytic number theory, algebraic number theory, cryptography)
• Combinatorics (graph theory, enumerative combinatorics, Ramsey theory)
• Probability and Statistics (probability theory, Bayesian statistics, stochastic processes)
• Applied Mathematics (numerical analysis, optimization, dynamical systems, mathematical modeling)
• Logic and Foundations (set theory, model theory, proof theory, computability)
• Discrete Mathematics (combinatorial optimization, coding theory, finite fields)

9. Computer Science

The study of computation, information processing, and the design of computing systems.

Subdisciplines:

• Artificial Intelligence (machine learning, deep learning, reinforcement learning, NLP)
• Algorithms and Data Structures (complexity theory, graph algorithms, approximation algorithms)
• Computer Vision (image recognition, object detection, 3D reconstruction, video understanding)
• Software Engineering (design patterns, testing, DevOps, formal methods)
• Computer Systems (operating systems, distributed systems, databases, networking)
• Theoretical Computer Science (automata theory, computational complexity, information theory)
• Human-Computer Interaction (usability, accessibility, interaction design, VR/AR)
• Cybersecurity (cryptography, network security, malware analysis, privacy)
• Robotics (control systems, perception, planning, human-robot interaction)
• Bioinformatics (sequence analysis, structural bioinformatics, systems biology, genomics pipelines)

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Social Sciences

10. Economics

The study of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

Subdisciplines:

• Microeconomics (consumer theory, firm theory, game theory, market structure)
• Macroeconomics (fiscal policy, monetary policy, growth theory, business cycles)
• Econometrics (time series, panel data, causal inference, machine learning for economics)
• Behavioral Economics (prospect theory, nudges, bounded rationality, decision-making)
• Development Economics (poverty, institutions, trade, structural transformation)
• Labor Economics (wage determination, unemployment, human capital, discrimination)
• Financial Economics (asset pricing, corporate finance, risk management, fintech)
• Public Economics (taxation, public goods, social insurance, inequality)
• Health Economics (cost-effectiveness, insurance markets, pharmaceutical economics)
• Environmental Economics (carbon pricing, resource economics, sustainability valuation)

11. Sociology

The study of human social relationships, institutions, and societies.

Subdisciplines:

• Social Stratification (class, inequality, social mobility, wealth distribution)
• Sociology of Culture (cultural production, identity, media, religion)
• Political Sociology (social movements, power, state-society relations)
• Urban Sociology (cities, housing, neighborhood effects, gentrification)
• Sociology of Education (educational inequality, school effects, credentials)
• Medical Sociology (health disparities, medicalization, patient experience)
• Organizational Sociology (bureaucracy, institutions, networks, labor markets)
• Demography (fertility, mortality, migration, population aging)
• Sociology of Science and Technology (innovation, expertise, sociotechnical systems)
• Criminology (deviance, criminal justice, policing, incarceration)

12. Psychology

The study of mind, behavior, and mental processes.

Subdisciplines:

• Cognitive Psychology (attention, memory, language, decision-making, problem-solving)
• Social Psychology (attitudes, persuasion, group dynamics, conformity, prejudice)
• Developmental Psychology (child development, adolescence, aging, lifespan development)
• Clinical Psychology (psychopathology, psychotherapy, assessment, evidence-based treatment)
• Neuropsychology (brain-behavior relationships, cognitive deficits, neuroimaging)
• Industrial-Organizational Psychology (workplace behavior, motivation, leadership, selection)
• Educational Psychology (learning theories, motivation, instructional design, assessment)
• Health Psychology (stress, coping, behavior change, chronic illness)
• Personality Psychology (trait theory, Big Five, self-concept, individual differences)
• Quantitative Psychology (psychometrics, structural equation modeling, IRT, meta-analysis)

13. Political Science

The study of politics, government, and public policy.

Subdisciplines:

• Comparative Politics (regime types, democratization, party systems, political institutions)
• International Relations (security studies, international political economy, diplomacy, conflict)
• Political Theory (justice, liberty, democracy, rights, political philosophy)
• American Politics (elections, Congress, presidency, public opinion, federalism)
• Public Administration (bureaucracy, governance, policy implementation, public management)
• Public Policy (policy analysis, evidence-based policy, regulatory policy, welfare)
• Political Economy (institutions, development, trade policy, inequality)
• Political Methodology (causal inference, survey methods, text analysis, experiments)

14. Linguistics

The scientific study of language and its structure.

Subdisciplines:

• Phonetics and Phonology (speech sounds, sound systems, prosody, acoustic analysis)
• Morphology (word structure, inflection, derivation, compounding)
• Syntax (sentence structure, generative grammar, construction grammar, parsing)
• Semantics (meaning, reference, quantification, lexical semantics)
• Pragmatics (speech acts, implicature, discourse analysis, context)
• Sociolinguistics (language variation, language change, multilingualism, language policy)
• Psycholinguistics (language acquisition, language processing, bilingualism, reading)
• Computational Linguistics (NLP, machine translation, information retrieval, dialogue systems)
• Historical Linguistics (language families, etymology, language reconstruction, typology)
• Corpus Linguistics (corpus design, frequency analysis, collocations, annotation)

15. History

The study of past events and their causes, patterns, and significance.

Subdisciplines:

• Ancient History (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, early civilizations)
• Medieval History (European Middle Ages, Islamic Golden Age, Byzantine Empire)
• Early Modern History (Renaissance, Reformation, Age of Exploration, Enlightenment)
• Modern History (Industrial Revolution, World Wars, Cold War, decolonization)
• Economic History (trade, industrialization, financial crises, development)
• Social History (everyday life, labor, gender, family, migration)
• Intellectual History (history of ideas, philosophy, science, culture)
• History of Science and Technology (scientific revolutions, innovation, institutions)
• Digital History (digital archives, computational methods, public history)
• Global History (world-systems, transnational connections, comparative history)

16. Law

The study of rules, principles, and institutions that govern human conduct.

Subdisciplines:

• Constitutional Law (fundamental rights, separation of powers, judicial review)
• Criminal Law (offenses, punishment, criminal procedure, sentencing)
• International Law (treaties, human rights, law of armed conflict, international courts)
• Environmental Law (regulation, climate litigation, biodiversity, pollution)
• Intellectual Property (patents, copyright, trademarks, trade secrets)
• Corporate and Commercial Law (contracts, securities, mergers, bankruptcy)
• Law and Technology (data privacy, AI regulation, cybercrime, platform governance)
• Comparative Law (legal traditions, legal transplants, harmonization)
• Jurisprudence (legal philosophy, legal reasoning, natural law, legal positivism)
• Health Law (medical regulation, bioethics, public health law, clinical trials regulation)

17. Philosophy

The study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, and reason.

Subdisciplines:

• Metaphysics (existence, identity, causation, free will, time, modality)
• Epistemology (knowledge, justification, skepticism, testimony, formal epistemology)
• Ethics (normative ethics, metaethics, applied ethics, moral psychology)
• Philosophy of Science (scientific method, realism, explanation, theory change)
• Philosophy of Mind (consciousness, mental causation, perception, AI and minds)
• Logic (formal logic, modal logic, non-classical logics, paradoxes)
• Political Philosophy (justice, liberty, democracy, global justice)
• Aesthetics (art, beauty, taste, aesthetic experience, philosophy of film/music)
• Philosophy of Language (meaning, reference, truth, speech acts, vagueness)
• Bioethics (medical ethics, research ethics, neuroethics, environmental ethics)

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Cross-Disciplinary Fields

Many scientific questions span multiple disciplines. The following interdisciplinary fields bridge the taxonomy above:

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Usage Notes

• When a question maps to a single discipline, use that discipline's QA pattern directly
• When a question spans two or more disciplines, identify the primary discipline and supplement with secondary discipline methods
• For interdisciplinary fields listed above, consult methods from all parent disciplines
• Update this taxonomy as new subdisciplines emerge or disciplinary boundaries shift