Would anyone care to really have a dedicated part of the site, beyond merely topics in science, or physics, for had science discussions?

If you create enough threads with the right topics, people who are truly interested will eventually find and create a decent community surrounding them. I've found that to be true with "open source", "Linux", and IT threads. The problem is realizing there will be responses from those who have little to no real understanding of the topic weighing in with responses lacking value.

Also, to expand on the above and CPT Jack Durish's comment, you'll want to put a lot of thought into how you construct such questions to as clearly as possible for those qualified to answer.

I remember asking a question about Linux Server OS's versus Microsoft Server and then describing "Server OS" in the description to ensure people understood the difference. I still got responses only talking about Windows XP/Vista/7/10 with no regard to Linux at all.

The practical applications of these topics will cultivate value. For instance, data science is great in theory but how is it used to cultivate value in solving problems. An example of this is netflix recommender systems with code snippets and perhaps opportunities to participate by tweaking code or creating.

Don't know that we need an actual dedicated part of the site. Just post a science question and I bet there will be responses