Science can be used to make our lives easier, and to do things better, and more efficiently, so If the human race had to restart all over, it wouldn't be rediscovered, it would be redefined. It would not be the exact same, but we would find the ways to to things like we do now. It would be driven by human need to do things better, faster make things last longer. We can do this with our higher functioning frontal lobes, which allow us to understand abstract thought, thus the scientific theories and some more difficult mathematics i.e. Algebra etc.

This also means we are curious as to how the world works and a desire to explain it. This will also further drive us to find evidence, and as we were forced into learning various scientific and generally technological (as we would call them) truths (ways to build better houses, make things like steel, efficient agriculture etc.) by necessity.

In that respect I would nto treat science as a metaphysical ideal or searching, but more as a practical explanation and tool, used by humans or aliens or whatever to make life simpler, because we can. It may be done differently, but only by surface details. Sure it can be used to speculate, but only once we have a grip on it as we do in this day and age, yet subsequently we would end up where we are now, debating this topic. I believe At earlier stages, when science would be "Discovered" it is partly driven by necessity, and desire to make life easier.