The Best Reason to Trust Science

The Best Reason to Trust Science 3.50 X8 Wheelbarrow Tire

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-best-reason-to-trust-science-b77f88af

Science is a process that builds upon existing theories and knowledge by continuously revising them. Every aspect of scientific knowledge can be questioned, including the general rules of thinking that appear to be most certain. So why is science trustworthy if it is always changing? If tomorrow we will no longer see the world as Newton or Einstein found it to be, why should we take seriously today’s scientific description of the world?

The answer is simple: Because at any given moment of our history, this description of the world is the best we have. The fact that it can be improved does not diminish the fact that it is a useful instrument for understanding the world. No one throws away a knife because they think that, someday, a sharper knife must exist.

Continue reading your article with a WSJ subscription

Already a subscriber? Sign In

Light Truck Bias Tires This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.

The Best Reason to Trust Science - WSJ