One of the most common criticisms of science is that it changes too much. Scientists are always “changing their minds” and “updating their theories.” Critics say that this means that science can’t be trusted, and that scientists are just making things up as they go along. In this blog post, we will explore why science changes so much, and whether or not this is a valid criticism.
The most important thing to understand about science is that it is a process, not a set of beliefs. The scientific process is designed to slowly and steadily build our understanding of the world around us. Every new discovery builds upon the foundation that has been laid before, and every new theory is tested against the evidence that we have collected.
The scientific process is also designed to be self-correcting. When new evidence comes in that contradicts our current understanding, it forces us to re-evaluate our theories and either modify them or abandon them altogether. This means that science is constantly changing, but it also means that it is constantly getting closer to the truth.
So why does it seem like science changes so much? Well, part of the reason is that we are constantly making new discoveries. But another part of the reason is that the media often focuses on the latest scientific findings, even if they are still tentative and subject to change.
This can create the impression that science is always changing, when in reality, the vast majority of scientific theories are well-established and have been verified by multiple independent studies. It is only the rarest of cases that a theory is completely overturned.
So the next time someone tells you that science is always changing, just remember that this is only part of the story. Science does change, but it changes slowly and methodically, always building upon the foundation that has been laid before. And in the end, science always gets closer to the truth.
We hope this blog post has helped you to understand why science changes so much, and why this is not necessarily a bad thing.