Science and Truth

At left is something 19th Century Scottish author George McDonald had to say on the subject of truth and why brave and honest people feel compelled to call their most cherished beliefs into doubt.

It speaks quite broadly, but most certainly includes the scientific method.  Part of the beauty of science is that it is constantly trying to undermine itself.  Sure, we believe X about climate science, Y about viral pandemics, and Z about the fundamental building blocks of the universe, but we’re also persistently trying to prove these beliefs incorrect, or at best incomplete, so they can be replaced by better understanding.

In preparation for my first book, Renewable Energy–Facts and Fantasies, I recall asking V. Ramanathan of the Scripps Institute, one of the world’s most visible climate scientists, if he was aware that some people claim that he and his peers are steadfast in their positions merely because it enables them to take in more government grant money.

He laughed.  “Yes, believe it or not, I have heard that.  What these people don’t seem to know is that, regardless of what they may think about my character, is that I could actually become rich if I could prove that the theory of anthropogenic global warming is fundamentally flawed.”

We have to conclude that scientists in all disciplines have to content themselves with a cruel fact: that what they may believe today is under constant attack by those who want to alert us to a better understanding of the world around us, and that this indeed is a positive feature.