What Science is NOT
1. Science is not
a process that can solve all kinds of problems and questions.
The realm of science is limited strictly to solving problems
about the natural world. Science is not properly equipped
to handle the supernatural realm (as such), nor the realm of
values and ethics.
2. It's not a process
that can ignore rules.
Science must follow certain rules; otherwise, it's not
science (just as soccer is not soccer if its rules are not followed).
3. It's not a process
that seeks the truth or facts.
The goal of science is to come as close as we can to understanding
the cause-effect realities of the natural world. It's
never "truth" or "facts". "Truth"
and "facts" can mean different things to different
4. It's not a process
that attempts to prove things.
The process of science, when properly applied, actually attempts
to disprove ideas (tentative explanations)... a process
called "testing", or "challenging". If the
idea survives testing, then it is stronger, and more likely an
5. It's not a process
that can produce any kind of explanation.
Scientific explanations must be potentially disprovable.
Therefore, supernatural explanations cannot be used, since they
can never be disproved (supernatural forces, by definition, do
not predictably follow the laws of nature). Whatever results
occur in any test can be attributed to those nebulous forces,
effectively ending any further efforts to explain.
6. It's not a process
that produces certainties, or absolute facts.
Science is a process which can only produce "possible"
to "highly probable" explanations for natural
phenomena; these are never certainties. With new information,
tools, or approaches, earlier findings (theories, or even facts)
can be replaced by new findings.
7. It's not a process
that can always be relied upon due to its total objectivity and
Science can be done poorly, just like any other human
endeavor. We are all fallible, some of us make fewer mistakes
than others, some observe better than others, but we are still
subjective in the end. Internal self-correction mechanisms in
science merely increase the reliability of its product.
8. It's not a process
that is always properly used.
Unfortunately, science is all too frequently misused. Because
it works so well, there are those who apply the name of science
to their efforts to "prove" their favorite cause, even
if the rules of science were not followed. Such causes are properly
labeled "pseudosciences". Also, some scientists
have been known to do fraudulent work, in order to support their
pet ideas. Such work is usually exposed sooner or later, due
to the peer review system, and the work of other scientists.
9. It's not a process
that is free from values, opinions or bias.
Scientists are people, and although they follow certain rules
and try to be as objective as possible, both in their observations
and their interpretations, their biases are still there.
Unconscious racial bias, gender bias, social status, source of
funding, or political leanings can and do influence one's perceptions
10. It's not a process
in which the product (understanding) is based on faith or belief.
The product of science (probable explanations for natural phenomena)
are always based on observations carefully analyzed and
tested. The high confidence we have in science comes from the
many successful applications to real-life problems (e.g. in medicine,
space exploration, chemistry and technology).
11. It's not a process
in which one solution is as good as another, or is simply a matter
In science, there is a rigorous analysis and fair-test comparison
of alternative explanations, using discriminate criteria, e.g.,
confirmation by multiple independent lines of evidence, leading
to one "best" solution.
12. Scientific Theories are
not "tentative ideas" or "hunches".
The word "theory" is often used this way in
everyday conversation, but a theory in science refers to a highly
probable, well-tested comprehensive explanation, usually for
a large collection of observations.