This weekend's issue of the Wall Street Journal features an insightful essay by Matt Ridley, in the Review section, titled "What the Pandemic has taught us about Science". Two of the best passages are the following very simple observations:
"Seeing science as a game of guess-and-test clarifies what has been happening these past months. Science is not about pronouncing with certainty on the known facts of the world; it is about exploring the unknown by testing guesses, some of which prove wrong."
"The health of science depends on tolerating, even encouraging, at least some disagreement. In practice, science is prevented from turning into religion not by asking scientists to challenge their own theories but by getting them to challenge each other, sometimes with gusto."
I strongly recommend the article to DTLR readers, even if you may nit-pick a few details.
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