The Model Dependent Realism of Science

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Stephan hawkinge leonard: Will we continue forever finding better theories, but never one that can be improved upon? We do not yet have a definitive answer to this question. He says the most we can say is kind of provisionally true with a small t ah. But as we said before, the history of science shows that it could change.

In this interview, based on her landmark book, Why Trust Science?, historian of science Naomi Oreskes offers a bold and compelling defense of science, revealing why the social character of scientific knowledge is its greatest strength — and the greatest reason we can trust it. Drawing vital lessons from cases where scientists got it wrong, Oreskes shows how consensus is a crucial indicator of when a scientific matter has been settled, and when the knowledge produced is likely to be trustworthy.