Science Friday Are There Things That We Know We Can’t Know?
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May 5, 2025 Join Kelsey Johnson, a professor of astronomy and former president of the American Astronomical Society, as she unravels the cosmos’s biggest mysteries. She addresses profound questions about time, the universe's expansion, and what preceded the Big Bang. Delving into the limits of scientific inquiry, Kelsey discusses the implications of dark energy and gravity. She also explores the tantalizing concept of a multidimensional universe and the crucial role of curiosity in science, blending rigorous science with philosophical musings.
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Science and Provisional Knowledge
- Science is powerful for testing hypotheses, but what we "know" is always provisional and subject to new tests.
- Knowledge grows in confidence through repeated testing, but absolute certainty remains elusive.
Universe Mostly Unknown
- Over 95% of the universe consists of dark matter and dark energy, which remain unknown.
- This vast unknown challenges our understanding of the cosmos fundamentally.
Keep an Open Mind on Testing
- Avoid declaring untestable ideas as permanently untestable.
- Keep open minds about future testing and evolving scientific capabilities.
