Reply to comment

            Before coming to college I had always believed that there was absolute truth in science. I was taught that it was a fact that an airplane could fly and that the sun rises and sets in the sky every morning and evening, and I felt no reason to challenge these beliefs because they were constantly reinforced by my real life experiences. I realize that most people would find it ridiculous to spend a day, let alone a lifetime, trying to prove these “truths” incorrect.  But there are scientists out there that spend their academic life trying to find contradictory evidence to these long held beliefs, and their work has and will continue to benefit us for years to come. For instance, astronomers now know that the sun will someday die and thus fail to rise, and engineers have discovered faults in airplane machinery that may have resulted in numerous death and millions of dollars in damages. I can’t image how nerve-racking it must have been for early scientists to challenge some of the most tightly held truths such as, God made the earth in seven days or we are the center of the universe. Yet, in spite of thousands of years of evidence that the sun does rise, these scientists continue to put challenge these “truths” and, in turn, bring about positive changes to our world. In science and in life, it’s vital to be a skeptic and a pessimist

If there were absolute truth in science, science would eventually disappear. As we have discussed earlier, neuroscience is a continually changing field and that is because people have refused to accept every bit of information that they have heard as absolute truth. When humans stop being curious or forget to challenge what they hear or see, nothing new will ever be accomplished. But because of the scientists who are willing to stick out their neck for a crazyor “out-there” theory, our generation is constantly expanding and progressing.