Transforming the unknown into the known

In Solnit's "A Field Guide to Getting Lost" she has a quote on page 5 saying, "But they transform the unknown into the known, haul it in like fishermen; artists get you out into that dark sea." They being scientists. She describes everything in terms of being lost and quite frankly reading the book provides that emotion for you sufficiently. She describes scientists beginning their journey in the dark sea but making their way back by transforming that unknown into the knows, I'm assuming this means discoveries and experimental data. I don't see it that way at all since many of todays science is based on theories and hypothesis' which aren't the known, but more like the assumed. The description of artists is a little depressing to think about because it means they are never "found" or find their way as the scientists seem to. It kind of seems like she is dismissing the work artists do because nothing is ever solved or "found" in their work while with scientists eventually transform the unknown to the known.