Generally speaking, do you think science gets more accurate or less accurate as time goes by?

Answer 1

Compare a modern doctor's prognosis with that of a "healer" from the time that the bible was written. And then ask yourself which one you would rather have cure you.

I think it's quite obvious the direction that science has gone, and continues to go. Some people, however, like to ignore the obvious, if it makes them uncomfortable.

Answer 2

Science increases in accuracy as the current scientific knowledge is applied to techniques of measuring and quantifying the universe. Since science is based on empirical evidence, the ability to more accurately measure, retain and communicate that evidence increases the probability that the laws and theories are correct. Computers demonstrate this by being able to simulate the natural phenomenon of the formation of complexity, fractals and social organization, or being able to decipher the human genome. The computers are crunching more data, more consistently, rapidly and accurately than any human could have possibly dreamed which have opened the doors to further discoveries.

These new discoveries make it seem like science is less accurate, but that's because the larger more fundamental questions have been answered by the science which preceded it. These less accurate theories are only possible because science has accurately closed the book on fundamental questions which we now consider general knowledge like: the Earth is round, the Earth revolves around the Sun, and the universe is expanding. This basic knowledge set forms the foundation for things like black holes. The basic knowledge of biology: cells, cell metabolism, DNA, RNA, etc., allows us to consider the minuscule details of protein interaction.

The more you learn the more questions you should have.

This should definitely be a science section question.

Answer 3

The "History Channel" had a show about technology.

It appears that the steam engine was invented around 200 BC, but the use of slavery didn't make it a popular idea. You can today to the library in Alexandria Egypt to find the blue prints for the steam engine.

Additionally, with all of our technology (computers, bull dozers) we cannot recreate the Pyramids. Why? So, here we are less accurate as time goes by. I too wonder about the calculation of time ... how did they do it back then? The relics from back then seem to do as well if not better than our computers.

Even surgery was similar around 200 BC ... there was plastic surgery, and many of the surgical tools used back then were brought back by 1800 doctors; and there has been little changes to these surgical tools.

I got the impression that around 70 AD - when the Temple in Jerusalem fell - and Romans started loosing control (hmmm Jesus???) is a period where humanity suffered a social amnesia, and today, we're finally recapping what was lost during this "Dark Ages Period".

Answer 4

It seems to get more accurate, but relatively speaking, there are very few things for which there have been definite conclusions drawn. If this protein has this function, what about the other proteins it associates with? Black holes are formed by the collapse of a medium to large star, but what happens when the black hole reaches the end of its own life span. Most of science seems to produce so many more questions that need answering.

This is speaking from the perspective of someone who is pursuing a career in the sciences and has been in several labs and done research.

Answer 5

I think it gets more accurate.

At times, however, it may seem as if it becomes less accurate because, to paraphrase the old saying, 'the more you learn, the more you realize you don't know anything'.

For each question we answer, dozens of other mysteries arize. Scientist thought that Einstein's Theory of Relativity was closing in on a 'theory of everything', but then comes string theorists, m-theorists, etc...

Our understanding of certain scientific questions become more accurate, but scince the field of science is ever expanding, the percentage of 'science' that we understand is always diminishing because it is being ou-paced by the naissance of vast new scientific fields and frontiers.

Answer 6

Sho-Nuff does not speak for fundies.

Science is getting more accurate as time goes by and the more accurate it gets, the more it proves the scientific facts in the Bible are true.
The Bible is not a science textbook. It speaks of spiritual things, but what's in there has been or will be proven true by science one day.

Answer 7

More accurate as technology improves. It wasn't that long ago that DNA evidence was not considered accurate enough to be used as evidence in court. Now look what it's doing. All signs point to science explaining more and more as time goes on, and more people knowing about it as it happens thanks to the Internet.

It's a great time to be alive.

Answer 8

Well according to fundies it would be getting less accurate. Ever since they "discovered" that Earth wasn't the center of the universe science has been on a downards spiral.

I think science is getting more accurate.

Answer 9

With the continuing development of ever more sophisticated instrumentation can science but help to become
ever more accurate?

There is now methodology
for nanometric sorting of molecules as an example.

Answer 10

Nice question!

And a tricky one too. You could answer both ways. On the one hand, greater understanding of the world makes our the models we use to describe the world more accurate, but at the same time that greater understanding continuously invalidates the models, replacing them with ever more esoteric ones.

Compare the nice clean, mechanistic view of Newton's Gravity to the wacky weirdness of 'it could be here, or maybe it's here' Quantum Physics...