The Dangerous Illusion of Scientific Consensus

The Dangerous Illusion of Scientific Consensus
A man shows his coronavirus disease "Super Green Pass" before getting on a train on the day Italy brings in tougher rules for the unvaccinated, at Termini main train station in Rome, Italy, on Jan. 10, 2022. Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters
Rav Arora
Jay Bhattacharya
Updated:
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Commentary

Science is the process by which we learn about the workings of material reality. Though modern innovations—built on the fruits of science—would look like magic to people living only decades ago, they result from the time-tested scientific method. Contrary perhaps to media portrayals of science, the scientific method depends not on the existence of a mythical consensus but rather on structured scientific debates. If there is a consensus, science challenges it with new hypotheses, experiments, logic, and critical thinking. Ironically, science advances because it believes it has never arrived; consensus is the hallmark of dead science.

Rav Arora is an independent journalist based in Vancouver, Canada. He has appeared on The Ben Shapiro Show, Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, The Hill, and other programs. His Substack newsletter on mental health, spirituality, and vaccine side effects is “Noble Truths with Rav Arora.” Follow him on Twitter at @ravarora1
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