- Science produces reliable knowledge as a broad community effort, guided by a critical set of standards and values.
- Critical scientific values include an insistence on evidence, honesty, a healthy dose of skepticism, and an openness to new interpretations and ideas.
- Standards that support these values include publishing the experimental details needed for others to replicate or refute one’s findings, randomized control trials, blinded analyses, statistical validations, and peer review.
- A scientific consensus represents humanity’s best approach to the truth, but it can never be 100% certain, as it must be kept open to change based on new evidence and ideas.
- A good scientific explanation makes logical and testable predictions about the system being studied.
- Most scientific knowledge improves gradually, with refinements that bring it ever closer to the truth.
- The pervasiveness of social media has vastly expanded the influence of fake science, exposing us all to massive amounts of misinformation to tragic effect.
- A solid understanding of science as a community-driven process can enable all of us to discern the truth and become “competent outsiders.”