Raising questions: Philosophical significance of controversy in science

The prevailing perspective of science among most nonscientists is that it is built upon a foundation of unproblematical truths and comprises logical methods for readily distinguishing in any given case between competing explanations of natural phenomena. Examination of controversial scientific issues, both historical and contemporary, provide a more accurate picture of science. Examples, drawn from the physical and life sciences, show how complex and subtle scientific issues may be; how difficult it may be to perform and interpret experiments; how controversies once laid to rest may resurface in new ways; and how science, far from being a stockpiling of factual truths, constitutes instead a vigorous, self-correcting mode of inquiry.