The Boundaries of Science

Science is a reliable method for gaining knowledge about the natural world, but it is not without its controversies and limitations. An example of this is found in the opening paragraph of the article, “Science Isn’t Broken”, from FiveThirtyEight. It highlights multiple instances where the scientific peer-review process was voided in one way or another, which shows how some scientific processes are flawed and can be abused. This jeopardizes the legitimacy of science because if some individuals are able to bypass the processes put in place to prevent such things from happening, then how are we supposed to trust science, if at all? 

The drive of science, as we know it, is curiosity. In most cases, it seems as though the scientific community conducts itself in a professional manner, seeking out the universe’s answers without compromising ethics and morality. Not everyone shares this view. A select few of scientists/researchers choose to cut corners in their discoveries and seek personal gain and glory rather than natural truth. This is a huge physical limitation in science. 

In a well-documented video titled, “The Man Who Tried to Take an Element”, by a Youtuber named BobbyBroccoli. He introduces and explains the development of the periodic table and the incredible feats that came from it, but also covers the problems of the scientific processes which led to many false discoveries and claims. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but the video shows a sliver of how science, in general, is a fantastic feat of human evolution and what we are able to accomplish. However, it is also a reminder of human morality, and how some individuals decide to use science to serve their own purposes rather than the greater good of society.

BobbyBrocolli's Youtube Video - "The Man Who Tried to Take an Element":



There are other important factors of science's limitations. It cannot answer questions about morality or ethics, religion, or provide answers about the supernatural (just a few examples, there are definitely more out there). Science can only be used so far as to provide explanations for natural phenomena—it cannot provide a definitive explanation for everything. I also thoroughly believe that there are some things that are not meant to be learned, or not capable of being learned, and are only possible on a theoretical level. For example, the full capabilities of a black hole (the whole “Information Paradox/Deletion” segment if you want to look that up).

Because of this, science simply does not have the answer to anything and everything. Trust in science comes down to trusting others to do honorable work, but it has been shown that this is not the case all of the time. Regardless, the overall intentions of the collective community hold true. Science has brought society so many answers and solutions to the natural world, which is why we are where we are today. The theories that modern science holds now may not be true in the near future, but that is the beauty of science. The curiosity of humanity drives science to push what is possible to the limits. To sum things up, humanity may never reach all the answers it seeks in the universe, but science provides us with the necessary tools to learn as much as we can as long as we trust the process—both the pros and cons. 


Works Cited: 

Aschwanden, C. (2015, August 19). Science Isn't Broken. FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/science-isnt-broken/

BobbyBroccoli. (2022). The Man Who Tried to Fake an Element. YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe5WT22-AO8.

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