Respect for Science

This little post says a lot about why I have respect for science and not for religion. With the ever present exception of Buddhism, religions don't like change. Someone decided long ago what the truth was and thats all that matters, nothing that happens today can change what was decided to be true. Science on the other hand is always changing and expanding. People who are used to dogmatic world views see this change as proof that science is a fraud because what science considers to be true can change. Isn't it better to search for the truth, to test what you know and throw out that which is proven wrong, than to blindly accept? Oh sure its much easier to just accept, to read a single book and say, well that all I'll ever need to know. I guess I'd just rather be sure. I bring this up after reading a post at Bad Astronomy, which said that scientist found a new way to measure the thickness of our galaxy. When they did they found it to be twice the thickness they previously thought. (I'm over simplifying because its the general precepts that I care about) Those who like to bash science will say this proves that scientists don't know what they think they know. Scientists don't notice because they're excited about being wrong, that means that theories will need to change, debate will be sparked among the new hypothesis and eventually we will know more about the ways of the universe than we do know. Sure they may have to throw away previously held ideas but its another step in the infinite journey of knowledge.