• Question: why do scientists think that they know everything when they dont. In other words why are scinetist BIG headed.

    Asked by fatima18221 to Betul, Bridget, Ceri-Wyn, Laurel, Maria on 18 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Ceri-Wyn Thomas

      Ceri-Wyn Thomas answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      The thing about scientists is that they realise that they DON’T know everything! That’s why we practice science- it’s to find out the things we don’t know. If we just kept recycling our old knowledge we would never have new ideas to test or new technologies to develop to make the world a bit better. The key to being a good scientist is to always assume that what you know may not necessarily be right or good enough so that you’re always thinking critically about what you’re doing. Scientists are very critical about science! That’s why we are now challenging our long-held assumptions about really important things like the natures of evolution, matter, Space and time- even gravity! We are always challenging everything and that’s how it should be. (Very few of us are big-headed because we’re too busy worrying about whether our work is good enough….honest 🙂

    • Photo: Laurel Fogarty

      Laurel Fogarty answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Ooh. A cutting question! you might well find some scientist who are big headed (I have met many, although I have met many non-scientists who are too!)

      The beauty of science is that we don’t know everything- otherwise there would be no point in continuing. If you find a scientists who think they know everything, they are not scientists.

      I think actually reading some more of the questions that we have been asked on this discussion board will help you see this. I’m sure you will find many cases where the scientists have simply said ‘I don’t know’ in response to questions outside of their field.

      Was there are particular case or a particular scientist in the media you were thinking of when you asked this question??

    • Photo: Betul Arslan

      Betul Arslan answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Is this your personal experience or you think that is the image? Because if you ever met a scientists that say that he/she knows it all, right there it is a proof that he/she is not a good scientists 🙂

    • Photo: Bridget Waller

      Bridget Waller answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      I don’t think scientists do think they know everything – I certainly don’t. Scientists tend to be very specialised and know lots about one very small thing!

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