Doubt and science

Doubt and science 

At the RING Garden. PC: Libby Lussenhop

We often think of curiosity as the basis of science, and while that is true, doubt and uncertainty are critical in the doing and interpretation of science. Curiosity is the first step that lets us apply the scientific method to address a hypothesis, whereas doubt helps us revise these hypotheses. 

How and why do species form? Did humans evolve, and how do we know? Were the Homo erectus fossils found in the caves of Georgia one species or many [1]? Why is the summer flounder different from the winter flounder? (How) does sleep deprivation impact decision-making [2]? Why does the Australian lungfish have the largest genome size of any animal [3]? Why do sharks' teeth regenerate, and why do they have tooth-like structures on their skin [4]?

Teaching and communicating science, and discussing questions like these, help me see that scientific training is not just about exploring, discovering, and describing things and phenomena, but also about revising theories, expecting and embracing doubt..

How can we think of doubt and uncertainty in science and in our lives? 

---

Literature cited:

1. The Guardian. Skull of Homo erectus throws story of human evolution into disarray.  https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/oct/17/skull-homo-erectus-human-evolution. Link here. 
2. Agyapong-Opoku F, Agyapong-Opoku N, Agyapong B. Examining the Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Decision-Making: A Scoping Review. Behav Sci (Basel). 2025 Jun 16;15(6):823. doi: 10.3390/bs15060823. PMID: 40564605; PMCID: PMC12189852. Link here. 
3. Meyer, A., Schloissnig, S., Franchini, P. et al. Giant lungfish genome elucidates the conquest of land by vertebrates. Nature 590, 284–289 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03198-8. Link here. 
4. A shark’s infinite regeneration of teeth: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/sharks/blog/a-sharks-infinite-regeneration-of-teeth/. Link here.