We expect science to give us answers. But what if its greatest breakthrough was learning to be wrong?

For most of human history, we wanted knowledge to be certain. Then, around 400 years ago, something changed. After discovering that much of what we thought we knew about geography, astronomy, medicine and the natural world was wrong, a new idea took hold: perhaps the best way to understand the world was to stay open to being wrong.

In this episode of A Short History of Saving the World, Angus Hervey and historian Ada Palmer trace the invention of scientific doubt, from ancient Greek sceptics and Aristotle’s eels to Francis Bacon, the Scientific Revolution and AI. Along the way, they arrive at a bigger question: in an age obsessed with certainty, are we still willing to change our minds? 

In this conversation:

• Why is being wrong a feature of science, not a failure?
• Did Francis Bacon really invent the scientific method?
• What can ants, spiders and honeybees teach us about knowledge?
• Why do some scientific ideas get attention while others are ignored?
• Is distrust of science always a bad thing?
• And could AI change not just what we know, but how we discover it?

Timestamps:

00:55 Why Humiliation Might be the Real Origin of Science?
01:53 Skeptical vs Dogmatic Ideas
05:35 The Ancient Skeptics
09:38 Did We Really Invent the Scientific Method?
12:04 Who Is Invention For?
13:27 Francis Bacon: Science as Charity
16:19 Ants, Spiders and Honeybees
18:05 Progress: Designed or Random?
21:27 When Does an Idea Find Its Time?
22:08 Toads That Look Like Turds
24:09 Is Science a Status Revolution?
27:00 STEM, Social Sciences and Humanities
28:47 Are We Living in a Great Age of Scientific Discovery?
34:41 Is Trust in Science Collapsing?
36:39 Conspiracy Theories
37:46 Breaking a Two Thousand-Year-Old Hypothesis About Humanity
42:04 Why Science Is Actually Delightful
43:22 Is AI the New Leonardo da Vinci?
49:19 Are We Still Capable of Being Wrong?
53:18 Footnotes

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Production credits:
Hosted by Angus Hervey and Ada Palmer
Produced by Amy Davoren-Rose, Fix The News
Audio production: Anthony Badolato, Hear That!