Posted 4 June 2016
"Often translated as ‘take nobody’s word for it’, this is the motto of the Royal Society. It nicely encapsulates the basic critical outlook expected of scientists; in effect, listen to others but come to your own conclusions. Scientists, by nature and training, should be both curious and sceptical. They should be seeking to discover, but also continue to question their conclusions in the light of new evidence.
Non-scientists often think that scientists deal in facts and certainties, but this is a misrepresentation. All the evidence may support a certain hypothesis, but this can in principle be called into question by a single reliable and reproducible observation." - Latest article posted by The Scientific Alliance, questioning whether the Royal Society is living up to its motto *Nullius in verba.
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