"Many people, even many scientists, harbor a view of science—as controlled, replicated experiments performed in the laboratory and consisting quintessentially of physics, chemistry, and molecular biology. The essence of science, however, is best conveyed by its Latin etymology: scientia, meaning “knowledge”. The scientific method is simply that body of practices best suited for obtaining reliable knowledge. If the scientific method can be defined as those practices best suited for obtaining knowledge in a particular field, then science itself is simply the body of knowledge obtained by those practices.”
John Brockman
“A good scientist is never “certain”. Lack of certainty is precisely what makes conclusions more reliable than the conclusions of those who are certain, because the good scientist will be ready to shift to a different point of view if better evidence or novel arguments emerge. Therefore certainty is not only something of no use but it is also in fact damaging, if we value reliability. Every knowledge, even the most solid, carries a margin of uncertainty.”
Carlo Rovelli