The Ebb, Flow, & Incorporation of New Information in Science
When we think of science and its facts, we tend to think of the things we know as long-standing, unchanging truths. Gravity makes things fall; the heart pumps blood around the body; and Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. In many ways, science becomes a lot like history: an assortment of facts and figures from the past that, although it shaped the present, isn’t part of it. To many, science is something that has happened, not something that is currently happening all around us today and into the future.
This perception misses something fundamental, a concept at the heart of science itself. Science is not a static collection of facts; while some facts have proven true and have not changed for hundreds of years, science is constantly evolving. Science isn’t a subject or a topic, but a dynamic process that builds on, elaborates on, and even challenges established facts. We often think about scientific facts and conclusions as the end-all-be-all to a topic; a final verdict embedded in a textbook and taught repeatedly for generations to come. In reality, the facts we’ve learned are really the most current and accurate conclusions of the time. Though built upon decades, and sometimes centuries, of prior knowledge, every scientific conclusion and discovery is subject to refinement and change. There are countless examples of this phenomenon. In the past 25 years, we’ve lost a planet (sorry, Pluto!), discovered humans have more than just five senses, figured out that stomach ulcers aren’t caused by stress (it’s bacteria!), and learned that certain viruses (like human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B) can cause cancer.
So, what does this mean? Was the scientist who discovered Pluto and deemed it a planet wrong? Were the scientists who identified the five senses mistaken? The answer… of course not. Their work served as the basis for these discoveries.
Human beings thrive on stability and certainty. When facts that we hold as permanent truths evolve or change outright, it can be unsettling (What do you mean Pluto’s not a planet anymore!) and, in some cases, scary (They said the virus is spread through touch and direct contact, but now they’re saying it’s airborne). Often, shifts in science can seem inconsistent and contradictory, when in reality they are illustrations of progress. Science is an ongoing process of discovery, meaning that as we gain more insight and evidence, long-standing facts are likely to change.
When we view science as dynamic rather than static—ongoing rather than finished—we are better equipped to engage with it. Instead of treating every new study as law, we can ask: How does this add to what we know? What is still unknown? And instead of viewing new information as inconsistent or frustrating, we can consider the context of the change: Why is it changing, and under what circumstances? Sometimes, change comes through gradual breakthroughs that refine long-standing tools, such as the AI-powered stethoscope, which reimagines a technology that has remained largely unchanged for nearly 200 years. In this case, the shift is deliberate and measured; new information emerges slowly as evidence builds. In other cases, change occurs under immense pressure, as during the COVID-19 pandemic, when scientists faced a novel virus with little prior data. In that scenario, information was released rapidly and often revised as understanding evolved. Both examples show that context matters. The pace, urgency, and visibility of change depend on the nature of the problem being solved.
Science is not something that has happened; it is something that is happening. Every experiment and every new piece of data contributes to a continuous story, with constant additions and revisions. This mindset improves our understanding of science and improves our ability to make informed decisions about our health, environment, and society. From viruses to AI, understanding that science evolves helps us evolve, too.
