Common misperceptions about how science defines truth

¶ … misperception of science is that it defines "truth." Science does not say what is true, only what is true based on a certain set of variables and measurements. When scientists state that "Genes are made of DNA," they are stating a simple fact based on their observations about the composition of genes. The scientific experiments used to support this statement include visual observations of genes under a microscope and observing the behavior of genes over time in the human population. Similarly, scientists will state, "The Carbon dioxide concentration is increasing in our atmosphere." That statement is based on measurements of carbon dioxide changes over a period of time. If the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere increases over time, then scientists can present their data to the public and make such an assertion. Their assertion is a specific kind of truth based on observation, not an absolute, philosophical truth. When scientists claim that herpes is caused by a virus, they must define what a virus is first. Based on that definition of a virus and a definition of herpes, scientists can make that claim.

2. Scientists avoid using the terms "true" and "the truth" because they are too absolute. Science does not aim to give absolute knowledge. Instead, the scientific method relies on the senses and on experiments by creating hypotheses and testing them. Also, science is based on the five senses. The terms "true" and "truth" do not acknowledge the limitations of the five senses. Scientists understand that the body of knowledge created by science has changed over the years because of the development of better instruments to measure and gather data. The human senses might not change much, but the reliability of the senses change as instruments become more sophisticated. Scientists are constantly striving to improve the reliability of their observations and so can never claim to know the "truth." The five senses can point to what seems to be true, but scientists work with objectivity. Truth is a subjective issue, which is why religion and philosophy attempt to define truth and not science.