Scientific knowledge is both durable and open to change. In your own words, explain why scientific knowledge may be open to change. Include two examples where this might occur.

Question

anonymous · Answer

i just need some help understanding the exact question.

anonymous · Answer

Remember the last question you posted, about theories? And how we said that theories can change, over time? 

The question tells us that scientific knowledge is durable. I think what that means is that it is supported by evidence. 

The question also tells us that scientific knowledge is open to change. And we do know that theories can change, over time. 

Now, the question is asking us why scientific knowledge tends to change, over time. Why do we change our scientific theories? What is it that gives us a reason to change our theories?

anonymous · Answer

I think they change because we discover and unreel new ideas and things like that.

anonymous · Answer

Yeah, it's true. You're right. We do come up with new ideas to experiment with. New hypotheses to test. 

I'll give you another one: as time goes on, we discover new technology. We discover new ways study things. 

For example, microscopes.
Today, we know that germs cause disease. Not miasmas, or "bad smells." 

But germs are really small. Could we have known about germs, and what they do, without having a microscope? 

As time goes on, our technology improves. It gives us new ways to see things.

anonymous · Answer

I dont think we would.

anonymous · Answer

Yeah, of course we wouldn't.

agreene · Answer

While all of this discussion is true, one thing that you haven't brought up is the fact that Science doesn't always get things right the first go around--but we scientists are an adaptive bunch, when we find a better solution to the problem, we are fine with changing our views

anonymous · Answer

Yes, that's true, and very easy to agree with. 

We've talked about the Miasma Theory of Disease vs. the Germ Theory of Disease. It was in an earlier question. 
I think we do understand that science and its theories aren't always right.

agreene · Answer

awe, that's the example I was going to use. Good form, sir.