All the great discoveries began as heresy.

[ArchCalc]

George Bernard Shaw

[gravitationallychallenged]

When new discoveries contradict established theories someone's reputation is going to get damaged. Some people are more concerned about being accepted by their peers than having an open mind that will honestly examine new evidence. Honest scientists don't discourage and censor scientific debate but encourage it and let the facts speak for themselves. When 'settled science' is worshipped as a religion, all contradictory evidence is discarded as heresy. Money is a huge factor in deciding what is 'settled science.' When I read a new scientific study I immediately want to know, who paid for that study and what motives may have influenced the outcome of that study? Human nature has never changed throughout the ages.

[Robinhood46]

I agree GC.
I think the response to the coronavirus was a good example of all the 'not so scientific aspect of science'.
We literally got to see all the bad bits, and they were all conveniently accelerated so we could better appreciate them.
Humans will be humans, or as you say "Human nature has never changed throughout the ages".

[Gegyx]

Hello
The first example was Newton's attitude towards the Bessler wheel.
He was very interested, then detached himself from it completely.
He had a long established scientific career as a discoverer and originator of classical mechanics.
And this extraordinary wheel risked darkening it.

In his defense, he was over 70 years old, and it is not easy to get back into default.

[John Collins]

But he did draw a hypothetical perpetual motion machine. So he may not have been as sceptical as we might think, but didn’t want to go down that particular rabbit hole!

JC

[ArchCalc]

Just think if another working wheel was built, how it would upset Newton's laws of motion, and the four laws of thermodynamics.
Would everything have to be rewritten?
Would the person discovering how to do it again be a shoo in for the Abel Prize?

[agor95]

Hello ArchCalc

I believe a working wheel will not upset Newton's laws or the current laws of thermodynamics.

It's the insight that will change in the way 'The Rattleback' required a change of understanding

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq_ZoYr ... SMUPhysics

P.S. I know it's heresy to think such a thing.

Regards