The case for science is strengthened by the fact that there is independent verification and experimentation before a theory becomes accepted. Skilled scientists carry out both the verification and experimentation in carefully controlled conditions.
However, because of the systematic method of science, which relies heavily on observation, it can not answer questions regarding religion, morals or aesthetics, as these cannot be observed. Thus science is limited only to the parts of the world that exist to the eye, it cannot question that which only exists in the mind, the soul or outside this universe.
Science cannot even prove that the universe exists. The philosopher Rene Descartes questioned the existence of the universe and wither or not what we know as the world is real. He concluded that if you are experiencing something, then you must exist in order to experience it, or as he put it “Cogito ergo sum” or “I think therefore I am”. There is no way for a scientist, using the scientific method, to prove that what is known, as the world is not a dream or an illusion.
Further to this, each person has a different perception of the world. This is formed in part by the way each individual’s nerve system and brain are shaped, the formation of their sensory equipment, their upbringing and education and their personal belief system. This means that what I see as the colour blue is not necessarily what another person sees as blue. Furthermore, the human view of the world changes constantly as the human develops so what I see as blue today might be what I see as grey in sixty years time when my optic nerve has deteriorated.
There is also a major flaw in the scientific method. The human body gives out heat, reflects light, absorbs Oxygen and creates Carbon Dioxide. The very presence of a person in a room will increase the temperature, alter the air flow patterns in the room and alter the O2 to CO2 ratio. In an experiment these factors can severely alter the results of an experiment. This is known as Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle and means that no scientific experiment can be carried out with complete accuracy as the act of observing the experiment alters the conditions in which is carried out.
Overall, we can never be certain about science. Different people see the same thing in different ways and it is impossible to create the perfect conditions for accurate experimentation, proving that scientism is a flawed belief.
