5 ms·

No. Consensus is not how science works at all.

• jamilton 3y ago
  It is to some degree, isn't it? People don't personally replicate every study they cite and build off, they cite and build off studies that they believe to be trustworthy, part of which is determined by opinions of peers in the field (even if there's not a clear consensus one way or the other).
  • chrischattin 3y ago
    No. It's the opposite. All it takes is one single result to show a theory or body of "consensus" is in error.
    • watwut 3y ago
      No it does not. Science is full of contradictory results, that is why it is super easy to cherry pick studies. You can't tell anything until it is in scientific consensus stage, precisely because a single study rarely means that much.
      • chrischattin 3y ago
        I'd argue that's more a characteristic of the publishing and peer review process in academia, not actual science.