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Environment

Consensus In Science

January 19, 2015 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 93, Issue 3

In a letter to the editor, Clifford Eddy writes that science is not decided by a majority opinion, and he cites Copernicus as a minority who was, in fact, correct (C&EN, Oct. 27, 2014, page 4). What he fails to realize is that science really is the consensus of the many.

As science moves inexorably forward, many newer “radical” opinions gradually evolve into a majority opinion that eventually becomes accepted as fact. The difference is that Copernicus was at the leading edge of science, while climate change deniers are the trailing edge, wanting to believe the old theories and about to be left behind, just as the Earth-centrists were.

Peter Kirkpatrick
Evanston, Ill.

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