Show Notes
We expect science to give us answers. But what if its greatest breakthrough was learning to be wrong?
For most of human history, we wanted knowledge to be certain. Then, around 400 years ago, something changed. After discovering that much of what we thought we knew about geography, astronomy, medicine and the natural world was wrong, a new idea took hold: perhaps the best way to understand the world was to stay open to being wrong. In this episode of A Short History of Saving the World, Angus Hervey and historian Ada Palmer trace the invention of scientific doubt, from ancient Greek sceptics and Aristotle’s eels to Francis Bacon, the Scientific Revolution and AI. Along the way, they arrive at a bigger question: in an age obsessed with certainty, are we still willing to change our minds?
In this conversation: Why is being wrong a feature of science, not a failure? Did Francis Bacon really invent the scientific method? What can ants, spiders and honeybees teach us about knowledge? Why do some scientific ideas get attention while others are ignored? Is distrust of science always a bad thing? And could AI change not just what we know, but how we discover it? Timestamps: 00:55 Why Humiliation Might be the Real Origin of Science? 01:53 Skeptical vs Dogmatic Ideas 05:35 The Ancient Skeptics 09:38 Did We Really Invent the Scientific Method? 12:04 Who Is Invention For? 13:27 Francis Bacon: Science as Charity 16:19 Ants, Spiders and Honeybees 18:05 Progress: Designed or Random? 21:27 When Does an Idea Find Its Time? 22:08 Toads That Look Like Turds 24:09 Is Science a Status Revolution? 27:00 STEM, Social Sciences and Humanities 28:47 Are We Living in a Great Age of Scientific Discovery? 34:41 Is Trust in Science Collapsing? 36:39 Conspiracy Theories 37:46 Breaking a Two Thousand-Year-Old Hypothesis About Humanity 42:04 Why Science Is Actually Delightful 43:22 Is AI the New Leonardo da Vinci? 49:19 Are We Still Capable of Being Wrong? 53:18 Footnotes
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Production credits: Hosted by Angus Hervey and Ada Palmer Produced by Amy Davoren-Rose, Fix The News Audio production: Anthony Badolato, Hear That!
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Every generation thinks it’s living through unprecedented change. A Short History of Saving the World is a new history podcast with Angus Hervey and historian Ada Palmer that explores the turning points, crises, and ideas that shaped world history - and the hidden patterns that connect them. From ancient civilisations to modern global events, this series zooms out to ask a bigger question: what actually happens when the world feels like it’s falling apart?