• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • About
  • Translations
  • Image & Use Policy
  • Glossary
SUPPORT US
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
UC MUSEUM OF PALEONTOLOGY
Understanding Science

Understanding Science

How science REALLY works...

Understanding Science

MENUMENU
  • Understanding Science 101
    • What is science?
    • How science works
    • The core of science: Relating evidence and ideas
    • The social side of science: A human and community endeavor
    • Science and society
    • What has science done for you lately?
    • A scientific approach to life: A science toolkit
  • For Educators
    • Prepare and plan
      • Guide to US 101
      • Conceptual framework
      • Correcting misconceptions
      • Educational research
      • Teaching tips
    • Find lessons and tools
      • Understanding Science infographics
      • How Science Works interactive
      • Teaching resource database
      • Using Science Stories
      • Image library
    • Teaching guides
      • K-2 teaching guides
      • 3-5 teaching guide
      • 6-8 teaching guide
      • 9-12 teaching guide
      • 13-16/college teaching guide
      • Teacher educators
    • Educator voicesEducators discuss how they use Understanding Science in their teaching
  • Science Stories
  • Science Flowchart
Home → Democracy and plutocracy
  • Snapshot

In science, evidence — not dogma, tradition, or popular opinion — ultimately determines which ideas are accepted.

    Democracy and plutocracy

    vote if earth orbits sun or sun orbits earth.​​Science is not a popularity contest or a democracy. Scientists don’t vote on whether or not to ​​accept a scientific idea, but neither is science authoritarian. In science, ​​evidence — not a supreme leader or popular opinion — determines which ideas are accepted. Scientific ideas are judged based on the evidence supporting or contradicting them. Even a ​​hypothesis that is appealing to many scientists will be rejected if it is not supported by evidence.

    Though scientists don’t vote on the validity of scientific ideas, they are sometimes asked to vote on other issues in science, like terminology. In 2006, for example, astronomers in the International Astronomers Union voted on what sort of heavenly bodies should be considered planets. This vote dealt with how to use a particular scientific term — not with the validity of a scientific idea (e.g., the reason that planets orbit stars, the path of Pluto, or its size). The much-publicized outcome of this lexical debate ended up demoting Pluto from its status as a planet. But the real science here — Pluto itself, its movement, history, and future — remains unchanged by whatever earthbound astronomers choose to call it.

    • Take a sidetrip

    For more on the misconception that science is democratic, visit Misconceptions about science.

    Footer

    Connect

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Learn

    • FAQs
    • Understanding Science 101
    • The science flowchart
    • Science stories

    Teach

    • Grade-level teaching guides
    • Teaching resource database
    • Journaling tool
    • Misconceptions

    Copyright © 2023 · UC Museum of Paleontology Understanding Science · Privacy policy