Because there is no discourse that enforces humility more rigorously than science. Scientists in my experience are the first people to say they don’t know. If you get scientists to start talking outside their area of specialization, they immediately start hedging their bets, saying things like, ‘I’m sure there’s someone in the room who knows more about this than I do, and, of course, all the data aren’t in.’ This is the mode of discourse in which we’re most candid about the scope of our ignorance.
