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I guess I shouldn't really respond to an old thread now, but I feel invested and inclined to repeat(hehe) what people said a few months ago.
There might be a problem with scientists but not with the method. Socially it is disconcerting that there can be drastic shifts in consensus in fields that directly impact health care and well being. One day a drug is good for you and the next not so much doesn't seem palpable. But, to me it's just an expression of our imperfection. Eventually, these flaws will be corrected, new ones will pop up but I think they too will be examined and corrected using the scientific method ad infinitum.
The truth of the matter is that these types of problems are possible in all scientific fields. I don't think that has anything to do with the scientific method though. I'm biased but I do think physics is probably less susceptible to such things simply because the application is much more rigorous. Experiments can be constructed that are highly controlled, and repeatable.
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