Our society overestimates the contributions of science to the quest fo

Our society overestimates the contributions of science to the quest for knowledge. Independent of whether great strides have been made in the ability to predict natural events, knowledge at any deeper level, knowledge of things we cannot experience directly, is as illusory as ever. Such knowledge is illusory because incompatible theories may always be postulated to explain observations. How can we “know” which one is correct? Further observations may narrow the possibilities, but there are always alternatives, at least in principle. Who is to say that today’s theories will fare any better than those which, though once accepted, were replaced by wholly different conceptions of nature? It is the height of gullibility or presumption to invest special credence in the current scientific fashion.

Which one of the following claims is central to the author’s argument?


(A) Alternative explanations are possible for any set of observations about nature.

(B) Science has made substantial progress in the ability to predict natural events.

(C) Science has developed so many theories that it is impossible to know which ones to believe.

(D) It is important that scientists distinguish between prediction and explanation.

(E) The judgment of scientists as to which theories to accept is suspect, as they tend to follow the latest scientific fashion.

Main point of the author is revolving around "Society overestimate the contributions of science". Then gives an example of how natural events are predicted and then counters by saying these predictions are all illusory. Since there are always alternatives to those theories and thus there is no way to know which ones to trust on.

Answer - C => It is not possible to know which theories to believe on

A, B talks about the events that author has used as an example but not the central point of the author.
D - there is an explanation for the predictions by alternative theories. Author doesn't appeal to the scientists to provide explanations
E - It is the judgement of the society that author is talking about not that of scientists