Identifying Future-Proof Science

Peter Vickers is Professor of Philosophy and Co-Director of the Centre for Humanities Engaging Science and Society (CHESS) at the University of Durham, UK. His research interests include philosophy of astrobiology, social epistemology, and the relationships between evidence, facts, and truth. Vickers's first book, Understanding Inconsistent Science, was published by Oxford University Press in 2013.

• Preface List of Figures 1: What is future-proof science? 2: The historical challenge to future-proof science: the debate so far 3: Meckel's successful prediction of gill slits: a case of misleading evidence? 4: The Tiktaalik 'missing link' novel predictive success and the evidence for evolution 5: The judgement of the scientific community: lessons from continental drift 6: Fundamental physics and the special vulnerability to underdetermination 7: Do we know how the dinosaurs died? 8: Scientific knowledge in a pandemic 9: Core argument, objections, replies, and outlook Bibliography Index

How do scientists reach consensus? It's a simple question with increasing relevance in our polarized world. Peter Vickers draws from disparate examples in physics, anatomy, palaeontology, and virology to give an under-the-hood insight into how science really works. Although his subject is weighty, his conversational prose makes for both an enlightening and engaging read.