It is a common, romantic view of how science works - but it is only compatible with reality on a 30-50 year timescale, and probably only because of survivor bias.<p>The science of Dan Shchetman, J. Robin Warren, Barbara McClintock and many others spoke for itself, and for a long time &quot;science&quot; essentially didn&#x27;t listen. I put &quot;science&quot; in quotes because &quot;science&quot; doesn&#x27;t speak or listen - scientists do - and the scientists shunned those luminaries (eventually to recognize them with one of the highest honours - the Nobel Prize).<p>Warren had to use himself as a test subject for others to notice. Shechtman was a cast out for years (and then it turned out that he wasn&#x27;t the first to notice 5-fold symmetry - he was just the only one for a long time to insist it&#x27;s real; the other &quot;scientists&quot; who noticed it cared too much about their status, rather than the science). McClintock was shunned by her peers and essentially lost her job -- though evidence for how badly she was treated by &quot;science&quot; for her radical ideas (now mainstream and assumed true) is being whitewashed.<p>I keep wondering how much progress we have lost because &quot;scientists&quot; (unlike &quot;science&quot;) does care how much you&#x27;ve raised, how much you&#x27;ve published, and who your friends are.<p>&gt; anyone wanting to actually change the world in healthcare ... Science speaks for itself<p>The belief that modern healthcare is nothing but the application of science is also romantic and misguided. In the US, healthcare is a business and not even a free-market one. It is informed by science, most definitely. But e.g. no doctor will recommend the single most effective treatment for type 2 diabetes early in the disease[0] (calorie restriction whether directly, by direct fasting or intermittent fasting). In fact, it turns out that the American Diabetic Association recommendations are the everything <i>but</i> science, and possibly the worst you could do.<p>[0] - <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.theguardian.com&#x2F;lifeandstyle&#x2F;2013&#x2F;may&#x2F;12&#x2F;type-2-diabetes-diet-cure" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.theguardian.com&#x2F;lifeandstyle&#x2F;2013&#x2F;may&#x2F;12&#x2F;type-2-d...</a>, see <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.ncl.ac.uk&#x2F;magres&#x2F;research&#x2F;diabetes&#x2F;reversal.htm" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.ncl.ac.uk&#x2F;magres&#x2F;research&#x2F;diabetes&#x2F;reversal.htm</a> for references