Muhammad Tanveer has done Masters in Food Technology from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. Currently, he is serving in Punjab Agriculture Department in BS-17.
Science is based upon observation and experimentation. It gives rise to new problems but at the same time it solves them too. It is a widely held belief that true science is based upon doubt. A doubter uses critical thinking and presents another perspective to the existing ideas. One thing which should be kept in mind that doubt is not a denial, rather it is a more comprehensive approach towards questioning the legitimacy of exiting theories. Galileo doubted the theory of geocentrism, and in contrast to the existing theory, presented his theory of heliocentrism, which showed the Earth revolved around the Sun. Sometimes doubts also bring about accidental discoveries. The discovery of Penicillin – the first and the most potent antibiotic – by Alexander Flemming is one such precedent. Similarly, Charles Darwin would not have been able to elucidate the concept of evolution of species, had he not doubted the existing theory of fixity of species which showed the species did not evolve over time. In today’s world, when misinformation and concocted theories are everywhere, doubters corroborate pieces of information through rigorous testing. In short, true citizens of the society are not those who accept the widely held ideas, but those who dare to question and critically analyze them.
