A set of common assumptions underlies nearly all of the responses to my article . A clear distinction exists between experiment and theory.
Experimental data serve as surrogates for nature.
Theories can be evaluated by comparing their predictions with data. This view of science is expressed in various ways by the letter writers. A hierarchy of knowledge structures is also postulated, with science rated higher than others because of its empirical basis and its method of operation. Among scientists, this formulation of scientific endeavor is widely held and seems so self-evident that people who disagree with it are perceived as irrational or oppositional. Unlike any other form of knowledge, science provides a means of constructing machines and theories that are unequaled in their ability to predict and provide control.