The outcome of experiments could be predicted. Of course, occasionally the results did not come out as expected, and the malfunction was usually explained in terms of faulty procedure, inaccurate measurement, contamination, etc., but not as indicating possible alternative interpretations of science. These basic experiments helped establish in our minds the idea that science is an absolute and that if things go amok the fault is due to anything except science. There is ample evidence to support the predictability of simple laboratory experiments. It is regrettable that the contrast between these well-tried experiments and the unknowns of more investigative scientific endeavors are seldom appreciated by the general public or even by some trained scientists.
Science is envisioned as a simple, sure procedure.
We have all met that young visionary scientist who is enthusiastic about his new-found discipline and its potential for advancing human knowledge, but he has not yet acquired the caution that comes from experience. Some scientists have attempted to alleviate the contrast between degrees of confidence in science by isolating some of the less sure areas of science under the designation of historical science. As with other broad concepts, historical science cannot be simply defined. It is not to be confused with the historian's use of the same term to describe a methodological concept. As used by scientists, historical science refers especially to those aspects of science which are not as easily testable and predictable because they are more unique at least within the limits of practicality.