We had an interesting discussion in Ecosystems Ecology today (ECOL 610) on how science progresses.  We listed the following processes by which science makes incremental changes.  These include:

• Testing hypotheses.  Sometimes these results can weaken existing paradigms.
• Development of new theories, hypotheses, paradigms or predictions.
• Synthesis of previously disconnected sub-disciplines or of existing data
• New observations
• Acceptance of a new view (almost a social dynamic)
• Emergence of “rogue” personalities who press a new agenda
• Communication of ideas
• New technologies for: observing nature, analyzing data, reducing the cost/difficulty of doing science, increased accuracy/precision in observation, conducting new experiments.

I had not previously considered the social factors.