Hypothesis-driven science is a mechanism for constructing compelling, publishable narratives, most of which are wrong.
– Daniel MacArthur, Mass General geneticist, writer and blogger, via Twitter
…And as it should be when done correctly. Paleoanthropology, perhaps owing to the special nature of fossil evidence, seems particularly prone to picking “winning” and “losing” arguments and settling into an intellectual inertia. Being inspired to do the work necessary to clearly show why someone is wrong is a victory for the person who was wrong as much as it is for you.
