On science: Honesty

During the "The Enemies of Reason" interview between Richard Dawins and Professor Michael Baum, the latter makes a point that really resonates. Discussing double-blind testing and other scientific methods for conducting valid medical trials, he notes:

"It is scrupulously honest. And what many people don't understand about the scientific method is how scrupulously honest it is. We are not looking to constantly reinforce out prejudice. The opposite is the truth. We are actually putting at risk, or hazard, our pet belief systems. We're threatening our own belief systems. So this is an intellectually honest, and intellectually modest, approach..."

The gentlemen continue discussing along the topic; it's a great listen. 

What I love there is the focus on that word "honest". In descriptions of scientific methodology, we often hear the words "rational" and "evidence-based" and "replicable" and so on. As well as the word "honest", of course, but it's rarely shouted out as loudly and strongly as I'd like. 

If I had to pick one word as a synonym for the scientific method, it'd be honesty. It's the intellectual honesty that willingly pushes aside the easy answers and the pet beliefs. It's the honesty to mistrust one's own senses, and thus to defer to double-blind tests and peer reviews and constant revision. It's the honesty to say "That's the best explanation I have now for the evidence; I welcome any better explanations or new evidence to change my conclusion." 

It's a lot of things that, to me, all boil down to the single word honesty.

I'm only the zillionth person to point that out, and have nothing wise to add to the discussion. But I was compelled by Prof. Baum's comment to give a round of applause to his depiction of science as honesty. I'd love to see that word given prominence in any description of science and its methods!