ABSTRACT
One school of thought plays down the role of experiment in the construction and validation of theories to such an extent that, in rebuttal, Allan Franklin felt it necessary to argue that "it is reasonable for scientists to gather data". A foundation for success in a mature science is the widespread acceptance of a number of basic assumptions and definitions, as well as the methods by which activities and their results will be judged. This chapter gives emphasis to the image of science that most scientists see and set out my own descriptions, leaning heavily on the thoughtful writings of Ziman and Thomas Kuhn, which are most congenial to perceptions. Many revolutionary changes will be perceived only by specialists, but evolution, relativity, and quantum theory have implications that are so widely known (or misunderstood) that they influence our thinking, our culture, and even (as with evolution) some legislation.
