Let's start with some of the things we thought we knew (and didn't):
Field: Development Psychology
Long-held idea: Babies six months or younger have no sense of “object permanence,” the belief that an object still exists even when it is out of sight
Recent discovery: Infants may not remember what they saw, but they remember that they saw something (1991, 2011)
Reference: http://www.futurity.org/science-technology/babies-remember-inklings-not-objects/
Field: Medicine
Long-held idea: Stress and lifestyle cause ulcers
Recent discovery: H. pylori bacterium causes more than 90% of duodenal (intestinal) ulcers and up to 80% of gastric (stomach) ulcers, and can be cured through a course of antibiotics (1982)
Reference: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4304290.stm
Field: Astronomy
Long-held idea: There are 9 planets in our solar system
Recent discovery: Pluto is not a planet after all, bringing the count to 8 (2006)
Reference: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2098150,00.html
Field: Physics
Long-held idea: Time travel is not possible
Recent discovery: Particles were clocked at going faster than the speed of light, making time travel possible (2011)
Reference: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/19/science/space/neutrino-finding-is-confirmed-in-second-experiment-opera-scientists-say.html
Field: Technology
Long-held idea: The limit on battery technology has nearly been reached
Recent discovery: We may soon be able to store 8 times more energy than conventional designs thanks to a new conducting material (2011)
Reference: http://futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/09/23/7923474-battery-tech-improving-as-demand-soars
Field: Economics
Long-held idea: Laissez-faire capitalism is the system that optimizes for the greatest good for all
Recent discoveries: There may be ways to improve upon laissez-faire capitalism, e.g. choice architecture a la Nudge, focused regulation that solves for externalities and other market failures, the Nordic model, institutional / infrastructure investment, etc. (approx. 1980-present)
References: Many.
Field: Education
Long-held idea: Classroom size is one of the main drivers of academic outcomes
Recent discovery: Teacher quality is more important than classroom size (i.e. classroom size only matters because the great-teacher-per-student ratio matters) (2006-2011)
Reference: http://www.econ.ucsb.edu/~jon/Econ230C/HanushekRivkin.pdf
Field: History
Long-held idea: King Tut was murdered
Recent discovery: King Tut died from complications from a broken foot and malaria (2010)
Reference: http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2010/0217/King-Tut-The-science-behind-the-discovery
Field: Energy
Long-held idea: Solar is fundamentally too inefficient to ever achieve grid parity wide-scale
Recent discovery: Costs are plummeting and breakthroughs in solar are happening at a breakneck pace
Reference: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2011/03/16/smaller-cheaper-faster-does-moores-law-apply-to-solar-cells/ ; http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215141617.htm
Now consider, if we were wrong about all these things for years if not decades, what we continue to be wrong about but just don't know yet.
Field: Development Psychology
Long-held idea: Babies six months or younger have no sense of “object permanence,” the belief that an object still exists even when it is out of sight
Recent discovery: Infants may not remember what they saw, but they remember that they saw something (1991, 2011)
Reference: http://www.futurity.org/science-technology/babies-remember-inklings-not-objects/
Field: Medicine
Long-held idea: Stress and lifestyle cause ulcers
Recent discovery: H. pylori bacterium causes more than 90% of duodenal (intestinal) ulcers and up to 80% of gastric (stomach) ulcers, and can be cured through a course of antibiotics (1982)
Reference: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4304290.stm
Field: Astronomy
Long-held idea: There are 9 planets in our solar system
Recent discovery: Pluto is not a planet after all, bringing the count to 8 (2006)
Reference: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2098150,00.html
Field: Physics
Long-held idea: Time travel is not possible
Recent discovery: Particles were clocked at going faster than the speed of light, making time travel possible (2011)
Reference: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/19/science/space/neutrino-finding-is-confirmed-in-second-experiment-opera-scientists-say.html
Field: Technology
Long-held idea: The limit on battery technology has nearly been reached
Recent discovery: We may soon be able to store 8 times more energy than conventional designs thanks to a new conducting material (2011)
Reference: http://futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/09/23/7923474-battery-tech-improving-as-demand-soars
Field: Economics
Long-held idea: Laissez-faire capitalism is the system that optimizes for the greatest good for all
Recent discoveries: There may be ways to improve upon laissez-faire capitalism, e.g. choice architecture a la Nudge, focused regulation that solves for externalities and other market failures, the Nordic model, institutional / infrastructure investment, etc. (approx. 1980-present)
References: Many.
Field: Education
Long-held idea: Classroom size is one of the main drivers of academic outcomes
Recent discovery: Teacher quality is more important than classroom size (i.e. classroom size only matters because the great-teacher-per-student ratio matters) (2006-2011)
Reference: http://www.econ.ucsb.edu/~jon/Econ230C/HanushekRivkin.pdf
Field: History
Long-held idea: King Tut was murdered
Recent discovery: King Tut died from complications from a broken foot and malaria (2010)
Reference: http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2010/0217/King-Tut-The-science-behind-the-discovery
Field: Energy
Long-held idea: Solar is fundamentally too inefficient to ever achieve grid parity wide-scale
Recent discovery: Costs are plummeting and breakthroughs in solar are happening at a breakneck pace
Reference: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2011/03/16/smaller-cheaper-faster-does-moores-law-apply-to-solar-cells/ ; http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215141617.htm
Now consider, if we were wrong about all these things for years if not decades, what we continue to be wrong about but just don't know yet.
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