The Brilliance of Scientific Assumption — Starts With A Bang! — Medium

The Brilliance of Scientific Assumption — Starts With A Bang! — Medium

One solution to this problem was to drop the assumption that neutrinos were massless. Even the tiniest amount of mass would mean neutrinos could not move at the speed of light, and could therefore change from one species (electron, muon or tau) into another over time. This effect is known as neutrino oscillation. It wasn’t until 1998 that neutrino oscillation was confirmed, but with that discovery the solar neutrino problem was resolved.
It might seem counterintuitive for scientists to rely upon assumptions, but they are central to the progress of science. Observational and experimental evidence can never confirm an exact value, but can only validate and put constraints on any possible deviations. So in addition to the strict observational and experimental evidence, we are guided by mathematical elegance, or utilitarian simplicity. Assuming a relation to be exact can move us forward.
So can discovering our assumptions are wrong, which is part of the reason why we keep testing them. Has the speed of light always been constant? Observations of distant gas clouds show that it has been constant to within 1 part in 10 billion over the last 7 billion years. If light isn’t constant, then our understanding of the early universe will be rewritten. Is the universe flat? Observations of the cosmic microwave background show that it is to within 4 parts in 1000. If we find the universe deviates from flatness, then it could be evidence of other universes or that our own universe is finite in extent. Is charge conserved? Neutron decay shows that it is to within 8 parts in 1 octillion. If we find charge isn’t conserved it could open up an entirely new world of particle physics.
That’s what makes scientific study so powerful. We make assumptions based upon the evidence we have, and develop theories to describe the universe around us. But we also keep testing our assumptions. We keep working to develop better theories. We always, always keep in mind that our assumptions might just be wrong.