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Why is scientific consensus not automatically the same as truth?

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Marble bust of Aristotle with a beard and draped robe, showing detailed facial features and wavy hair, set against a dark background. — Truth Detail of a Roman copy (2nd century bce) of a Greek alabaster portrait bust of Aristotle (c. 325 bce); in the collection of the Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome.

Scientific consensus is not automatically equivalent to truth because scientific theories are subject to ongoing evaluation and potential revision rather than being definitively confirmed. In the philosophy of science, the criterion of falsifiability suggests that a theory is scientific only if it can be proven false; therefore, even well-corroborated theories remain open to future disconfirmation.1

Furthermore, the history of science demonstrates that consensus can shift through "revolutions," where one paradigm replaces another when existing models fail to resolve anomalies. Because paradigms may be methodologically or conceptually incommensurable, the transition between them is not always a simple progression toward a final, objective truth.2

While some scientific realists argue that science aims for a true account of reality, others, such as instrumentalists, contend that theories are merely tools for prediction and empirical adequacy. Consequently, equating consensus with truth risks ignoring the complex, social, and evolving nature of scientific inquiry, where beliefs are held based on current evidence and shared community values rather than absolute, mind-independent certainty.342