"If you ask almost any of them, 'Do you stand behind your theory? Is this the answer?' I think almost everyone would say, 'No, no, no. I'm just trying to expand the range of possibilities.' We really don't know what's going on"

Saul Perlmutter’s words speak to the provisional nature of scientific understanding, especially in frontier fields like cosmology. Scientists are commonly perceived as champions of unequivocal truths, as if each new theory is presented as the final word on a phenomenon. Yet, Perlmutter reveals that the reality is far more modest. Most researchers, when pressed, do not claim certainty about their models or explanations. Rather than asserting each theory as an ultimate answer, many view their contributions as exploratory steps, broadening the range of what is considered possible. The spirit is less about clinching the debate and more about fostering discussion and investigation.

Perlmutter emphasizes the humility and openness that underpin genuine scientific progress. Theories are seen as maps rather than territories, tools that help us navigate the unknown but always subject to modification or replacement. Astrophysics and cosmology, the domains where Perlmutter himself made landmark contributions, especially demonstrate this dynamic. As scientists probe dark energy, gravity, and the origins of the universe, their findings frequently raise new questions. Each theory or model is a hypothesis, a lens to examine the universe, not a proclamation of final truth.

By acknowledging that “we really don't know what's going on,” Perlmutter invites a sense of wonder and intellectual honesty. Rather than undermining science, this acknowledgment is a testament to its strength: a willingness to adapt, revise, and even discard cherished principles when evidence demands it. The progress of knowledge is thus messy, iterative, and collaborative. The boundaries of our understanding continuously shift as we refine our models and imagine new ones, never settling but always seeking. What underlies scientific inquiry, then, isn't an attachment to being right, but an openness to surprise and curiosity about what might be revealed next.