Science

Latin scientia — knowledge, from scire — to know. Originally meant knowledge in general — any organized body of understanding. The specific meaning of systematic empirical investigation developed through the Scientific Revolution of the 16th-17th centuries.

'Follow the science' and 'the science isn't settled' are both moves that exploit the word's authority. Science is a method, not a set of conclusions — conclusions change as evidence accumulates. Critics of science often conflate the method (reliable) with specific applications or institutions (fallible).