The Significance of "What Do We Think, What Do We Know, and What Can We Prove."
Because science can be very tricky and unpredictable, it is important for scientists to have as much of a grasp on the issue at hand because of the impacts it can have on thousands of people. Not only are the scientists working at the CDC worried about the health of the population, their credibility is at stake as well as the funding needed to continue research.
The preliminary question “what do we think” is a gateway question as to “what we know.” By questioning what the CDC thinks about the AIDS issue, they can further determine what they actually know. This leads into the research process of utilizing what they know to find what they can prove.
The question “what do we know” is asked as to establish what information is already understood in order to determine what direction they should take in the research process. What they know creates the solid ground they need in order to begin understanding AIDS and the impact it has on its victims. The CDC recognized that they knew that AIDS was impacting gay men in California and New York. With that information, they went to that location to interview those men who were sick to find the cause of the disease.
“What can we prove” is asked to determine what the CDC needs to research and test. This helps the scientists to figure out what they are able to work with in order to find the results they need to help the increasingly sick population. Sometimes, however, what can be proven isn’t always what is most supported. This is evident when Dr. Frances believed that AIDS and HIV were caused by a sexually transmitted virus, and the CDC was reluctant to prove this theory.