^ That's the problem, the word "science" is used interchangeably to refer to: 1) general or specific means of identifying natural phenomena, 2) natural phenomena itself, and 3) the centralized institutions that demand legitimacy over not just facts but the policies informed by them by virtue of their profession.

I find it very interesting that the third category has been more and more interested in convincing people about which ideas they should and should not believe to be true. I also find it fascinating how they've deputized non-scientists into taking up the fight for them, and how passionate these laymen can get over what amount to little more than abstractions that have no practical consequence in their day to day lives.