| Year | Scientist | Change |
| 1543 | Nicholas Copernicus | Dē revolutionibus orbium coelestium places the Sun, not the Earth, at the center of the solar system |
| 1650 | Galileo Galileii | The Milky Way was composed of stars like the sun; our sun was not unique |
| 1750 | Thomas Wright | Nebula first identified as clusters of stars like the Milky Way |
| 1912 | Vesto Slipher | Identifies red shift and correctly infers that the Universe is not static, but expanding |
| 1920 | Harlow Shapley and Heber Curtis | Milky Way, with some 300 billion stars, confirmed to be just one of many galaxies |
| 1972 | Various | Total estimate of galaxies climbs to more than 100 billion |
| 1992 | Various | First exoplanet, a planet orbiting another star than our sun, identified |
| 2023 | Various | 5,500th exoplanet discovered |
In less than 600 years, less than 24 generations, humankind has seen its understanding of its place in the universe go from being the center of creation, with the entire universe spinning about our home, to one planet orbiting an inconsequential sun that’s just one of 300 billion stars in one of at least 100 billion galaxies, in a rapidly expanding universe. We’re no longer even the only solar system; those seem to be everywhere we look.
WC wonders how much of the science denial afflicting America today is the product of our fellow citizens inability to cope with the changes? Not just the technological changes, but the existential changes, the claim that humankind is somehow unique?
Asking for a friend.
Wickersham's Conscience 
Whenever life gets you down, Mr WC
and things seem hard or tough
and people are stupid, obnoxious or daft….
(you know the lyrics, so start humming along and just smile.)
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In a less tangible but related way we are discovering the sentience of other organisms. As evidence accumulates, world views will be rocked off their pedestals.
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As you noted science itself is defined by change and what some claimed was “proven fact” has now changed and will change again.
Science is based on theory and assumptions ie. “Scientific Theory” the “Theory of Relativity”. One definition I learned back in the ancient days when I was in college of “scientific method” is to have a question, start with certain theories and assumptions and do experiments and tests to determine if those theories and assumptions are correct or lead you in a different way or discover something unexpected.
Not all of the theories/assumptions can be observed/proven but we do the best we can to do so.
Science is real, beneficial and helpful but it takes faith to “believe” some theories and assumptions are correct or true.
I hope and pray we never loose that desire to keep theorizing, assuming, experimenting, testing and learning, especially as it applies to global warming, or whatever we want to call it, because we humans have made a pretty big mess of our habitat and that of the other creatures sharing the earth with us.
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