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ChristianKl comments on Rationality Quotes September 2012 - Less Wrong
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When would you say that science and X is in conflict when there isn't scientific proof that X is wrong?
Science is a method. In itself it's about doing experiments. It's not about the ideology of the scientist that might conflict with X even if there's no proof that X is wrong.
Science and X are in conflict when on the whole there is more scientific evidence that X is wrong than there is evidence that it is right. Saying "I'll change my belief if science proves me wrong" SOUNDS reasonable, but it is the kind of thing homeopaths say to pretend to be scientific while resting secure in the knowledge that they will never have to actually change their mind, because they can always say that it hasn't been "proven" yet.
There is no "scientific proof" that there are no aliens. There is no "scientific proof" that the earth is 4.7 billions of years old. Not in the sense that there is a "proof" of Bayes' theorem. And that's where all the problem is. You can't limit yourself with changing your believes when they are "proven" wrong. You should change your belief when they are at odd with evidence and Occam's Razor.
The Dalaï Lama believes in reincarnation (or at least he officially says so, I don't know what are his true believes and what is political position, but let's assume he's honest). There is no "scientific proof" that reincarnation is not possible, so he can't bolster how much he is open to science. But yet, if you understand science, the evidence that there is no such thing as reincarnation is overwhelming.