How certain is reality?

It appears we still have a lot to learn in chemistry.  Mendeleev's table is up for review: an atom is no longer necessarily a core with a fixed number of electrons; that number can vary.  Variable atoms, among which hydrogen and oxygen - two key elements for life on earth. (For the curious, check this link) 

Also recently, a gene was discovered that develops characteristics according to the sex of the body it is in.  In other words: one gene, different characteristics based on context.  This reminds me of quantum physics, where the results of the observation become dependent on the context of the experiment.

Conclusion: nothing is as certain as we would expect.  The question is: doesn't this go straight to the heart of western philosophy, which thinks in terms of 'beings'? Shall we finally be forced to relinquish thinking in boxes and pigeon holes?

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The war against plants

Recently a bunch of young protesters stormed onto a field and started pulling out all the plants they could lay their hands on. It hit the news for a moment, but that attention went away just as fast, and their action did not meet the approval of the community. 

I believe there are other, more efficient ways to communicate one's disagreement. Admitted, the plants were gmo's, and there are question marks to put against that, because: how far can we trust that, once science achieves useful results and releases these to the world and to commerce, there will be an ethical framework within which they will be used?
Who can claim to have enough foresight to understand what the long-term impacts are of gmo's on man and environment?

And yet ...  would science be what it is today if her scientists of the past had had this long-term vision?

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