Scientific fields or paradigms that fundamentally overthrow established theories and methodologies, forcing a complete re-understanding of a domain. It’s not just new data; it’s a new lens that makes the old textbook chapters wrong. These sciences often start on the fringes, mocked or ignored by the mainstream, until their explanatory power becomes undeniable, causing a "paradigm shift" that reshapes all future research.
Example: The shift from Newtonian physics to Einstein's theory of relativity was Disruptive Science. It didn't just add to Newton's ideas; it showed they were incomplete and incorrect at certain scales, completely restructuring our concepts of space, time, and gravity. Plate tectonics similarly disrupted earth sciences by replacing static continent models with a dynamic planetary engine. Disruptive Sciences
by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal February 3, 2026
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