[DouglasKC]

You were talking about 2+2, son. Would you be less confused if I had used the word "arithmetic" instead of "math"? Read things in context, so that you'll understand them better.

Let's recount the conversation:

Me: Oh? I've never heard a mathematician state that 2 plus 2 might equal 4.
You: That's because math isn't science, son. See post #71 if you're still confused.

So now your position now is that math (mathematics) IS science, but arithmetics (a branch of mathematics) isn't? I guess I am confused.

Oh, and please don't call me "son". I'm not your son and you're obviously not using the term out of affection, but rather to belittle and denigrate.

Sorry, Junior's argument was that scientists NEVER speak in absolutes. That's clearly an incorrect argument.
You know what he means, don't be coy. Stop trivially nitpicking semantics and maybe people might start to take you seriously for a change.

I think I do know what he meant. What he meant was that EVOLUTIONARY scientists don't talk in absolutes. He just happened to lump in all scientists in order to try and validate the uncertainty of evolution. I can come up with many more examples where real scientists speak in absolutes.

[MHalblaub]

"Oh? I've never heard a mathematician state that 2 plus 2 might equal 4."

Mathematics is founded on axioms.

"In mathematics, an axiom is not necessarily a self-evident truth but rather, a formal logical expression used in a deduction to yield further results. Mathematics distinguishes two types of axioms: logical axioms and non-logical axioms."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axiom

Your problem with 2 + 2 is it is per definition 4.
Mathematics is a philosophy and not natural science.

There is no Nobel Prize for mathematics.