Is giving authority to science almost as bad as giving authority to a religion?

I can think of some other factors.

Money
Fame
Status

...aaand we've come full circle back to God

Is this a joke?

Money? As a scientist in the UK??

Yes but a key difference is they're studying physical things which obey physical laws, no?

...you mean apart from when they completely change their theories based on new evidence?

Yes.

I feel science in itself is a religion, it's a lot more rooted in reality and therefore appeals to people who find far fetched concepts such as pergotory, heaven, hell and various of the the bible miracles. Although we take science for granted, I feel it needs to be questioned more. We kind of develop a 'white coat' syndrome in that we just automatically accept it because it's come from a 'professional'. I do believe in a lot of our basic science, particiculary biology in terms of the human body, however feel it's limited when it comes to the brain. Physics and Chemistry however, I feel replicate a religion much more. The Big Bang theory etc... still aim to explain and unearth questions about the world that a religion also seeks to explain and therefore are difficult to separate.

Much of what you say here is inaccurate. Science is most certainly not a religion as it's backed up by observable, testable and verifiable evidence whereas religion lacks that completely. And any new theories and hypotheses will be peer-reviewed and ripped apart by fellow scientists to see if they stand up to scrutiny.

How exactly do physics and chemistry seem like religions to you? I'm in the 4th year of a chemistry degree and never have I come across anything remotely similar to religious dogma.

The Big Bang theory is also supported by tonnes of evidence in contrast, once again, to religion.

It still provides a very similar function to religion in society. The idea that there is something 'bigger than ourselves' however it doesn't execute it as accurately as religion in terms of fulfilment. Derkheim's study the impacts of this in terms of increased suicide rates as we enter capitalism and move towards science and technology. De Tocqueville also points to the idea of religion and science fulfilling similar functions in society.

Therefore it is as 'bad' as putting faith in religion as its purpose is the same, it's just theorised and accepted more widely amongst the western world.

You're a chemistry student so naturally you're going to disagree, I wouldn't call my observations 'inaccurate' though.

In terms of chemistry a lot of the atomic stuff and sub-atomic stuff can never truly be proven.

The periodic table provides the same function as the bible, there are a lot of parallels.

Physics, again forces, and especially a lot of quantum physics, and also the Big Bang isn't proven, there's evidence for it

but there's also religious evidence it's just usually regarded as conjecture by our current capitalist society, doesn't mean in the future it won't be refered to a lot more seriously and science laughed at.

So essentially science is as bad as religion, if not worse as it doesn't even provide as good a job as religion in terms of personal fulfilment and the exclusiveness of it all (needing a degree to appreciate it at high level and be involved in it) whereas religion is open to anyone.

by the way I do believe in science etc... but for the purpose of this discussion and the idea of of giving it 'authority' in comparison to religion I think it is as bad. It's a school of thought which aims to explain the world we live in much like religion.

^ This, basically.

Religion says "Because god says so."

Science says "Because of these reasons..." and explains. If the jargon or explanations are above your head, you can learn about them, or ask them to be explained in a more simple manner.