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Examples of the Scientific Method in Action

or,

high-profile examples of scientific refinement (basically, scientific consensus reversing itself)

Astronomy

Planets around Barnard's star

In the 1960s, astronomers believed that exoplanets had been discovered orbiting Barnard's star. The discovery was later rejected.

Physics

The EPR paradox

Einsein, Podolsky, and Rosen proposed what became known as the EPR paradox in a 1935 paper in an attempt to show that quantum mechanics was incomplete. A debate on the merits of the paper and of the significance of quantum mechanics ensued for many years. In the 1980s, experimental findings consistent with Bell's Inequalities established that quantum mechanics is complete.

Joseph Weber and gravitational waves

In 1968, Joseph Weber of the University of Maryland reported that he had detected gravitational waves using massive bar detectors (which came to be known as Weber bars). After several repeated attempts to duplicate his findings, the community concluded that he had not actually detected gravitational waves.

Notable scientific theories not on this list

• Evolution. While there are certainly arguments about the manner and mechanisms of evolution, virtually all scientists accept that the theory is the best model for the observed biological data.
• Relativity.