I found this question on Quora. It was originally “Why must I believe science?” but someone merged it with an older question.

Here’s my answer:

You should have beliefs that work.

For a belief to work means that it helps you predict what you’ll experience.

If you believe you live in the jungle, then you predict that you’ll see jungle plants when you walk out your front door.

If you believe that paper burns at 451°F, then you predict that paper will be safe if you store it in your refrigerator.

If you believe in gravity, then you predict that a Bunsen burner thrown into the air will travel in an arc before hitting the ground.

If any of these predictions is not borne out, that belief doesn’t work.

Science is a system that has a good track record for its predictions bearing out most of the time. If making accurate predictions is in your interest, you must believe science.