I will never understand why people so often undervalue or dismiss the massive material benefits science has brought to society. It has spared countless millions from disease, poverty and hunger and thanks to it we are living in a golden age of technological marvels our ancestors could scarcely have dreamed of. I honestly cannot think of a more powerful force for good in all of history.

So it hasn't yet come up with a consistent theory of life, the Universe and everything so simple anyone can instantly understand it without effort? Sorry, but the cold fact is that the Universe is an enormously complicated place. Why does anyone imagine for a second that it would be easy to understand?

Science is not some secretive cult where only the ideologically pure are granted access to the mystical secrets, anyone is free to study it; it just takes time and effort and an understanding that it will not all immediately become clear. Most people simply have more important things to do than invest years of their lives studying something they don't intend to make a career out of.

As to the idea that science has somehow "replaced" religion, I quite disagree. They exist to fulfill entirely separate roles; all science has done is to replace what was only ever a relatively minor, secondary purpose of religion: To explain the baffling range of seemingly bizarre and random natural phenomena that surround us. Does anyone imagine that religion serves no other purpose to those who believe in it?