The present knowledge, in most cases, is an extension of current knowledge.

Everyone base their

studies, observations, research on the knowledge that is already existing. In that essence we can say
that current knowledge is reliant on past knowledge. The reason being that the current ideas are
entirely based on past information and knowledge. These ideas are culmination of the past knowledge
acquired and how it has evolved. Present knowledge is wholly dependent on past knowledge. Also,
present knowledge may also include experience and facts. Such experiences or facts may create
deviating ideas. These ideas are then tested through various mechanism to arrive at current knowledge.
The current knowledge maybe fully in agreement of the past knowledge. Hence reinforcing the
knowledge. Or the current knowledge may differ or even be opposite of past knowledge. In this case, it
will be different from past knowledge. Either of the cases, the current knowledge is more accurate in the
present times and therefore, improvement over the past knowledge.

Let’s take an example of Covid 2019 pandemic that started in later part of the year 2019. From historical
accounts of Spanish Flu of 1918, we knew that pandemic may spread across the world very quickly.
Spanish flu pandemic killed 50 million people across the two years it was prevalent for. (Lessons Learned
from the 1918–1919 Influenza Pandemic in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota (nih.gov))There were
steps taken to contain the spread like limiting crowding, shutting down of public places, switching of air
conditioning in public transport and open the windows etc. In the COVID 2019 pandemic similar steps
were taken to contain or limit the spread of virus. There were some very promising outcomes in certain
geographies like Italy, Germany, and India. However, later when the duration became longer, people
became restless and impatient due to various reasons like fatigue of sitting at home, loss of income etc.
As a result, when people started venturing out to public places the pandemic got severe.

In this we can see that steps taken in 2019 and 2020 in response to pandemic were learnings from
previous pandemic of Spanish Flu. However, more ideas and response were observed. Some of those
were exact opposite of the lockdown or limited occupancy. Like, say an example of Brazil where political
meetings were in progress flouting such norms. Later there were huge surge in Brazil for cases of COVID
19 virus and Brazil is number 2 in total number of deaths due to this virus. We see that different ideas
emerged and failed. However, in contrast a quick remedy in form of launching a vaccine and
administering the vaccine in short time was seen in United Kingdom. This was a different idea all
together based on the vaccine knowledge and not on flu knowledge. UK then rapidly administered the
vaccine across country in its’ second wave of the pandemic. UK was successful in keeping the second
wave to minimum. Historically, vaccines are ineffective to contain influenza outbreaks. However, UK’s
strategy proved successful. Indicating that current knowledge is an improvement over past knowledge.
Moving on to modern invention of automobile. When the first automobile was requested for a patent in
1920 (https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/item/who-invented-the-automobile/ &
https://www.daimler.com/company/tradition/company-history/1885-1886.html#:~:text=On%20January
%2029%2C%201886%2C%20Carl,birth%20certificate%20of%20the%20automobile.) it seemed like an
ingenious idea. An auto powered vehicle which does not require an animal or human energy to steer
provided lots off promises. The evolution of automobiles continues through the years from steam to gas
to gasoline to petrol; with latest being electric vehicles. Earlier versions are now dated and considered
bad for environment. Currently, electric vehicles are claimed to be cleaner and less polluting. There are
countries where any Diesel or petrol-based engines will be retired in 2030. Continued problem of air
pollution by vehicles and efforts of various industries and countries led to research and development of
alternatives. One such alternative available is in form of invention of electric engines. This is also a huge
case in point of present knowledge being improvement over the past knowledge. Earlier when our
knowledge of engines were limited to efficient diesel engines the automobiles were powered by diesel
engine. There was a time when we got to know about the ill effects of this efforts were made to look for
alternatives. Now electric engines are considered better.

<planet system picture here>

On August 24, 2006 our solar system went from having nine major planets to having eight major planets.
Pluto, once considered the outermost planet, became more widely known as the largest of a number of
small bodies in the outer solar system. Pluto lost its status as a planet and was demoted to a dwarf
planet. The word plutoed – meaning to demote or devalue something – entered the global lexicon.
International Astronomical Union started laying down a standard definitions. According to these
definitions - Pluto is not a planet but a dwarf. (https://earthsky.org/human-world/pluto-dwarf-planet-
august-24-2006#:~:text=Bottom%20line%3A%20August%2024%2C%202019,the%20neighborhood
%20around%20its%20orbit.%E2%80%9D)
It is evolving knowledge and streamlining that knowledge that led to this incident. This clearly defines
that although there is nothing wrong with the existing facts, and no new discoveries were made but
streamlining that knowledge into various buckets led to this decision.

Conclusion

To conclude, when we say that current knowledge is an improvement it is because new ideas
culminated into current knowledge. This in no way indicating that past knowledge was wrong or flawed.
With due course of time, this knowledge gets refined with more fact gathering and culminates into
newer ideas and theories. Such ideas and theories are then tested to see if it yields better results. The
word improvement only indicates that in current time we can assess that this knowledge is “right”.
While we say and implement it, there are newer ideas and hypothesis being explored. In future, we may
arrive at even “more improved” knowledge.