Final answer:
Observations or data that are not consistent with current scientific understanding should be treated with caution and further investigation. Scientists should analyze and consider alternative explanations, and may need to revise or discard current theories in light of new data.
Step-by-step explanation:
Observations or data that are not consistent with current scientific understanding should be treated with caution and further investigation.
When unexpected findings arise, scientists must carefully analyze the data and consider alternative explanations.
If the data consistently contradicts the current understanding, a scientist may need to revise or discard the current theory and develop a new one.
For example, in astronomy, the discovery of planetary systems that do not resemble our own solar system forced scientists to reassess their models for the formation of planetary systems.
This new data challenged their previous assumptions and led to the development of new theories.