One of the things that worries me a little about science in our day and age is that it seems to have become less flexible; as I learned it in school, science was about discovery and exploration of possibilities and nowadays it feels more and more like the purpose of science has shifted towards establishing inflexible rules against which — as you suggest — judgment happens. Which has an unfortunately subtext of religious dogma to it.
Exploration and discovery requires us to be able to read between the lines. And to be more open to possibilities.