Science vs. Fate

Does fate play a bigger role than science?
Though Tessie does not believe in Uncle Pete's theory about slower sperm, she goes along with it. Her belief in faulty science apted her to go against her instincts as she states: "To tamper with something as mysterious and miraculous as the birth of a child was an act of hubris. In the first place, Tessie didn't believe you could do it. Even if you could, she didn't believe you should try" (9). Tessie didn't necessarily believe in Pete's theory, but rather in the signs of fate surrounding her (When Tessie has a conversation with a little girl at church pg. 14), which reveals her strong desire to go against her instinctive fate and trust faulty science.