Does the study of economics have anything to tell us?

People traditionally have said that it is easy to be a weather forecaster, because they do not have to make correct predictions. Weather prediction has gotten rather good lately, getting things right up to a week in advance. Not so for economists. How can the majority have missed the housing bubble that led to the current recession?

Here is a thought provoking Salon article on economics. What are your thoughts? It seems to me that economics is much more art than science.