Science, good or bad?

mother engine · 02-17-2005

since everyone seems to be in agreement here i will sacrifice myself as devil's advocate and suggest that human use of the scientific method is the worst thing that has ever happen to the natural world: progress makes things more complicated than they need to be for survival and creates an unhealthy divide between humanity and the rest of nature. technology affords comfort on one hand and the inevitability of a viral epidemic on the other. synthetic drugs, television, pollution, nuclear proliferation, new and improved ethical problems every day, justification for human arrogance matched only in religious fanaticism, plastic surgery addictions, internet child pornography. yes human beings are still here and flourishing and now even more f***ed up than ever before. a cancerous tumor, given the required ability of consciousness, would speak of its destruction of the body it inhabits as progress and as a 'good' thing as well. thoughts?

bumab · 02-17-2005

That's more the use of science- does the use of the scientific method make science bad? Does the use of knives for stabbing make knives bad? No...

So are you saying scientific method is inherently bad because it led to all those bad things, or was the use it was put towards the inherently bad thing (thus "corrupting" science), because people used it and people are bad (or something like that)?

orbsycli · 02-17-2005

It's just one of those things that.. "if it falls into the wrong hands..." kind of thing. and everybody has their different opinions on who actually HAS the wrong hands.

Fishteacher73 · 02-17-2005

Although humans have moved out of the law of the jungle (for the most part) we have used the instincts and drive for personal gain (power is more the object now instead of off-spring). Yet we still have the internal drives to out compete others. I think it is this drive that causes individuals to hijack ideals and systems for their own benifit. Pretty much social Darwinism; but just as Darwinism is not an accurate picture of what is actually going on in the evolutionary realm (its Punctuated Equilibrium now) the same cross-over of concept I think applies. We now have social punctuated equlibrium. This implies that individual shifts to gain the best edge at the moment but with no real regards to how this might impact any future events. Look at communism, captialism, religion, etc. these are all systems that individuals have mis-used for their own gain without any real concern about the effects rippling out from their actions. Science has been used in this manner as well. I think those that abuse are not the same that use and expand it. Just as Marx or Adam Smith did not come up with social systems to be abused, others took the reigns for their own gain.

alxian · 02-17-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by orbsycli

who actually HAS the wrong hands?

he who would put his own betterment before that of the species.

those who would destroy the species without its consent.

those seeking profits for alterations and change that is essential to the survival/growth of the species.

i'd have a hard time distinguishing between all those criteria with something like stem cell research since the benefits are incalculable, but a few voices raise a few weak concerns and the technology is virtually shelved.. its not who has the dirty hands its who decides, and that for now is the gov't and heads of religions of man. neither in my opinion being authorities on the subject but both are well meaning and unwilling to take the blame should the tech not pan out or .. lead to disasters.. like a disease free utopia of self regenerating godlike creatures vaguely resembling man. .

bumab · 02-17-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by orbsycli

It's just one of those things that.. "if it falls into the wrong hands..." kind of thing. and everybody has their different opinions on who actually HAS the wrong hands.

that's not true... isn't it always "everybody but me?"

mother engine · 02-17-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishteacher73

I think those that abuse are not the same that use and expand it. Just as Marx or Adam Smith did not come up with social systems to be abused, others took the reigns for their own gain.

from what i understand albert einstein was involved in the manhattan project.

alxian · 02-17-2005

science should not be restricted only strict controls need to be laid down for its exploitation.

beccareb · 02-17-2005

I cannot believe that science is a bad thing when many people I know (including myself) would have died a long time ago if it was not for scientific research.