Modern science and technology have changed our lives in many dramatic ways. Airplanes, automobiles, communications satellites, computers, plastics, and television are only a few of the scientific and technological inventions that have transformed human life. Research by nuclear physicists has led to the development of nuclear energy as a source of power. Agricultural output has soared as scientists have developed better varieties of plants and highly effective fertilizers. The development of antibiotics and other new drugs has helped control many infectious diseases. Studies in anatomy and physiology have led to amazing new surgical techniques and to the invention of lifesaving machines that can do the work of such organs as the lungs, kidneys, and heart.
Although scientific and technological achievements have benefited us in numerous ways, they have also created serious problems. The rapid growth of industrial technology, for instance, has resulted in such grave side effects as environmental pollution and fuel shortages. Breakthroughs in nuclear research have led to the development of weapons of mass destruction. Some people fear that advanced biological research will produce new disease-causing bacteria or viruses that resist drugs. People are also concerned that computerized information systems may destroy personal privacy.
The harmful effects of some technological applications of science have led some people to question the value of scientific research. But science itself is neither good nor bad. The uses that businesses, governments, and individuals choose to make of scientific knowledge determine whether that knowledge will help or harm society.
Excerpt from the "Science" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999