Comments on: Has science really made the world a better place?

By: Bastard Sheep

Bastard Sheep — Mon, 18 May 2009 06:30:16 +0000

Ben Stein would disagree. Wasn’t his movie all about it being science who killed his relatives and that hitler was a lovely person who had little if anything to do with the holocaust?

By: CybrgnX

CybrgnX — Mon, 18 May 2009 02:39:57 +0000

I will state, like MattR above, that THERE HAS BEEN NO HARM DONE BY SCIENCE!!!!!!!
Science cannot do harm!!! Only assholes using knowledge BADLY can do harm.

Any hypocrite living in the U.S. who thinks science is harmful is welcome to move to central Africa and have a gloriously SHORT life.

By: MattR

MattR — Mon, 18 May 2009 01:49:46 +0000

Is the argument against science or technology? The two are often falsely correlated in these arguments.

Science is a methodology for examining the world. It is inherently neither good nor bad — it is a process.

Technology, as the product of scientific enquiry, is a different matter. “Just because we can make nuclear weapons doesn’t mean we should.”

So I would have to argue that science, by providing us with a set of tools for examining and understanding the world around us, has ultimately been beneficial. Whether we have made the best choices with that knowledge is another matter.

(To avoid confusion between the above paragraphs, let me make the distinction here: science is neither good nor bad; the ability to utilise the scientific method is, I believe, beneficial.)

On the matter of overpopulation, I would have to agree with Bastard Sheep, that education is the best solution. Education which is available because of scientific principles.

By: The Pope's Understudy

The Pope's Understudy — Sat, 16 May 2009 03:53:52 +0000

Science has done irreparable harm.

If it were not for the harsh, irradiating light of Science mankind would still dwell in that vertiable utopia historians refer to as the Dark Ages.

So, come step into the cool shade of ignorance, toil in the muck for a solitary potato and a weekly disease.

For life must mean misery. Listen as your Church informs you of the wonders awaiting you in the next world. (Jesus has a Playstation. Wouldn’t you like to play some Grand Theft Auto with Our Lord and Saviour?)

By: freespace

freespace — Fri, 15 May 2009 08:20:45 +0000

At the very least, science has allowed us to live longer and survive diseases and injuries that were once fatal.

On that alone, I say the progress of science has made the world a better place — a place where our loved ones are around for longer.

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 15 May 2009 05:32:04 +0000

Well said. Too many people spout off this ridiculous line without even considering the basic parts of life that would not exist sans science — such as refrigeration. Ever imagined living in a world without refrigeration? It wasn’t, historically speaking, that long ago…

By: Bastard Sheep

Bastard Sheep — Fri, 15 May 2009 01:26:36 +0000

It is often argued that the best method of birth control is not prayer, abstinence, or even condoms, but rather it is educating women. I have not seen the statistics myself but I have heard it argued many a time that the better the education of the female population especially, the lower the number of children. If we spread science (and math, and reading/writing, etc) we’ll be doing good as it is educating.

Greater lifespans due to science may be seen as a con by many due to overpopulation, but spreading science may well be the best pro to reigning in overpopulation.