Modern Scientific Advances Do Not Necessarily Mean Peace and Progress for Mankind

Today's world runs at a frantic pace, a pace that may be many times that in the nineteenth century or early twentieth century. Our exponential population growth has also led to increased useful output and better lifestyles for mankind. Most of the credit for this belongs to scientific advancement.

But are scientific advances really that wonderful? Quite obviously, not. Every benefit brings with it a host of problems, and scientific advances are no exception. Consider first of all the discoveries in the field of Physics. Advances in Physics have led us all to great benefits. The beautiful houses and high rise buildings in which we live and work are the result of physical engineering developments. The cars, trains, aeroplanes and other forms of transport which speed up travel by many multiples over what we would have achieved by mere running are also the trophies of extensive research into the field of Physics.

While this may seem like a bed of roses, the adverse side of physical advancement has also reared its ugly head. The nuclear arsenals in the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics might not have existed if Rutherford had not discovered the atom. The millions of deaths at Hiroshima and Nagasaki cannot be compensated for by the nuclear power plants that have arisen out of the same discovery. Nuclear power too, is not entirely good, considering the sufferings of the victims of the Chernobyl power plant accident. In the olden days, major catastrophes were caused by nature. Now, earthquakes and hurricanes are small problems compared to the destruction caused by such incidents.

A popular joke in the late 1980's goes, "Who killed more Indians than John Wayne?" The answer, 'Union Carbide' of course, which was a massive chemical leak that killed thousands of Indians and maimed and disfigured even more. All this for portable power in our headphone stereos and our handphones. It is true that chemical advances gave us benefits like fertilisers, better pesticides, better fungicides and better drugs. However, the rush to cash in on these advances has made human beings careless, and it was much too late when scientists discovered the ozone hole, caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), a supposedly inert and harmless substance. DDT was good at first. Then it was banned because it caused plague. How can we be sure that some chemicals as common as dishwashing liquid may not be causing some new disease that has yet to be diagnosed? The military is another subscriber to disrupting peace with scientific inventions. Chemical weapons are the bane of any army, save for the more ruthless, mercenary and merciless armies which use them as a threat.

In the field of medical science, the dangers are less obvious. What comes first to mind are medical advances which save the injured, diseased or sick people from dying. Scientists have been able to increase the average person's life expectancy by many years. New ways were devised to lessen the suffering of mankind, and new ways are still being devised. However, is medical science the least of the three evils? Hardly so, considering that scientists are now attempting to tamper with human genes, and using this technology to try to create better humans. Is it really wise to tamper with Mother Nature? Could we be threatening the continuity of our own species at a later stage of the existence of mankind?

One example of the result of this tampering is the spread of the deadly AIDS virus. The HIV virus which causes AIDS is found in the cells of the green monkey found in Africa. The liver cells of this monkey are commonly used to culture vaccines as these cells are unhealthy and sup-port the growth of foreign viruses. It is postulated that the liver cells of an infected green monkey were used to grow the viruses used for the smallpox vaccination programme and infected batches of this virus were injected into the blood of many Africans. Thus, the AIDS virus was spread to humans. Though this theory is vet to be confirmed, it carries a high possibility and illustrates to us the potential dangers that scientists may cause.

Science is like a two-headed snake. It is intended to serve the needs and demands of the people, but it can also unveil itself in new ways that may undermine our intentions for peace and progress. Although we cannot stop scientific advancements, we can do our best to research carefully into any adverse effects of new technology, and take the best precautions we can against them.