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... Why are so many diseases that we thought we had got rid of, returning?
Why are we having to cut back on fuel consumption, turn down down our radiators
The anti-nuclear movement ... has been criticized for overstating the negative effects of nuclear power and understating the environmental costs of non-nuclear sources that can be prevented through nuclear energy
In the first place, science is building up a huge backlog of unfulfilled promises. Where is the cure for cancer?
What’s going to happen when antibiotics fail?
Why are so many diseases that we thought we had got rid of, returning?
Why have computers not made life easier?
Why are we having to cut back on fuel consumption,
If you do that then the ‘creation myth’ of science is the story of the Big Bang
I mean, once you’ve got a Theory of Everything, where do you go from there? It seems rather like a ‘Job Done’. But as I write this I see that the TOE could be another Big Bang that, on the contrary, could give physics a new lease of life.
1) In your criticism of science above you use the term “ice age”, a phenomenon only known via scientific discovery in geology, and in part made explicable by astronomy. 2) So if it wasn’t for science you’d have to come up with a analogy other than “ice age" to bash science, ( and another means of communicating your anti-science views other than the computer in front of you ). 3) Evolution : random mutant bacteria/viruses occur who are not susceptible to current treatment. As the treatments are man-made then I suppose, by default, it's evolutution by artificial selection , rather than evolutution by natural selection which creates so-called "superbugs". 4) In-part fear of nuclear power created by anti-science advocates, despite it being less hazardous to people than fossil fuel ...QuoteThe anti-nuclear movement ... has been criticized for overstating the negative effects of nuclear power and understating the environmental costs of non-nuclear sources that can be prevented through nuclear energy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiscience#Political_antiscience
Isn't it about power and money? Every time something change something else have to give way to it. Most often outdated beliefs and value systems. although we have some ideal ethical ideas defined, as democracy for example, our reality as individuals seems defined from power, politics and money. And as we have a system in where money defines your worth to society, and please don't start arguing about that one with no question asked about ethics etc, there is no guarantee for those 'forces' being able to adapt to new situations, as global warming. Instead they will slow the necessary actions down, as far as possible to adapt their power bases to 'new energies' etc, and argue for the ones already established.One should never confuse money with intelligence.
1) When considering the past, present, and future of science, keep in mind that you are typing this message on a computer, rather than having it transcribed and distributed by a group of monks working by candlelight. In the past, the lifetime achievement of a monk might be transcribing one copy of one book.2) Also, consider your flush toilet, hot shower, electric lights, all were created with a combination of science and engineering. 3) The future?No idea.But, I would imagine that the world will be declared Polio-Free in the next couple of decades. There will continue to be a battle between bugs and drugs. But, I certainly wouldn't want to go back a century to a period prior to antibiotics, and vaccines. Nor would I wish to experience surgery without anesthetics which failed far more frequently than it succeeded. 4) There may be a point where many of the major scientific discoveries have already been found. So, the telescope has been discovered, the microscope, electricity, electromagnets, etc. Yet, it is also a time where we have unprecedented tools for scientific exploration. 5) Merely 400 years ago, the first 4 of Jupiter's moons were discovered by Galileo Galilei. Now we have the Hubble telescope, 2 pioneer deep space probes, 2 voyager deep space probes, and several robots roaming around on the surface of Mars. The information we can get from these devices is unprecedented in history. Whether or not astronomy will make a real impact on humanity, other than wetting our curiosity, only time will tell. One branch of astronomy is predicting and preventing a catastrophic asteroid collision with Earth. It may or may not be successful. We may or may not need it for another 65 million years. However, even astronomy could have a huge impact on our future (or prevent one). Not to mention, of course, that many of the rockets sent to space control everything from basic communication to weather forecasts.6) Who'd have thunk that a basic semiconductor, not a good conductor, not a good insulator, but a semiconductor would have been vital for everything in life from getting your dishes clean in the evening to talking to your mother-in-law (at a safe distance).
Where else are you looking, if not science?
Well, who invented the semi-conductor? I bet HE thought that semiconductors could be vital to everything in life, and then I bet he went about ensuring that semiconductors DID become vital to everything in life – rather like Bill Gates et al are now going about ensuring that computers are going to be vital to everything in life in the very near future. That’s competition for you.
The fact that you cannot think of anything other than science is because we live in a competitive world and science will tolerate alternatives; where it sees alternatives, it goes for the kill. But there are alternatives.
I will just say this: go and find out about life around the end of the 19th century – I think you will find it surprising how busy people were, how much ertainment they had (most of which has been lost today), and how communicative they were, and once you have done that you might find yourself questioning whether or not we have lost more than we have gained.