Is Science A Boon or A Curse?
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
“Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world.”
Today’s Modern age is the age of science and technology. Science has changed the face of the Earth with its too many wonderful inventions and discoveries. Science has benefited to mankind in an unprecedented manner by its wonderful progress and development. Much of the progress that man had made in different fields from the stone age to this modern age in which we are all now living is due to the development, research, inventions and discoveries which are going on a very fats track. These are of our fundamental nature and of far-reaching consequences also much so that the world would be transformed unrecognisably.
Science touches all of us and our lives at every step as a big boon and blessing. It has also helped us to conquer space and time. This has made the world look like a global village, thanks to the very fast and reliable means of travel and communication. Communication is made quick by using various instruments of science and travelling has become more comfortable by the use of vehicles on land as well as in sea and air. The large world have now become a small place as the long distances have been reduced. We must not forget that electricity itself is a wonder of science. It is the essence of mechanical functioning. There are many great contributions made by science in aerospace and astronomy. It has helped man to conquer the moon and explore the outer space. The great and significant researches in the field of agriculture, irrigation, water-management etc. have helped in developing new varities of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and effective methods of water conservation. The use of computers has further revolutionized the life and work with the dawn of the scientific era, the barriers of the nations are crumbling fast and the international living and interaction are very much in sight. Because of science and technology, there has been tremendous progress in the fields of industrial development. Science has also improved our standard of living. Man feels more safe, secure and comfortable because of the increase in the safety by scientific research. Diseases like Tuberculosis and many types of cancer which were considered fatal a few decades ago are no longer incurable.
Today, we have many satellites in our outer space which can provide us with much greater knowledge of space and technology and also forewarn us about the calamities and the changes in the weather conditions prevailing on the Earth. Consequently, there is a new development which ensures a great industrial revolution, globalisation expansion and liberation among the nations. The quality of life and the standard of living in various developing countries have improved and are likely to be upgraded further.
On the other hand, science is also a mixed blessing. Human’s greed for more wealth, fame and success is one of the major reasons why science is used for wrong purposes like for wars and disasters which are happening today. When we are using science in a wrong way, it can become a dangerous tool which can destroy and wipe out the entire mankind from this Earth. It has given us many dangerous and destructive weapons like atom and hydrogen bombs and missiles for waging a war which can take millions of precious lives. The biological and nuclear weapons are mainly used in wars as these are more dangerous and destructive. The inventions of laser beams, cobalt bomb and megaton bomb have increased the chances of human destruction thus if these weapons are used, they would spell disaster for the whole mankind. Even peaceful citizen women, children, old men, animals, etc. are exposed to bombing from the air and economic blockade from the sea. Inventions like Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs are the fatal gifts of science to mankind. It is feared that if recourse is taken to an Atomic war it would wipe out the entire humanity in no time.
The greater the forces of Nature, which man has conquered, the narrower has grown his heart. If you have a thunderbolt like an Atomic Bomb in your hand, you require the strength of an angel or a God to control yourself. Science has dethroned God and signed the death warrants of humanity. It has enslaved man and made him a machine without a heart to feel. At the end of the last world war, many of the scientists were taken away for developing war weapons to kill humanity. Obviously, science is being used so much for destructive purposes and so little to meet the real needs of humanity. This turns science into a curse. It is man who is ultimate responsible for turning science into a curse instead of a blessing. In fact, the misapplication of scientific knowledge has brought man to face the sorrows of destruction. So, it is highly necessary for us to not misuse the potentialities of science. Let us hope that ultimately sanity prevails and science is used more for the benefit of mankind.
Science has two faces-good and bad. It depends on us which face we want to see. If we use the gifts of science in a positive manner with positive intention and in positive direction, it will benefit the mankind, but if we misuse it, it will prove harmful to all. It depends solely upon man himself how he uses science and its discoveries and researches. Science as knowledge and power is neither a saviour nor a destroyer. To save ourselves and the world as a whole from destruction, we should use the gifts of science properly. We should always remember this famous quote to use science properly,
“The Science of Today is the Technology of Tomorrow.”
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