An Essay on Science in The Modern World There was a time when the scientist in Europe was looked upon with fear and suspicion. He was the alchemist, the magician. He was supposed to deal in evil things with the help of evil forces. He was persecuted by the Church and the State. But gradually the situation changed, until today in the twentieth century. Science has become a highly regarded profession like Law or Teaching. Science has become the fundamental basis of medicine, engineering and technology, this has possibly given the modern scientist a sort of privileged status in society. He stands somewhat aloof from the rest of the society, dedicated to the pursuit of things beyond the under-standing of ordinary people. Science has become an exclusive profession which needs long years of training and apprenticeship. And yet science is different from other professions. Unlike the others, the scientist can demand no immediate reward for his work; he has no ready market for the disposal of his discoveries. A lawyer argues a case and receives immediate payment. A doctor treats an illness and demands his remuneration. An engineer builds a house or designs a machine, and he has to be paid for it. But who will buy a scientific theory however basic it might be? In bygone days, therefore, science used to be the …show more content…
The greatest scientific activity prevails in the countries which have developed heavy industries most. Science in the modern world is a virtual monopoly of the industrial sector of the world. Its further expansion will therefore, follow the development of heavy industries in the vast tracts of the world which are at present mainly agricultural. The scientist today, as indeed at all times, is the servant of the forces of production. 'Science for the sake of knowledge ' alone is already an exploded fiction confined to the Universities and special research
M1, Introduction There is always a question which can’t be answered by scientist all of which relate to the perceptions of science as there is difference in how science is currently addressed. Also, people have different believes, opinions and interpretation of science in general. Questions science is currently addressing- cure for cancer?
Many people already see scientists as intelligent, but it is not as common to hear that scientists have “passion, patience, creativity, self-sufficiency, and courage.” Popular culture may promote scientists as automaton-like and lacking sentiment, or perhaps as the classic mad scientist, but Barry’s description of scientists shows that they are indeed real people whose work requires a great determination and confidence and extends beyond the realm of pure intellectualism. Using simple, but positive language allows Barry to create empathy in the reader for the scientist, but perhaps more importantly, to convey his message to a broad
He compares scientist work to the unknown. “All scientist exist on the frontier. The best among them move deep into a wilderness.” Barry explains that science is the the act of exploring the unknown, also he establishes synonyms (frontier and wilderness). Communicating that science occurs in the unknown, only those courageous enough may conquer.
As time went from the 16th century to the 18th century, the Renaissance thinking transformed to the Scientific Revolution. Soon, it would enable a worldview in which people were not invoking the principles of religion as often as the Renaissance. As an example, these natural philosophers, known as scientists today, developed a new thinking in which the world was no longer geocentric. The thought of an Earth-centered universe as the Bible would say, transformed as heliocentric or in other words Sun-centered. Within this period, Scientists were starting to understand the world’s functions, for they created experiment methods incorporating discipline, mathematics, and the essential Scientist communication.
People today look for solid evidence to explain their wonderings about natural phenomena “Those with a magnitude higher than 7.0 -- more than doubled in the first quarter of 2014 compared with the average since 1979” (Yan 2). This shows how we rely on evidence to explain what is happening to the planet. Whereas the Greeks in 700 B.C.E. looked towards religion to find a
Some think of science as advantageous, while others believe it can be immoral. Acts of science can lead to manipulation of the natural world and cause those performing the experiments to “play God.” Nathaniel Hawthorne 's short stories “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment,” “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” and “The Birthmark” each incorporate characters that attempt to alter a natural aspect of life and in turn are met with failure. It is through his short stories that Nathaniel Hawthorne reveals opinion of science: Men should not engage in scientific studies that require them to act as God.
Political, religious and social factors heavily impacted the work of scientist in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Governments where funding the sciences and were placing more emphasis on science and the arts. States wanted to show an abundance of wealth by causing the arts and sciences to Flourish (Doc 11). States where establishing academies for letters and sciences, therefore more and more people were learning about science (Doc 11). Louis XIV was a big parton of the sciences, he established the French Royal Academy and he showed pride in supporting the sciences (Doc 10) Science and Politics were happy with each supporting each other.
There were scientific findings before the 16th century and there were more to follow the 18th century. Shapin’s thesis covers that there was no specific scientific distinction between the 17th century and the rest of time for this period to stand out and be a revolution but he explains that the Scientific Revolution is more of a process. Shapin still believes that the scientific findings of this time can be considered revolutionary. Shapin explains that “Science remains whatever it is-certainly the most reliable body of natural knowledge we have got” (165) to show that he still understands how important science and the findings in science are to the world and civilization.
As Dawkins, a famous astrophysicist and astrobiologist Carl Sagan probes the reasons of increasing popularity of pseudoscience in his article “Does Truth Matter: Science, Pseudoscience, and Civilization”. Sagan points out the
The article discusses ways that “Frankenstein” should serve as a lesson and impact the actions of present-day scientists. Van Den Belt focuses on an overarching theme of the novel, which is the possible dangers of scientific exploration. He writes, “The story is commonly taken to imply a dire warning about the dangers of scientific hubris” (Van Den Belt). Victor Frankenstein, the main character of the novel, is an iconic example of a science experiment gone wrong. In many different aspects, the story should be studied by explorers to prevent the repetition of Frankenstein’s errors.
Throughout the 19th century, a great deal of men emerged themselves in the sudy of nature and the discovery of unknown land. Focusing on transformation in scientific idea across a variety of subjects, those scientists raised the period of great advance in science, known as the Scientific Revolution. Even if much of scientific products expanded the knowledge and encouraged of different thinking, but some of scientific products were too power to destroy the nature resulting in posing a threat the community. In the novel Frankenstein Mary Shelley demonstrated that the creature transformed himself from longing for love to seeking revenge on humanity as whole. Humanity, knowledge and loneliness all lead to his corruption and tragedy through his emotional distortion.
Last but not least, science is characterized by its incessant evolution in a way that a single new anomaly can easily falsify a strong scientific theory. In simple English, even experts know that there is no ultimate certainty to
Representation of Scientists in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Towards the end of the 19th century, the portrayal of science in literature became more frequent than before; science has been progressing and it began to spark the interest of the readers of fiction. Supernatural elements in stories have been ascribed to scientists and experiments rather than God and miracles. However, since science still covered much of the unknown and inexplicable, the characters of scientists have occasionally been given almost godlike powers, thus prompting the readers to consider the question of morality. The scientist characters in both Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde have initially been successful with their scientific experiments and achieved groundbreaking discoveries, but have ultimately been punished for having gone too far with their experiments on humanity.
Modern science is typically subdivided into the natural sciences, which study the material world, the social sciences which study people and societies, and the formal sciences like mathematics. The formal sciences are often excluded as they do not depend on empirical observations.[5] We have to keep in mind that science helps us describe how the world is, but it cannot make any judgments about whether that state of affairs is right, wrong, good, or bad and individual people must make moral judgments.
Science provides a wealth of knowledge that can be tapped to enhance the provision of healthcare in the world. Science and healthcare are closely interconnected and there is need to come up with measures that enhance the positive use of science in the healthcare setting. Healthcare personnel are trained using scientific methods, and day to day operations at healthcare facilities are based on science. Treatment plans such as different medicines, surgery and laboratory procedures are all based on scientific methods. However, if not used properly, science can also create problems to healthcare provision.