Just as fie is a good slave but a bad master, science too has its positive as well as negative aspects. Science is the most revolutionary thing that has been devised by man. Science does not rely on supposition and imagination but is an organized body of knowledge based on facts. Earth Science was one of the first to be studied and we have come a long way from the days when the Earth was believed to be flat. People are always curious to learn more about the world surrounding them. This has brought about fascinating discoveries and inventions not only in the fields of biology, astronomy, chemistry but in our daily lives too. The vast improvement in the field of medicine the average life expectancy. Diseases like influenza, chickenpox or typhoid are no longer fatal and leprosy and even some forms of cancer are now curable. The crippling disease, polio. Has been eradicated from most parts of the world.
We have better drugs and instruments but men are becoming weak in terms of physique and mind. What an irony of fate it is! Today, we suffer from sensitives ‘ear’, sensitive ‘lung’ and a sensitive ‘liver’ due to fast speed, smoky atmosphere, and dusty roads. So, science makes making happy with its latest achievements but it also makes us unhappy when it shows destructive power. Science can be used for gaining happiness but science put to wrong and negative use, can cause unimaginable disasters.
Science has given us such comforts as were unimaginable a few years ago. Today, we switch on the radio and listen to music. We have electricity, telephone, television, washing machines, refrigerators, air-conditioning plants, satellites, cellular phones, metro trains, fast trains, aircraft, and most modern medical systems. All these things have made the life of a man very comfortable. The electric fans, cinemas, cars, trams, mobile phones, and jumbo aircraft are among other scientific inventions and discoveries that have made life easy and comfortable.
The industrial revolution has been a landmark in the development of many countries. Rapid industrialization required more markets and that gave rise to the concept of colonization. Today, the major concern with most developed countries is the management of their industrial waste. More recently, the concern has shifted to the disposal of radioactive waste. Scientists have discovered nuclear energy which is a non-polluting source of energy, but there has been an increase in the number of disasters caused by radioactive waste. Cases like Chernoby! Hiroshima-Nagasaki and the Bhopal Gas Tragedy highlight the ill-effects of nuclear energy. Though presently it is the best alternative for the increasing requirement of energy, we cannot overlook the increasing requirement of energy, we cannot overlook the ever-increasing use, or rather misuse, of nuclear energy and development of sophisticated and powerful nuclear weapons.
Science has progressed in both the domains-constructive as well as destructive. The latest triumphs of science try to remove the evils of disease and death. These have also increased the threat to human life. On the destructive side, science has invented weapons that are most dreadful and disastrous. The inventions of laser beams, neutron bombs, and hydrogen bombs have increased the chances of human destruction. If these weapons are put to use, they would spell disaster for the entire mankind.
One of the most frequent and popular questions which are often asked is, “Are scientific inventions making us happier?” Science has made life easier for men. Telecommunication and technology have made the world, not just a small place, but a tiny world. We can talk to a person across the world sitting in front of our webcams, we can send pictures and videos in minutes over the net and we can carry a world of information in a tiny microchip. However, we must keep in mind that wrongful exploitation of science can result in disastrous consequences like nuclear wars, high levels of atmospheric pollution and a widespread loss of life and property.
As modern age is of science, man has become calculative and mechanical. Science is advancing and it is thwarting our civilization. In the kingdom of science, words like love, affection, and sentiments are fast becoming alien. So what is the use of science for man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul? Spiritualism is on the wane while materialism is on the rise. Philosophy, culture, and poetry are fading from human life because of the rapid advancement of science.
Therefore, the opinion remains divided on the science is a boon or bane. No one claims for certain that science is complete happiness or an impending curse. However, the latest triumphs and victories of science need to be properly utilized, otherwise, they can bring certain death and destruction to the human race.
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