The Benefits and Hazards of Science
It is a fact that advancement in science has changed our lives as compared to earlier ages. Scientific inventions have brought a great revolution in every walk of life such as in communication, transportation, agriculture, economic, medical sector or education. It has changed the miserable lives of people into luxurious and comfortable ones. However, some scientific consequences are rather dangerous and hazardous such as nuclear weapons, environmental pollution, global warming and a lot more.
The advancement in science has boosted our education as compared to a century ago. Through the Internet, we can access any kind of information and knowledge in a jiffy. The inventions of calculator, computer, projector etc have made our education system easier than earlier.
Science has also provided many benefits in the field of medicine. It has reduced the risk of fatal diseases, most diseases which were previously considered incurable are now no longer as dreadful and deadly as before. It has provided people with instant acting medicines, vaccines and other life-saving equipment. Diseases like hepatitis, chickenpox, typhoid and malaria are prevented through vaccination due to the progress of science.
Moreover, science has also brought progress and improvement in terms of transportation and communication. In communication, it has connected the whole world into a global village by means of satellites, telephones, mobile phones, internet and televisions. Similarly, in transportation, we have come a long way from camels and sailboats which took days to travel from one destination to another but today we have aeroplanes that can fly across countries in a matter of hours. In addition, fast electric trains, buses and cars have changed the long distances into shorter ones.
However, science also has extreme hazards which are very dangerous and catastrophic. Modern science has produced weapons of mass destruction like; atom bombs, missiles and biological weapons. In addition, nuclear weaponry is capable of destroying the entire world. The invention of nuclear weapons has started a new nuclear race all over the world. Such weapons have taken the lives of thousands of people especially in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which were destroyed during the second world war.
Environmental pollution is the current and the most grievous result of emphasis on industrialization. Nevertheless, the greenhouse effect is also caused by burning of petroleum and natural gas, which are mostly used in motor vehicles and other industries.
Moreover, global warming is another global problem which has resulted due to greenhouse effect and ozone depletion. The extreme rays of the sun are hitting the earth’s surface, as a result, the glaciers are melting and the temperature of the world is increasing rapidly.
All the above examples and illustrations manifest that science has advantages and disadvantages both. It is man, not science itself who is to be blamed for the misapplication of science. It is therefore up to mankind to ensure the proper usage of science as long as possible, because science can be a blessing if it is used for the benefits of mankind.