Title of Essay: Is scientific progress always for the good?
This essay was awarded Merit (21 out of 30 marks possible) at the High School level.
The quest for progress has never stopped. Human’s thirst for scientific discovery and invention will never be quenched. Throughout the years, we have seen the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison’s invention of the incandescent lamp, and Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin. With scientific progress moving at such a rapid speed nowadays, with multi-purpose cell phones readily available, the question is, is it justifiable as a good form of progress? I will base my analysis on the study of the flight recorder, the Internet and the medical industry.
The idea of the flight recorder, more popularly known as the black box, was first conceived by David Warren. It was an idea that is a progress for the good of the safety of the people. He envisioned the idea of recording the flight crew’s conversation on an airplane, which will aid the investigation of airline disasters. First invented in 1953, it was in production by 1957, and has now become an essential part of all aircrafts. This invention is a significant progress for mankind. Prior to this, there was no way of determining the cause of airplane catastrophes. With the black box, there is a significant probability of resolving the circulating speculations. When cases attribute the tragedy to a fault of the airplane, following rectifications will save more lives in future. This is especially significant as globalization of the world has resulted in increasing numbers of politicians, businessman and tourists requiring air travel. The only hope of resolving the recent Air France plane disaster, killing all 228 on board, is none other than the black box.