Besides that, science has also empowered man with the knowledge and awareness necessary in repelling old fears. In the days preceding science, man was tied down by superstitions, ignorance and fear of the unknown. With science, however, a door has been opened to man and we are now liberated from those old fears. For example, man has learnt that thunder and lightning are simply caused by electrically charged clouds interacting with the ground. Of course, the dangers of lightning have also been made fully known, but with that came also the knowledge on how to avoid the devastating circumstances of being struck by lightning, for example by wearing rubber-soled shoes and staying indoors. No more is man scared of the natural phenomenon that was once thought to be a sign of the wrath of an unseen force. Once more, it has been shown that science has made man more fearless as it has provided the answers to old fears.
There are those who hold the view that despite all this, science has brought new fears and questions that are not only based on the physical but also the mental aspect of things. The fear of thunder and lightning, for example, cannot possibly compare to the fears generated by advancements in genetic engineering. The knowledge that one’s very genetic makeup can determine one’s destiny, thus dispelling the “myth” that one is in control of his or her own future, can cause people to lose hope in themselves and become disillusioned. This, some people claim, shows that science has caused larger and more serious problems than ever before and that the solutions found are insignificant compared to the many other questions that have been raised in recent years. Questions about ethics of science research, the applications of technology and of whether there is life beyond our universe have all emerged and these questions seem to be out of science’s ability to answer.
It is crucial to understand that it is the very fact that these questions have been raised from science that they can only be solved by science alone. This effectively cancels them out. While at present it is difficult to picture that questions about man’s destiny can be solved by science, we must remember that most of the solutions take time to discover and who is to say that they can never be found? With every new mistake, with every new fear, comes new advancements and new techniques to find the answers. Therefore with science, we will always be in-step with, if not ahead of, the questions that emerge each day. Moreover, most of the people who are of the opinion that science has raised more questions than solutions are more often than not only considering the relatively new field of genetics. It is true that there are many doubts in that field, but science in general has proven to provide just as many, if not more, solutions as it has questions.
The very purpose of science is to evoke questions as well as to provide answers. After all, how could there have been any progress if the scientists of old were simply satisfied with their findings and posed no more questions for the future generations to solve? Science revolves around questions, which is why at first glance it does seem as if there are more questions than there are solutions. However, this may be the usual perception because of human nature. Man is a naturally curious species and it is easy to see how we could have simply been oversensationalising questions related to science rather than giving the same treatment to the answers found. For example, while the world was focused on the possible dangers of genetically modified (GM) food, some of the poorest Cambodian families were thriving on GM rice, which allowed a year-round harvest and contained the essential nutrients that were severely lacking in their diets. Still, it is more exciting to read about how GM tomatoes contain possible carcinogens than it is to hear about how science is putting food on the tables of the poor, which is why, on the surface, it looks as if science has not provided the solutions to any questions at all.
In conclusion, it is undeniable that science has indeed brought about more questions. However, at the same time, both old and new doubts are being quelled each day with every advancement in the scientific fields. At the end of the day, it is still science that propels man forward, and it is the problems that science has solved that enable us to live the way we do today. Therefore it is unfair to state that science has only posed more questions because science does provide solutions that have changed our lives in more ways than we will ever know.