In this blog post, we will examine the benefits that science and technology have brought to humanity and the side effects behind them, and reconsider their value.
Since humans first began living on Earth, science has been constantly evolving, ranging from the development of primitive tools to today’s advanced technologies. In particular, the 20th century saw remarkable advances in pure science and engineering, which greatly changed human life through the Industrial Revolution and the Information Age. The advancement of science and technology has brought great convenience to people’s lives, but it has also had negative consequences, such as environmental destruction and the development of weapons of mass destruction. Because of these negative consequences, some people say that the world will soon return to the Stone Age. So, is science and technology really beneficial to humanity?
For example, in 1939, amid the outbreak of World War II, scientist Otto Hahn discovered nuclear fission for the first time, and Enrico Fermi successfully operated the first nuclear reactor, called the Chicago Pile, in the United States, which became the starting point for the Manhattan Project to develop nuclear weapons. After the war, scientists were able to use nuclear fission to provide people with an unlimited supply of energy, but atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, killing many people and sparking a nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Many scientists who participated in the Manhattan Project later blamed themselves for the loss of human lives caused by scientific progress and reconsidered the benefits of science and technology.
The original mission of science and technology is to learn and understand the laws of nature for the benefit of humanity. However, the line between good and evil is very vague, and its value can change from good to evil depending on the intentions of the user. As such, there are always two sides to the advancement of science and technology. Many people focus on the negative aspects of science and technology, but they may be forgetting the great value that science and technology fundamentally bring to human society. For example, the various conveniences and luxuries we enjoy today would not be possible without science and technology. All everyday items, such as refrigerators, electronic devices, and medical equipment, are products of science and technology.
In my opinion, human society would not have survived to this day without science and technology. Take, for example, the tremendous advances in medical technology, starting with penicillin. One of the arguments made by those who oppose science and technology is that the development of various antibiotics has led to bacteria becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, which will eventually threaten us with superbugs. However, humans and diseases have always maintained a state of equilibrium, and even if resistant bacteria emerge, the result will be the same as before antibiotics were invented. Above all, through the fight against disease, humanity has become stronger and its population has increased, enabling it to occupy the top position on Earth. This would not have been possible without science and technology.
The main reason why science and technology have a negative impact on humanity is because the people who use them abuse them. Humans have desires, and they use science and technology as tools to satisfy those desires. In the case of nuclear weapons, each country developed them first and then abused them to gain greater power. Environmental destruction is also a result of the desire to obtain more resources. However, can we say that these side effects have had as negative an impact on human society as the misfortunes caused by human greed in primitive and medieval times? In primitive times, human greed led tribes to invade, kill, and enslave each other in order to gain greater power and resources. In the Middle Ages, the majority of people had to spend their lives as serfs for the benefit of a small number of aristocrats and lords. If you had a choice, which life would you choose, the past or the present?
Science and technology demonstrate their value in various fields, enabling us to exist and protect ourselves against nature. Things we take for granted today—medical care, communication, transportation, and food production—are all achievements of science and technology. I believe we should be wary of focusing only on the negative aspects of science and technology. These negative aspects are secondary and incidental, and should not be exaggerated. Science and technology have led our lives in a better direction and will continue to be essential for the advancement of humanity. I am convinced that we must continue to advance science and technology for the sake of ourselves and our descendants.
