• Question: in your opinion, what is the biggest danger of science?

    Asked by 567curm38 to K, Jacque, Hazel on 16 Mar 2018.
    • Photo: Hazel Gibson

      Hazel Gibson answered on 16 Mar 2018:

      For me the biggest danger of science is if it loses its humanity. This is almost a paradox of science because we are taught to try and be as impersonal as possible so we can observe without influencing the results. But really that is impossible, science is a human activity and we cannot separate it from the people who do it.

      One of the things I hope you have all realised over the last two weeks is just how different scientists are, how we think different things are fun or important or scary. When science loses it’s connection to people, both the people who do it and the people it affects, bad things can happen, like the development of weapons, or unethical experiments that hurt living things or the environment. So for me it’s important that we all help remember science is human, and that that is a good thing.

    • Photo: Jacque Cilliers

      Jacque Cilliers answered on 16 Mar 2018:

      Amazing question!
      I think the biggest danger is always harming human, plant or animal life. The atomic bomb was invented, and the inventor always regretted it. This single invention lead to massive loss of life.

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