is our faith in science justified?

[drewskie68]

ok so ive got a paper i have to write in class tomorrow and the topic is "is our faith in science justified?" im just starting it cuz i just got out of work and i have nowhere to go on this paper. im taking the no position on it, but why not... i know that we rely on technology and science to do stuff for us that we could do, but what else is there??

[OpenTrackGT]

are we talkin faith in science like... science vs religion? or just faith in science like we depend on technology to advance us?

[drewskie68]

the second one

im thinking stuff like how we depend on science and technology to do everything for us
aka lexuses parking themselves... makes us lazy as a culture that we can not park our own cars

[OpenTrackGT]

Originally Posted by drewskie68

the second one

im thinking stuff like how we depend on science and technology to do everything for us
aka lexuses parking themselves... makes us lazy as a culture that we can not park our own cars

i personally think there is more support for the fact that we do have faith in tech. so yea i would go with that

[drewskie68]

lol yeah dude im kicking myself right now cuz we started it on wednesday but i didnt put too much thought into it and said that its not justified and so now i have to live with that crap decision and make it harder on myself

[aguilarf]

Don't know if this helps you
BBC News | TALKING POINT | Do we rely too much on computers?

Do you put too much faith in technology? at Experience Matters

Too much security reduces trust in online banking

[chips]

Without putting too much thought into it, I'll say that the short answer is "Yes and no".

Meaning,

The massive leaps made in science and technological advancement have changed the world in ways never thought possible. The quality of life for vast numbers of humans has risen to incredible levels. Science(a very broad term, if there ever was one) has served mankind well; just look at how it impacts your daily life. The computer you're using, the vehicle you're driving, the food you eat, the medications you take, etc, etc. I honestly don't think our society, as a whole, could survive without scientific research, development, advancement, and indoctrination into our lives.

This brings us to your question: "Is our faith in science justified?".

As I stated earlier, I would say that it is justified in some ways, but not in others. There are several factors to examine, but the first tidbit that pops into my mind is the issue of scientific theories being debunked. Many things thought of as "fact" in past years have been determined to be false. Give this some thought and you'll probably think of a few examples. Science is not to be taken as law... Theories that have been reached through proper scientific method and have been extensively reviewed, combed over, and finally accepted can usually be trusted; but there is always a possibility of a future discovery making that widely accepted theory null and void.

Another problem is "junk science"... I think you probably have a good idea of what this is. An excellent example I see on a daily basis are the television ads for things such as nutrition supplements. "Scientific studies" are cited and absurd claims are made.

This is where a cynical attitude earns its keep... Who did these studies? Who funded them? What was their motivation? Is it possible that the data may be skewed? Have other studies presented results that conflict with the findings of the original study? These are all things that the majority of the population does not take into account. They see catch phrases such as "scientific" or "proven" and blindly follow. This is where having too much faith can become an issue.


There's much more to it than that, but I'm tired and having a hard time thinking right now; I've just barely scratched the surface. Hopefully you'll be able to get a vague idea of which direction to bring your paper.

[ChrisGT2000]

Not bad so far and remember 2KY we thought all computers would crash and we would go back to stone age. We rely on technology too much and when things go down some of us wont know what to do. On the other hand scientific advancment and discoveries is very important for the future.

[lazer96gt]

I'll say it like this. What would happen if all satelites failed?

[Stumpy]

it is my opinion that science/technology has in a way dumbed down the youth of today. imagination and ingenuity and actual critical thinking has diminished. the internet just gives kids anything they want to know without having to really do any work to research. when i was in school, research involved a trip to the library and actually using the dewey decimal system (how many know what that is?) to find a book. and then, once it was found, i had to read the book and create my own synopsis of what it meant. now, just google it and you have 10,000 sites telling you what to think of what that book meant without even reading it. ask a junior high student to locate any one particular continent on a globe, an actual globe not the internet, and 33% can't do it. pretty sad that an American student can't find North America. but this is just my opinion. and if you don't believe me, ask a store clerk with fresh pimples on his face to do long division on a piece of paper without a calculator. the look on his face will be priceless.

[keg65]

I was thinking in medical terms.
I had cancer last year and received chemotherapy. The doctors said I needed it and it would cause other damage to my organs. But I just did what they said, i did get better, but I didn't really question them much.
I don't think I should have decided so easily, but I believed them, So I guess I have faith in science.
Even though in 2000 my mother died during a simple kidney stone operation. The idea of how to remove it was there, but due to operator error it failed.
Anyway, just some ideas to make you think or not, either way. Good luck