• Question: why the science is more important in this modern world?

    Asked by krishnadavid to David, James, Mike, Suze, Will on 17 Jun 2011. This question was also asked by thespaceinvader, scienceninja.
    • Photo: James Marrow

      James Marrow answered on 12 Jun 2011:

      We have a huge and growing population across the world, all demanding a rise in living standards (plus clean water, food, heating etc). This needs ENERGY – and we’ll only achieve this through science if we are to do it without ruining the earth further than we have already. There is plenty of coal for the next century (loads in India, China particularly), and perhaps even enough oil and gas, but we have no way of using these yet that does not cause global warming. There are alternatives and some interesting ideas about storing carbon dioxide, but none will fill this immense demand without new science.

      It would be good to debate these alternatives over the next couple of weeks.

    • Photo: David Ingram

      David Ingram answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      We cannot continue to waste precious fossil fuels by burning them for energy. Better science and engineering is needed for an alternative. Science can help – but was also responsible for some of the problems we have today.

    • Photo: William Eborall

      William Eborall answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      I’m not sure that science is more important now than it ever has been.

      I think it is more a case that science has moved relatively quickly over the past 200 years (getting faster and faster).

      This has created expectations and problems that we have had to solve.

      For example, as soon as the Xbox was released we were all wondering what would the next one be like? Well at that moment in time that console was the best, most advanced console man could make. In order to make the next one, to make something better and more advanced like the Xbox360 we needed new science to find a way to do this.

      If there had never been a games console made we wouldn’t have that expectation to make something better.

      So I think science is important now because we know what new exciting things it can bring – and we all want more of these things and sooner – therefore we need science.

    • Photo: Suze Kundu

      Suze Kundu answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      Looks like the boys have covered most points here, and from various viewpoints – I approve of your answers guys! Well done 🙂

      It really is a case of the saying, ‘necessity is the mother of all inventions’. Basically, people come up with solutions to problems, either as they happen, or as they predict they might happen. We monitor things around the world much more closely than we have ever done before, and as such, we’re faced with more potential problems. Science and technology combine in trying to solve these problems, or stop them from happening before they do!

    • Photo: Mike Dodd

      Mike Dodd answered on 17 Jun 2011:

      I think science is as important now as it has been through out the last 300-200 years. The discovery of antibiotics changed the world in the 20th century, with people no longer dying from curable diseases. Science will always be important to help develop new and renewable fuel (as mentioned by the others) and breakthroughs in medicine.

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