• Question: how has science changed the lives of you and people around you?

    Asked by anon-201695 to Sophia, Meirin, Andy on 15 Mar 2019.
    • Photo: Meirin Oan Evans

      Meirin Oan Evans answered on 15 Mar 2019:

      Wow great question.
      The short answer is that science makes the world a better place.
      I see 4 main ways that science changes people’s lives.
      1. Curiousity and exploration. Humans have evolved to be naturally curious about the world around them. By doing science we can try answer all the questions that arise from this curiosity. For example, what else is there beyond Earth?
      2. Everyday applications. Some science research is directly improving people’s lives, such as speeding up particles to treat cancer. Even science research that isn’t immediately trying to find everyday applications eventually does. Science pushes forward the boundaries of technology, then this technology makes its way into everyday life. For example, the World Wide Web was invented at a particle physics lab to deal with their huge amounts of data, then the World Wide Web was made available outside particle physics!
      3. Collaboration. A crucial part of science is working with others. The biggest science experiments on Earth have thousands of scientists all working on the same experiment. These scientists come from all over the world. So not only does science teach you to work with others, it teaches you how to work with others from a variety of backgrounds, nationalities, religions, cultures… This working together is done peacefully, since everyone is working towards the same common goal. I know of people who’s countries are at war with each other, but they’re still collaborating scientifically, and I think that’s beautiful.
      4. Training for the future. Science gives people so many useful skills, whether they stay in science or not. The ability to take in various sources of information, then evaluate the evidence to decide on the most logical conclusion comes in handy all the time. This skill is so important in daily life, such as making decisions about acting on climate change or vaccinating your children.
      Like I said, science is making the world a better place.

    • Photo: Sophia Pells

      Sophia Pells answered on 15 Mar 2019:

      Interesting question. I think science has changed the life of everyone in the world. Pretty much all inventions and technological advancements come from science.

      I really like @Meirin’s answer. Especially the part about collaboration!

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