We owe all our prosperity to science

[garytse86]

We owe all our prosperity to science, what do you think about this topic?

 

[Nereid]

Originally posted by garytse86
We owe all our prosperity to science, what do you think about this topic?

But what facilitated the work of the scientists? For example, why wasn't there an Aztec Newton? or a Harappa Darwin?

And how about the implementation of science? It's not for lack of scientific knowledge that a Benin cotton farmer can't compete on world markets (and so become prosperous). An unemployed engineer in Belarus isn't prosperous, but that's not because his high school science education was worse than his counterpart in Boston.

 

[Monique]

What I worry about is the feedback of basic sciences to the industry/companies and to the doctors office.

Way to many doctors don't read up on scientific literature, but rather look up information is those year old books of them.

 

[garytse86]

What about the atomic bomb? If scientists did not discover the relationship between mass and nuclear energy, would there have been so many deaths? But personally, I do not think we can help it because it is the human nature really, to always want to find out the ultimate questions of the universe.

 

[Nereid]

Originally posted by garytse86
What about the atomic bomb? If scientists did not discover the relationship between mass and nuclear energy, would there have been so many deaths? But personally, I do not think we can help it because it is the human nature really, to always want to find out the ultimate questions of the universe.

What about the discovery of bacteria, and thus the basis for effective public health policies and antibiotics (these have increased the lifespan of far, far more people than were killed by atomic weapons)?

If it's human nature, why weren't the sorts of scientific discoveries that were made in Europe, from Newton's time onward (say), not made centuries earlier in China? Or Greece?
[ edit ] centuries earlier in what is today Peru?
or centuries earlier in what is today Pakistan/India? [ end edit; original was ambiguous ]

 

[Monique]

Human nature :), India definitely has some nice research facilities, but India was exploited in the past which threw the country back. It is all about how a nation is run, how much money is available.

The Greek has some nice inventors too, btw, in the past.

The climate in Europe would also be a factor: creation of leasure time if your stomach is full and don't have to worry about the absence of rains during summer.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Originally posted by garytse86
We owe all our prosperity to science, what do you think about this topic?

"Prosperity: the condition of being successful or thriving;esp: economic well-being

Hm. While its true that science has made it possible to spread prosperity farther than it could be in the past, I think it might be more on the mark to attribute prosperity to forms of government that encourage it, rather than neglect it, or discourage it.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Originally posted by Monique Way to many doctors don't read up on scientific literature, but rather look up information is those year old books of them.

I'm curious to know how you knew this.I don't think the average person realizes how far behind current research their doctors probably are. There doesn't seem to be any system set up for making sure doctors are keeping up with things, or for making sure important new information is diseminated to doctors.

 

[pace]

Difficult question. Yes, science plays a rather large part imho.