Re: “Scientists have little regard for public opinion,” letter, May 30.
The writer confuses science with technology. Science is a way of learning about the natural world — a flashlight, so to speak, that illuminates the darkness of ignorance. Technology is what humans do with the knowledge revealed by the flashlight of science.
Technology may be beneficial, harmful or just plain fun. Science enabled the invention of pesticides such as DDT, which initially appeared to be beneficial, but further science revealed them to be more harmful than beneficial.
It was through science that Louis Pasteur and his successors discovered microbes and their role in disease. If not for science, we might still be treating disease by attempting to balance body humours. Imagine an ebola epidemic without knowledge gained by modern medical science.
Science has warned us about the probable effects of continuing to release increasing amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Yet we burn ever-increasing amounts of fossil fuels.
The problem isn’t science — the problem is the mindless application of technology without a scientific examination of possible negative effects of the technology or worse, ignoring the warnings of science.
The flip side of science is ignorance.
Harvey Williams
Victoria
