Dr. Khelsoril Wanbe
St. Joseph College, Jakhama
If we were to weigh the boons and limitations of scientific advancement on a balance, which of the two would weigh the heavier? The rate and width of technological strides have so enormously increased that these days, far greater number and degree of scientific wonders are taking place in the space of just a decade or a year than what would normally have taken a century or two a few centuries ago.
These scientific wonders are manifested in the coming into existence of myriad brands of mobile phones, laptops, cars, planes, trains, TVs, cameras, automatic weapons, healing drugs, satellites, spacecrafts, telescopes ……… Life indeed seems to have become very short. Too short to enjoy all the myriads of funs and pleasures that new scientific inventions have to offer! Even here in India, the delicious fruits of science and technology are being relished more than ever before. Look at the plushy cars and luxurious four wheelers whizzing and zooming through the broad highways and streets of Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Imphal etc. The fabulously wealthy denizens of the cities seem to be enjoying the bliss of hyper modern world to the maximum limit. The air-conditioned BMWs, Rolls Royce, Mercedes, Toyotas, private jets and helicopters and so and so forth are making life more and more enjoyable despite the ever rising temperatures in the cities. “What is there to be worried about if you have money?” seems to be the philosophy in vogue in this rapidly urbanized world. “Earn more money; make more money if you want to enjoy life to the brim” is the new doctrine of this post-modern religion.
And with regard to sicknesses and diseases, what is there to be worried about; there is nothing called fatal or lethal disease. Even the most dreaded HIV and AIDS now seem to have been curbed to the utmost. The once dreaded malaria, diarrhea, cholera, TB, Leprosy and cancer have been vanquished.
What about the obstacles posed by distance factor? The number of trains, airplanes and helicopters has multiplied so many times over that the fear of distant travelling has come down very low to the ground level! Air tickets too seem to be getting cheaper with the rising airlines competition. Provided you have money, going to America is now as simple as visiting your native village just about fifty kilometers away from Imphal! The time is fast approaching when space travel will become as common as going to China or Africa.
Information superhighway too is ever getting smoother and wider. Television and internet are catering to all kinds of information, and all sorts of sensational and sensual needs of all kinds of people- straight or crooked.
Hot or cold, what is there to worry about? Modern electricity is the answer to all kinds of climatic extremities-hot or cold; Kalahari or Siberia makes no difference, provided you have the required energy at your disposal. Yes, electricity in the modern life can perform miracles and magic. Electricity seems, to me, the greatest scientific invention as it is involved/required in almost any kind of technological activity. Of course, petrol still plays the dominant role in the generation of energy to perform magic and thus has been one major cause of global conflict, especially between USA and Arab countries like Iraq and Iran. No better alternative has yet been discovered to replace the role of gasoline. However, scientists are optimistic about finding a viable non-conventional renewable energy in the not so distant future.
So, Science has been able to provide more and more answers and solutions to the perennial questions and problems of humankind. And we may be tempted to ask- “What is there that man has not conquered?” Man has conquered distance; man has conquered dreaded diseases; man/woman has conquered space- to some limit; man has conquered the problem of hot and cold etc.
But there are still problems and questions which science has not been able to solve! Has science been able to conquer death? Has science been able to stop wars and other violent conflicts? Has science been able to cure all kinds of human sicknesses? Still so many people die of different types of cancer and other diseases in USA! Has science been able to get the earth rid of blindness? Has science been able to solve the problem of corruption and unemployment? Has science been able to reduce human greed and lust for power? Has science been able to rid the earth of destructive weapons? Has science been able to solve the problem of famine and earthquake? Has science been able to solve the problem of economic disparity?
Yes, science has solved many human difficulties and problems. It has been able to increase the health and longevity of human beings. But, human beings continue to die when they reach a certain age, say 120 years at the most, in Japan! But it is still beyond the ability of science to prevent accidental deaths and injuries. A person who has been involved in a plane crash or bomb explosion is very unlikely to be discovered in an intact condition, forget about bringing him back to life! A person who has lost his eyesight due to a bullet hit is very unlikely to recover it despite the high advancement that medical science has attained. So, science still is not a solution to all the problems of human beings. But, undeniably, science has considerably reduced the hardship of a human life. It has greatly increased the comfort, pleasure and enjoyment of life or mankind!
from The Morung Express
via The Morung Express
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