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Biology 25 Online
OpenStudy (anonymous):

Scientific knowledge is generally considered to have a positive effect on society. In which situation would scientific knowledge most likely have a negative effect on society?

OpenStudy (anonymous):

religon

OpenStudy (anonymous):

for many reasons 1. science cannot disprove religion 2. people get offended 3. try explaining dinosaurs to a jew

OpenStudy (confluxepic):

Correct.

OpenStudy (anonymous):

thanks

OpenStudy (anonymous):

Knowledge generated by science has had many effects that most would classify as positive (e.g., allowing humans to treat disease or communicate instantly with people half way around the world); it also has had some effects that are often considered negative (e.g., allowing humans to build nuclear weapons or pollute the environment with industrial processes). However, it's important to remember that the process of science and scientific knowledge are distinct from the uses to which people put that knowledge. For example, through the process of science, we have learned a lot about deadly pathogens. That knowledge might be used to develop new medications for protecting people from those pathogens (which most would consider a positive outcome), or it might be used to build biological weapons (which many would consider a negative outcome). And sometimes, the same application of scientific knowledge can have effects that would be considered both positive and negative. For example, research in the first half of the 20th century allowed chemists to create pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Supporters argue that the spread of these technologies prevented widespread famine. However, others argue that these technologies did more harm than good to global food security. Scientific knowledge itself is neither good nor bad; however, people can choose to use that knowledge in ways that have either positive or negative effects. Furthermore, different people may make different judgments about whether the overall impact of a particular piece of scientific knowledge is positive or negative

OpenStudy (anonymous):

overkill dude

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