1- Is progress in science necessarily equivalent to progress in society?

2- When, how and why is scientific knowledge inherited to lay discourse?

Question 1’s Answer: Progress in science isn’t equivalent to progress in society. One cannot
be uplifted for the other to be left behind. If humans focus on a single area (science or society
in this case) humanity will either begin to lose it’s grip on reality and morality (if science is
uplifted) or start to lose its scientific values (if society is uplifted).

A good example for the case of science being uplifted is the case of Fritz Haber. Fritz Haber
was a famous chemist who invented the Haber-Bosch process, which synthesizes ammonia
from nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas and it is used in industry. This invention was really
important for the time because it basically created the fertilizers and explosives that we know
today. However, there is another side to Fritz’s story. He is also known as “The Father of
Chemical Warfare”, because in The Great War, he was the mind behind the weaponisation of
chlorine gas.

Fritz Haber uplifted progress in science and he made progress in society as a whole decline.
After this act of his, deadly chemicals being used in warfare was banned in the Geneva
Convention. So its safe to say that Fritz lost his morality and eventually, his grip on reality.
All of his friends abandoned him.

An example for the case of society being uplifted would be the Soviet Union. Officially
known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) would focus entirely on the worker
class and the Soviet Union would only advance in astronomy and other very niche deparments
of science. Their focus on the proletariat and their struggle would hinder scientific growth.

Question 2’s Answer: Scientific knowledge is definitely inherited to lay discourse.

For the case of when, scientific knowledge creates discourse in times of peace and prosperity.
In wars where nations get wiped off the map, the scientific knowledge that exists in those
wiped off nations doesn’t create discourse (and even if it somehow does, it’s not a healthy
discourse).

A great example is the Republic of Poland. Poland, through it’s war-torn years, couldn’t
develop anything scientific and there was no discourse. There were scientists but war and the
battle for survival were more important. We know that the Poles are capable of making
scientific discoveries, especially discoveries in chemistry, so it’s not about the nation or the
people not having enough experience or other factors.

For the case of how, let’s say that a scientist makes a new discovery. He publishes this
discovery to any type of media and when other people see this discovery, they begin thinking
and talking about it. Specifically, they first think and then talk. Especially people who also
have an expertise around the subject that the discovery was made. Therefore, discourse will
start and hearing critiques will most likely make everyone who was interested in the subject
better at the subject. Therefore, this scientific discovery will start discourse.
A good example would be the lightbulb. Thomas Edison’s invention was of course great for
the time but eventually, through discourse may I remind you, the invention was improved
upon. Today we have LED lights which are better than the original lightbulb ever was. If
scientific discovery wouldn’t start discourse, then discoveries would never be improved upon.

And for the case of why, it’s quite simple. Scientific knowledge can only grow and prosper in
debates and discussions. It can still exist without them but it will be very weak and not very
reliable. Scientific knowledge creates discourse and discourse makes scientific knowledge
better. In order for one to exist usefully, the other needs to exists aswell.

An example would the United States of America. USA has a freedom of speech and it has
universities that are the very best in the world and a ton of scientific advancements to it’s
name. Thinking that freedom of speech has to do something with these achievements
wouldn’t be unreasonable.