Calamba Doctors’ College

A. Y. 2022-2023
Science Technology and Society

Name: Yeowan Sebastian S. Bagsic Section: BSN2-B

Lewis Wolpert's The Medawar Lecture 1998 Is Science Dangerous?

1. Difficult Concepts
a.) Eugenics
b.) Politics
c.) Conflation of Science and Technology

2. Learning Insights
a.) before reading the article, I thought that…
- Science and Technology are the same thing.

However, after reading the article, I now think/ learned that…

- Technology is the use of scientific knowledge for various applications
that can either be beneficial or detrimental to society. Science is the
process of discovering new knowledge by observation,
experimentation, and also the outcome of human curiosity.

b.) before reading the article, I thought that…

- Science is dangerous, that scientists focuses on the results while
disregarding the ethical issues that may arise in the process of research.

However, after reading the article, I now think/ learned that…

- Some of them do not ignore the immoral nature of some of the
practices. I believe that some form of Hippocratic oath should be
required of scientists, but it would be difficult to implement given that
many scientific discoveries are made by accident and that no one
can foresee precisely what will be discovered or how it would be
applied. Additionally, science is used as a tool by those in positions of
authority, and scientists are used to further their interests in power and
wealth. Additionally, not all scientists and scientific disciplines are
detrimental to society. As stated in the article, a number of factors
influence how society perceived science , and this perception can
occasionally be nonsensical owing to media misinformation,
widespread fear, and anxiety.

c.) before reading the article, I thought that…

- The purpose of all branches of science is to make progress to make
the world a better place.

However, after reading the article, I now think/ learned that…

- In their pursuit of perfection, supremacists believe that they are
improving the world by eradicating "weakness" in order to create a
more superior race of people. Racism has become more prevalent as
a result of Charles Davenport's scientific proof of how certain racial
traits are ingrained in their gene pools. Davenport claimed that Poles
were independent even though they were clannish, Italians tended to
commit crimes of personal violence, prostitution is genetically
determined and Negroes were inferior. Nobody by birth intended to be
a criminal or a prostitute. DNA does not entirely affect a person's
identity, but by the decisions they choose defines their purpose.
Despite the claims of eugenicist, science still aids in the progression of
humanity, however some progress are still questionable or just
regarded as a nuisance or a political agenda.

3. Discussion Questions
a.) Is eugenics still practiced nowadays?
b.) What is the penalty for scientists who don't make their research's
social impacts and technical applications public?
c.) If they are not bound by an oath, how far would scientists go to
advance their research? What may the remedy be in this situation?

1. What is the issue or problem depicted in the photograph?

- If you were asked on who wrote the popular equation E=mc2, you
would proudly say Albert Einsten, and if someone asked who created
the theory of gravity many would proudly say Isaac Newton. But if you
were asked who created the atomic bomb paved the way for
proliferation of the atomic age, few would say Robert J. Oppenheimer.
The point is that the discovery of these scientists varied in public opinion
and morality, notably the creation of the most destructive weapon in
human history. Robert J. Oppenheimer is considered to be the "Father
of the Atomic bomb" as he was appointed as the director and a head
of the manhattan project which developed the hydrogen bomb,
known as project "trinity" which is the first nuclear detonation test that
occured in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Oppenheimer's position was clear;
he did not believe in the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and he did
not hesitate to express his opinion in public. His position disturbed many
of those in power in Washington. The main issue is that Oppenheimer
feared his creation and was considered by the country he served as
"unpatriotic" and suspected him as a soviet spy during the cold war.
During the end of WW2, President Truman ordered the use of nuclear
weapon on Japan to prevent an all out invasion of the country that
would result in thousands of American lives, Oppenheimer was against
the idea however he was not in authority to decline. The use and
effects of the atomic bomb to the civilian population was detrimental
and at that time was not considered as war crime due to its first use.

2. How does this particular issue or problem impact the well-being of

humans today?
- The reality is that most of the population nowadays does not know
what is a nuclear weapon and if asked they would just answer it simply
stating it is just another weapon. However this is different during the
course of the Cold war, wherein two major country were on the verge
of destroying each other and the world with them. The Cold war is
different from any other kind of war, during this time people fear the
end of times, so-called "the red scare." The USA and USSR fear each
other that they began stockpilling WMD's or weapons of mass
destruction, during these years, the arms race began, research and
development of technology increased to further the advancement of
weaponry in hopes that one would have the advantage against the
other in a nuclear exchange. People in the modern era should worry
due to the changes in the geopolitics, this generation should be aware
of the danger posed by nuclear weapons and there will always be the
possibility that the major world powers would use them.

3. Why is it important for people to study and learn about STS as an

academic field especially in addressing the issue or problem depicted
in the photograph?
- STS aims to discuss the history, philosophy and sociology of science. It
also seeks to close the gap between humaities and natural science so
that students and others will be able to confront the challenges of
science and technology in the modern world. The issue depicted in the
photograph is one of the million scientific issues discussed worldwide
and some are much more dangerous than the other. Through STS, we
would be able to tackle the moral and ethical dilemma of these
technological advancements.