THE ROLE OF SCIENCE: SERVE SOCIETY.

CHEMISTRY: THIRD QUARTER.

Instructions.
Read carefully the following document, think deeply about it, and once you do this,
answer the worksheet that will be handled to you.

Science is the greatest collective contributor to humanity. It allows us to have a better and
longer life, takes care of our health, it gives us health drugs to cure our ailments and diseases,
alleviates our sufferings and pains, helps us to acquire water for our basic needs- including
food—it provides energy and makes our lives more bearable, can have an important role in
sports, music, hobbies and the latest communication technologies. Finally, and last but not
least, science feeds our spirits.

Science offers solutions to life´s daily challenges and helps us finding answers to those great
mysteries of humanity. In other words, is one of the most important tools for accessing
knowledge. It has a fundamental role from which society benefits from: generates new
knowledge, improves education and increases our quality of life.
Science must respond to the great necessities of society and to all world challenges. The great
public must take conscience and be committed to science, and citizens ‘participation –including
scientific divulgation—are essential for individuals having enough information in order to make
rational decisions at the personal and professional level. Governments must base their
decisions –sanitary, agricultural, educational, planning, etc.--based on high quality scientific
information and parliaments that legislate on social issues have to know the latest research on
each and every subject of social importance for citizens. National governments need to know
the scientific aspects of the great world challenges such as: climate change, ocean integrity,
biodiversity loss, and the conservation and security of drinking water,
In order to face the challenges of sustainable development, governments and citizens must
understand the language of science and acquire a scientific culture. Also, the community of
scientists have to understand the problems governments face and make a great effort to find
pertinent and understandable solutions for the government and society.
Today’s challenges are multidisciplinary and cover the whole life cycle of innovation—starting
at research, followed by development of knowledge, and ending in their application--. Science,
technology and innovation must lead us toward a more equitable and sustainable
development.