Q10 of 16 Page 13

Attempt to formulate your ‘moral’ views on the practice of science. Imagine yourself stumbling upon a discovery, which has great academic interest but is certain to have nothing but dangerous consequences for the human society. How, if at all, will you resolve your dilemma?

There are still so many hidden secrets in the universe. A discovery or invention cannot be hidden under the mask because man seeks progress. His enthusiasm leads to discoveries and inventions. It’s me or other, whoever may be every governing law of nature will be revealed. As a coin has two sides, knowledge too. It helps in the understanding of nature but also may cause harm. A wise knowledgeable person never hesitates to reveal his work to society.


But, the one who is using that knowledge have two options,


CONSTRUCTION or DESTRUCTION it depends one's perspective thinking and wisdom.


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8

It is often said that the world is witnessing now a second industrial revolution, which will transform the society as radically as did the first. List some key contemporary areas of science and technology, which are responsible for this revolution.

 9

Write in about 1000 words a fiction piece based on your speculation on the science and technology of the twenty-second century.

 11

Science, like any knowledge, can be put to good or bad use, depending on the user.

Given below are some of the applications of science. Formulate your views on whether the particular application is good, bad or something that cannot be so clearly categorized:


A. Mass vaccination against small pox to curb and finally eradicate this disease from the population. (This has already been successfully done in India).


B. Television for the eradication of illiteracy and for mass communication of news and ideas.


C. Prenatal sex determination


D. Computers for increase in work efficiency


E. Putting artificial satellites into orbits around the Earth


F. Development of nuclear weapons


G. Development of new and powerful techniques of chemical and biological warfare.


H. Purification of water for drinking


I. Plastic surgery


J. Cloning

 12

India has had a long and unbroken tradition of great scholarship — in mathematics, astronomy, linguistics, logic, and ethics. Yet, in parallel with this, several superstitious and obscurantist attitudes and practices flourished in our society and unfortunately continue even today — among many educated people too. How will you use your knowledge of science to develop strategies to counter these attitudes?