Science and Society

Science and society are also co-evolving or as stated in the readings co-constructed bodies just as science and religion. Even though very closely similar, unlike religion society has the distinct power to control or regulate science, in earlier societies religion governed society and hence governed science but things change and for the most part society has begun or Tried to evolve independent from religion. The people or government in a society control science and what its allowed to research because the government and people establish what is acceptable and ethical as well as fund these pathways. Because scientist can only research the science, that they can get funded for
(as said in class not everyone is Bruce Wayne) society as of now seems to have a firm choke hold on science and its development only allowing it to breathe and expand as it chooses. Now this may sound like a horrible thing but there’s always two sides to every story. Because society has this control sciences will focus on the most pertinent things because that’s what people will fund, because no ones going to donate 3.5 billion dollars to research on the lung cancer of weasels and the chance of there being a crazed maniac like Dr.evil trying to take over the world with some super powered satellite laser is equally unlikely due to this fiscal and ethical controls. But this hold also prevents science from doing a lot of positive things as well or I think its better said as the most or more positive things. For example because of the ethical and fiscal restraints society has developed over science through their co-construction things like Malaria, Tuberculosis, Stem-cells and a quick and efficient cure for A.I.D.S; are not found cures for or researched in-depth because the companies or organizations that fund science based research want the things with the most revenue turn-out potential researched such as many non-life treating diseases or disorders like baldness, erectile malfunction or a fungal infections in toe nails. All things that are most likely to find them customers among the rich and middle class people of well off and economically stable countries. While things that could truly benefit man-kind as a whole are left up to the odds because their recipients are most likely to be poor citizens of war-torn and impoverished countries. But please don’t misinterpret what I’m saying some control is still better then none at all because science still gets a chance to do a lot of good things like the clean air act or the removal of harmful lead from gasoline and prosthetic limbs while societies constraints prevent or deter potentially harmful and “unethical” things like further research into nuclear warfare or animal testing