Poll: Has Science Been Beneficial or Detrimental to Humanity?

[Skeptic7]

2 minutes ago, Tony125 said:

Although science has  made huge advances in prolonging life, quality of life and fight against diseases   you forget it also developed fearsome weapons such as the atomic/hydrogen bombs, machine guns/tanks, poison gases,  Intercontinental misssiles .

Quite a bizarre and totally inaccurate assumption.. positing that I forgot weaponry. Haven't forgotten any of that. When I started this thread and created this poll, weaponry was an argument for "Detrimental" I fully expected. Totally understandable, but for you to state that I wasn't privy or didn't recollect or was disregarding something so blatantly obvious is ridiculous. 

 

My take is simply that the overall benefits have far outweighed the detriments. It's fine if you don't agree. Cast your vote, state your thoughts...but please don't assume to know mine.

[Tug]

Science has been a boon to mankind absolutely no doubt about it 

[Hummin]

1 hour ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

As others have pointed out, except for those who ate overripe fruit and got drunk, any human intervention in making it happen involves science.

You may be right that those who got through childhood lived a similar life till now but to state the obvious what a crappy life it was for most. Back breaking work, terrible food and living conditions, one bad year and no food, horrible diseases wiping out your neighborhood.

Thanks smart people and science.

Alot human inventions, is already created by nature, we just learn to copy nature and learn how to use it in a controlled way. 

[Skeptic7]

At this moment we're over 91% voting Hugely Beneficial. As I stated earlier in the thread, I would introduce this poll to what I believe to be the longest running thread ever on ThaiVisa/AseanNow. It's "do you believe in god and why?" thread started April 2019 and is still active 32 months on. 

 

My thinking is that there's going to be a sudden rise in Hugely Detrimental numbers, which currently stands at less than 6%. 4 votes. This should be fun. ????

Edited December 28, 2021 by Skeptic7

[1FinickyOne]

On 12/26/2021 at 4:34 PM, Kwasaki said:

scientists are just do as ordinary people do disagree.

No we don't!

[Burma Bill]

On 12/26/2021 at 4:12 PM, Skeptic7 said:

Some against all fields and all knowledge.

Not me!  IMO this is one of the top scientists of his day - Sir Alexander Fleming who discovered Penicillin.

 

[Kwasaki]

1 minute ago, 1FinickyOne said:

No we don't!

I don't agree with you. ????????

[seedy]

2 hours ago, 2009 said:

Jeez.

You were the one saying -

#1 - I got it in Thailand

#2 - implying I am a hypodermic needle user

Shades of Big Nurse !

Miss the assume part ?

[DBath]

On 12/27/2021 at 6:19 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

It seems 4 American MAGA fanboys answered already.

 

 

Such an ignorant statement is uncharacteristic of you, OMF. How do you know these 4 voters are American, let alone MAGA fanboys, as you call them? BTW, I voted “Hugely Beneficial”, so no need to bother wasting your time jumping to conclusions as far as I’m concerned.

????

Edited December 28, 2021 by DBath

[Thingamabob]

I was pro-science until covid. Now I'm not so sure 

[OneMoreFarang]

15 minutes ago, DBath said:

Such an ignorant statement is uncharacteristic of you, OMF. How do you know these 4 voters are American, let alone MAGA fanboys, as you call them? BTW, I voted “Hugely Beneficial”, so no need to bother wasting your time jumping to conclusions as far as I’m concerned.

????

It seems for most people my comment is self explaining. But you ask so nice so let me answer:

Not long ago I read that there are still about 70% GOP voters who think Trump won the last election. 

And then there are all those religious Americans who think the earth is about 6000 years old.

And those are obviously only two examples from a long list.

My conclusion from that is: Lots of Americans believe strange things. I don't really care if they believe in this god or that, because that is a question of believe. But if they believe in things which are contrary to facts then they obviously don't care much about science.

And if you really have to ask me why I think MAGA fans are the worst of them then maybe you should look at the news from time to time. And I mean news, not fox or facebook or such things.

[richard_smith237]

4 people have (this far) voted hugely detrimental. 

 

I wonder if they realise that without science its very likely they’d have passed away already.

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

At this moment we're over 91% voting Hugely Beneficial. As I stated earlier in the thread, I would introduce this poll to what I believe to be the longest running thread ever on ThaiVisa/AseanNow. It's "do you believe in god and why?" thread started April 2019 and is still active 32 months on. 

 

My thinking is that there's going to be a sudden rise in Hugely Detrimental numbers, which currently stands at less than 6%. 4 votes. This should be fun. ????

It surprises me that the ‘God’ thread is so large. 

 

To borrow a ‘Dawkins analogy’....  I wouldn’t be interested in a thread discussing a celestial Teapot orbiting the earth, equally so the idea of discussing something which does not exist seems preposterous. 

 

Science is potentially the open minded study of and discussion of investigation into something we do not know or want to know. For this to take place we need theory, hypothesis and elements of proof.

 

I see no element of proof of the existence of any supernatural beings, including a god (or such by any other name).

 

Science has presented proof overwhelming advantages to humanity to such an overwhelming degree the topic becomes somewhat moot. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 28, 2021 by richard_smith237

[Tippaporn]

On 12/26/2021 at 4:12 PM, Skeptic7 said:

Seems odd to me that some people nowadays are pushing back against science. Some against all fields and all knowledge. That it's been harmful, deceitful or fraudulent in myriad ways. I certainly don't get what's going on. Feel free to chime in.

Take yer blinders off Skeptic, fer Krist's sake.  LOL

Partially joking, Skeptic.  Partially.  If your finger pointing is aimed in my direction (uh-huh) then I'd like to add a little accuracy to what I would term a blinkered perception of some of the "anti-science" views which seem to confuse you.  Which perception, I might add, now also is interpreted as anti-knowledge views?  (As hilarious as that sounds, pray tell when did THAT happen?)

As Joe Biden likes to say, here's the deal.  Anyone with even average perceptive abilities has probably noticed that there's "good" and "bad" in everything.  When "some" people accentuate the "good" to the point where the "bad" becomes invisible . . . or non-existent . . . then why does pushback surprise and shock you?  LOL

 

Oh, it's not so much the pushback that's at issue but more the fact that "some" ardent disciples of Science (capitalised) simply cannot tolerate or accept that their God has any failings.  Heavens no!  Erm, no such thing as heaven so golly no.

I did not vote and will pass on it because I can't find any applicable categories.  Why?  To me it's a silly question that can never be answered in the context in which it has been asked.  What possible and imaginary yardstick do you propose to use as an accurate measurement device to conclusively determine whether Science is gooder or badder?  LOL  Guess what?  There is none.  All you've done, Skeptic, in my humble opinion, is to start an endless debate which can never be won by either side.  Just pit people against each other.

Science is used for good and it is used for bad.  Period.  Full stop.  End of story.  There's not much more to say than that.  But don't take my word for it.  Knock yourself out.  Draw a long, long line down the center of a scroll (you'll need a very, very long one), write "GOOD" on one side and "BAD" on the other and then make endless lists of Science's Evil doings and Science's Angelic doings.  (Damn it, it's impossible to get away from those pesky religious concepts.)  As long as it's fun and brings you happiness that's all that's important.

 

Cheers, mate.

[Hummin]

4 minutes ago, Tippaporn said:

Take yer blinders off Skeptic, fer Krist's sake.  LOL

Partially joking, Skeptic.  Partially.  If your finger pointing is aimed in my direction (uh-huh) then I'd like to add a little accuracy to what I would term a blinkered perception of some of the "anti-science" views which seem to confuse you.  Which perception, I might add, now also is interpreted as anti-knowledge views?  (As hilarious as that sounds, pray tell when did THAT happen?)

As Joe Biden likes to say, here's the deal.  Anyone with even average perceptive abilities has probably noticed that there's "good" and "bad" in everything.  When "some" people accentuate the "good" to the point where the "bad" becomes invisible . . . or non-existent . . . then why does pushback surprise and shock you?  LOL

 

Oh, it's not so much the pushback that's at issue but more the fact that "some" ardent disciples of Science (capitalised) simply cannot tolerate or accept that their God has any failings.  Heavens no!  Erm, no such thing as heaven so golly no.

I did not vote and will pass on it because I can't find any applicable categories.  Why?  To me it's a silly question that can never be answered in the context in which it has been asked.  What possible and imaginary yardstick do you propose to use as an accurate measurement device to conclusively determine whether Science is gooder or badder?  LOL  Guess what?  There is none.  All you've done, Skeptic, in my humble opinion, is to start an endless debate which can never be won by either side.  Just pit people against each other.

Science is used for good and it is used for bad.  Period.  Full stop.  End of story.  There's not much more to say than that.  But don't take my word for it.  Knock yourself out.  Draw a long, long line down the center of a scroll (you'll need a very, very long one), write "GOOD" on one side and "BAD" on the other and then make endless lists of Science's Evil doings and Science's Angelic doings.  (Damn it, it's impossible to get away from those pesky religious concepts.)  As long as it's fun and brings you happiness that's all that's important.

 

Cheers, mate.

It is not that simple, as it can be used as good and bad. The end! 

 

Science keeps the society moving with new discoveries, new goals, new standards, dreams and so on! 

 

Without science it will be a dead end, Status Q!

Edited December 28, 2021 by Hummin

[Tippaporn]

Good or bad?  LOL  The things Science is willing to toy with.  Looks like a giant virus to me . . . 

 

[Tippaporn]

4 minutes ago, Hummin said:

It is not that simple, as it can be used as good and bad. The end! 

 

Science keeps the society moving with new discoveries, new goals, new standards, dreams and so on! 

 

Without science it will be a dead end, Status Q!

Science is a double edged sword.  You can cut with it or be cut by it.  It doesn't get any simpler.  If you say that it's not that simple then please explain what the complexity is.

For those who don't have some of the back story to this poll I'll shed some light.  At least from my perspective.  Quite a while ago I was posting on the "God" thread and noticed that those with "unscientific" views would be subject to a lot of ridicule by those whose views were strictly and rigidly of the "scientific" mind.  At that time I was one of those who pointed out that, hey, science has it's failings, too, ya know.  Multiple times I would offer up my outright appreciation of science's accomplishments and clarify that while I am eternally grateful for those achievements I am also not blind to it's failings, some of which one might term to be unspeakable.  I must have stepped on some toes and the pain caused the appreciation I expressed to become invisible . . . . or non-existent . . . and I was vilified by some for my heresy.

Well, in truth it was more than that.  Some of Science's adherents on that thread averred that Science was undoubtedly capable of finding all of The Answers To Life which religion had thus far failed to do.  I, for one, had the audacity to suggest that Science has major shortcomings built into it in that it completely discounts subjective reality and claims objective reality to be the one and only reality which exists.

 

Anyway, long story short, the fisticuffs began (or perhaps and most likely started much earlier, since I wasn't around during the genesis of that thread).  The above was, more or less, the birth throes of this poll.   Am I in error on any of this, Skeptic?

[BritManToo]

49 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Science keeps the society moving

I thought it was trade and commerce that kept society moving?

[ozimoron]

54 minutes ago, Tippaporn said:

Take yer blinders off Skeptic, fer Krist's sake.  LOL

Partially joking, Skeptic.  Partially.  If your finger pointing is aimed in my direction (uh-huh) then I'd like to add a little accuracy to what I would term a blinkered perception of some of the "anti-science" views which seem to confuse you.  Which perception, I might add, now also is interpreted as anti-knowledge views?  (As hilarious as that sounds, pray tell when did THAT happen?)

As Joe Biden likes to say, here's the deal.  Anyone with even average perceptive abilities has probably noticed that there's "good" and "bad" in everything.  When "some" people accentuate the "good" to the point where the "bad" becomes invisible . . . or non-existent . . . then why does pushback surprise and shock you?  LOL

 

Oh, it's not so much the pushback that's at issue but more the fact that "some" ardent disciples of Science (capitalised) simply cannot tolerate or accept that their God has any failings.  Heavens no!  Erm, no such thing as heaven so golly no.

I did not vote and will pass on it because I can't find any applicable categories.  Why?  To me it's a silly question that can never be answered in the context in which it has been asked.  What possible and imaginary yardstick do you propose to use as an accurate measurement device to conclusively determine whether Science is gooder or badder?  LOL  Guess what?  There is none.  All you've done, Skeptic, in my humble opinion, is to start an endless debate which can never be won by either side.  Just pit people against each other.

Science is used for good and it is used for bad.  Period.  Full stop.  End of story.  There's not much more to say than that.  But don't take my word for it.  Knock yourself out.  Draw a long, long line down the center of a scroll (you'll need a very, very long one), write "GOOD" on one side and "BAD" on the other and then make endless lists of Science's Evil doings and Science's Angelic doings.  (Damn it, it's impossible to get away from those pesky religious concepts.)  As long as it's fun and brings you happiness that's all that's important.

 

Cheers, mate.

So, the obvious conclusion that it isn't science that's good or evil, it's people. The same argument is used for guns, it's not the guns that kill people. Science is a very good thing, just like all knowledge, no exceptions. It's the way that the knowledge is used which is beneficial or not. Not science itself.

[BritManToo]

5 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

So, the obvious conclusion that it isn't science that's good or evil, it's people. The same argument is used for guns, it's not the guns that kill people. Science is a very good thing, just like all knowledge, no exceptions. It's the way that the knowledge is used which is beneficial or not. Not science itself.

Would point out it's much harder to kill lots of people if you only have swords and knives.

Science makes mass killing a lot easier.

I'm thinking there would be a lot less American 'peace keeping' activities if all the drone pilots and missile men were issued with spears and clubs.

Edited December 28, 2021 by BritManToo

[ozimoron]

Just now, BritManToo said:

Would point out it's much harder to kill lots of people if you only have swords and knives.

Science makes mass killing a lot easier.

I'm thinking there would be a lot less American 'peace keeping' activities if all the drone pilots and missile men were issued with spears and clubs.

You won't get argument from me about the war weapons but it isn't the science, it's the way it's used. Removing technology and science would make all our lives much worse. Society was not better after the books were burned. The world was not more moral after Portnoy's Complaint was banned.

[TropicalGuy]

Science +Reason / Logic + Education +Democracy =Light (West & Allies)

Religion +Dogma +Unreason +Dictators+Terror = Dark (Everywhere Else)

Light has Freed Humanity from Dark & enabled Civilized Modern Society through Enlightenment&Industrial Revolution.Misguided Folk everywhere.

Uncivilized Humanity have Chosen to remain Dark having Stolen Western Science only for Power.

Science Never Killed Anyone. Only Humans Kill, by Applied Science.

Guns & Missiles don’t themselves Design, Arm, Aim & Shoot ……

Science however, has already given us AI & WMD & Pollution, which in hands of Dark or Misguided Humans, will ultimately end Humanity.

 

 

 

[2009]

2 hours ago, seedy said:

You were the one saying -

#1 - I got it in Thailand

#2 - implying I am a hypodermic needle user

Shades of Big Nurse !

Miss the assume part ?

#1 - If you read back, you'll see it was @BritManToo who said you flew to Thailand and got it, not me. I was replying to his post.

 

#2 - I thought he was implying that Hep C is an STD due to his mention of Thailand. I was simply pointing out that it is transmitted by needles, not sex. I didn't say you use needles in a recreational way.

 

How or where you got it is none of my business, but it is transmitted by needles, blood transfusions, transplants etc etc are the mode of transport. It is not considered an STD.

 

 

 

Edited December 28, 2021 by 2009

[Skeptic7]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

It surprises me that the ‘God’ thread is so large

453 pages! and counting, tho the thread's been dead for quite some time IMO. The few hardcore Christians slinked away with heads down and tails between their legs LONG ago. The "mystics" and "spiritualists" ???? were very few but much more persistent, despite also having nothing resembling evidence to bring to the discussion.

 

What surprises me most is that it's even a serious topic in 21st Century!  Regardless, it's always fun using those pesky things like reason, logic, rational thought and skepticism against the superstitious. They also detest being asked to provide another pesky thing known as evidence to back up their wild claims and giant leaps of faith. 

 

Started a Poll here almost 3 years back on belief in god. 71% of respondents answered NO. Personally, thought it would be a bit higher. Have a look...

 

 

 

 

 

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, 2009 said:

How or where you got it is none of my business, but it is transmitted by blood on blood contact and needles, transfusions, transplants etc etc are the mode of transport. It is not considered an STD.

I'm still claiming without science he wouldn't have got it.

[Tippaporn]

9 minutes ago, TropicalGuy said:

<snip>

Science however, has already given us AI & WMD & Pollution, which in hands of Dark or Misguided Humans, will ultimately end Humanity.

Hey, as long as consciousness is independent of form who cares?  Right?

[2009]

Just now, BritManToo said:

I'm still claiming without science he wouldn't have got it.

Agreed.

[Hummin]

36 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I thought it was trade and commerce that kept society moving?

No science, no trading or commerce ????????

[Tippaporn]

4 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

At this moment we're over 91% voting Hugely Beneficial.

<snip>

OMG!!  Subjectivity is your yardstick???  Scientists around the world should collectively pen a letter declaring this poll to be a sham!!

[JensenZ]

On 12/26/2021 at 4:18 PM, Cake Monster said:

If it were not for Science, we would still all be living in Caves and eating raw meat.

Bit of a no -brainer question really

Perhaps not raw meat. Scientists claim fire was used as far back as 1 million years ago (found microscopic traces of wood ash).

 

So now people live in concrete canyons and watch TV or their phones. It's not that much different really, expecially during lockdown. The increased personal communication between fellow humans living in caves before cell phones were invented might have made for a happier existence. One thing is for certain - they lived by the day and were not stressed out about some uncertain future.

 

Edited December 28, 2021 by JensenZ