The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.

(Asimov) Examine the validity of the statement in light of recent scientific and technological advancements. Analysis of Question Requirements
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Keywords: science , knowledge , faster than , society , wisdom , examine the validity , recent scientific and technological advancements . These keywords tell us that we need to categorize recent advancements in both science and applied science ( technology ), and justify the validity of the statement. Wisdom : indicates society s discretion, caution, judgment and compassion. Recent : within the 21st century

Possible Thesis Statement The advancements in science and technology in this century has been increasing exponentially. It assumes various forms, having evolved with and manifested in our society. For instance, the bulky desktop computer from a decade ago has now been transformed into much more compact tablets, laptops, and even smartphones.The advancement in genetics have also been overwhelming, especially that of stem cells. Despite all these promising advancements, we have to take in mind the maxim knowledge is power by Sir Francis Bacon. With the knowledge conferred upon humans by Science, whether we use this power to benefit or harm society, the decision is in our hands. With regards to recent scientific and technological advancements, I feel that this statement by Asimov is true to a small extent, since there are many cases where this scenario is not observed. Suggested Structure and Central Arguments Recent developments do not validate: Asimov s statement is not validated in light of recent advancements in alternative energy sources y Traditional sources of energy: coal/fuel y Statistics have shown how carbon emissions have increased rapidly from 1990 to 2011, which indicates society s apathy towards the environment despite being aware about the environmental consequences. y However, research into alternative sources of energy has become more comprehensive. Leading to sources like nuclear power, which is a relatively cleaner source. y This indicates that society has taken steps to utilize scientific knowledge to reign in the negative corollaries. Asimov s statement is not validated in terms of advancements in the biological sciences y Human Genome Project (HGP): a nearly complete sequence of the human genome was released in 2004, which boosted our knowledge of the risk assessment for certain diseases and pharmacogenomics. y Risk assessment: risk of developing Eg Cancer due to genetic predispositions y Pharmacogenomics: find out which genes affect a person s response to a drug. y Possessing such information may cause ethical implications. The privacy and confidentiality of the information may not be ensured and there have been debates about the extent to which doctors should be given the ownership and control of such information. y The genetic information can be used to screen embryos for genetic disorders, but may also be abused to screen for desirable traits, leading to selective infanticide. y However, there have been many debates on the ethical implications of such information and in the process many regulations have been drawn up. This indicates that society is wise, to be cautious of its use (perhaps due to fear of a dystopian world as stated in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)

Recent developments validate the statement: Asimov s statement is validated in terms of the way society utilizes technology that was meant to provide us with an alternative source of energy y Society is unable to see the long term benefits that can be reaped with regards to reducing carbon emissions; many do not welcome it due to its high cost. y Nuclear power can be misused as a biological weapon. Mutual assured destruction was what prevented superpowers USA and USSR from using such weapons during the cold war. However, many more countries possess nuclear technology now (such as Iran/China/Israel), and their discretion cannot be ensured.What had caused Man to stop and think in the past may not hinder Man from opening the Pandora s Box of nuclear technology now. Asimov s statement is validated with regards to how society handles communication technology y Privacy issues are brought about by: o Abuse of surveillance cameras o Spyware that can steal bank information (yearly trading volume of this illegal market amounts to more than S$398 million) o Cellphone spying: enables users to detect the location of a person by complementing the use of GPS and appropriate software (egSingtel and Agis) o Hack attacks on major firms such as Sony, on authorities such as the Police (in charge of controlling illegal immigrant flow at US borders) by Anonymous and Lulzsec respectively. Technology is exploited to cause mayhem; the reputation and credibility of such these organizations are destroyed. Asimov s statement is validated with regards to how society handles scientific knowledge conferred by advancements in biological sciences y Euthanasia: An increasing number of people without terminal illness are seeking to end their lives, as exemplified by Switzerland s death tourism . This misuse of technology indicates the lack of discretion by society. y Technology used in abortion: such technology has no doubt saved the lives of many women who experienced complications during their gestation period, but it remains a fact that some use it as a means of getting rid of an unwanted surprise , indicating a lack of discretion and discipline. Debates with regards to abortion have been contentious; there does not seem to be a clear line in distinguishing abortion from killing a human life. y Tools used to make drugs may be misused to produce substandard products due to Man s greediness (eg 2008 tainted milk powder scandal in China)