How do we allow scientific innovation without ruining the world?

[NL Hartje]

I think we are getting to the point that there will have to be more regulations and limits. It is hard to keep anything private and sometimes hard to protect ourselves emotionally.

This is precisely where my thinking lies Julia. It seems that innovation will keep moving forward, specifically with regards to technology. The only way to be smart is to set proper guidelines and implement parameters for following them...or so I hope

[Poppy Drear]

The answer, in my eyes, is simple: educate the populace about science.

Just look up "dihydrogen monoxide", the dangerous chemical responsible for thousands of deaths each year, which is implicated in fracking, and is a major component of drinking water. Dihydrogen monoxide, of course, is another name for water.

Scientific advancement needs a scientifically literate society to keep it in check, without hindering it. If people panic at new discoveries without understanding them, or accept all science as good and ethical, problems will undoubtedly arise.

[Katepcell13]

No doubt, every new innovation has it's pros and cons. Now it's on us how effectively we use the particular technology for the benefit of mankind. Gun is an important innovation. But it is the negative use, which is devastating society. There should be an effective control on gun's usage to avoid its harms.

I agree as well. Technology has its pros and cons but I think we’re letting the cons of everything win out in our society. Guns and social media are two I know are well over played both many pros but so many cons that we choose to ignore.

[Human314]

Scientific advancement and the natural progression of technology is never evil. Einstein's discoveries led to the creation of the atomic bomb but Einstein's discoveries were not evil, what the US government did with his discoveries was the evil thing. All scientific advancement has the potential to be used for great good as well as for great evil. It is only because humanity is obsessed with finding new ways to kill one another that science is applied in such ways.

[Amystl26]

It is clear to state that with each new innovation that is incredible and "makes our lives easier and more connected" there are a high amount of pros and cons on both sides. Yes, the elaborate use of technology, the speed, the advances are amazing. The repercussions that the advantageous inventions have can be cumbersome: the regulations that must be set, the responsibility for such use. I'm with SparklesonPages on this one: I won't even begin to feign the ability to solve such a conundrum. The inventions of quicker, better, more advanced technology in such a vast population of people is just that-- a conundrum.

[Jeyasivananth]

This is a question that has plagued mankind for years. Every invention comes at a price. It comes with a responsibility. It is not the invention rather it is the mind that wields it that causes havoc. That can happen only if we do not make a skewed growth. We should focus on human values like accountability, trust and the like, as much as we focus on the development of science.

[Camille Turner]

This is such a difficult question to answer (as you allude to) because innovation has come with so many good and bad results. Even coming up with the types of regulations we place on technology is so debatable and uncertain. I feel that, as technological development of this sort is a fairly recent trend (around the last 40 years), most of the questions about ethics and morality in regards to it are yet to be answered. I will keep grappling with it like the rest of us, but it is surely one of the most difficult problems to answer that we're facing today.

[GabbiV]

I'm of the opinion that innovation is neither good nor bad, its how it's used that determines the overall perception of it. That said, I think there should be regulations to scientific endeavors, particularly ethical ones - but that isn't such a cut and dry way of policing what is being tested or created, nor is it actually 100% followed.

[Kelaine]

As many people have mentioned, technologic innovation is both a blessing and a curse.
The same weapons that allow us to defend ourselves are also used to kill people. Do we make more of them, or take them away?
The same technologies that increase food production quantity are also linked to severe environmental degredation. Do we feed people now, or protect the earth for future generations?
When (and I do say when, not if) we build AI that is smarter and more capable than humans are, as a species, will we have created our savior or our extinction?
I guess the deciding factor on whether a certain technology is perceived as good or bad depends on which side of the technology you end up on.

[princessERI]

There will always be advantages and disadvantages of any technology and innovations which is there is a long deliberation to pass it.
I believe that the key to this will always be the discipline and attitudes of all humans.
How these can change us in a better way. Because if we started using it in a wrong way, they the outcomes will surely be worse.
Similar how fireworks use in the good way is beautiful and mesmerizing but used in a wrong way can be devastating.
People's mentality will always be the deciding factor.

[VictoriaMcMillen]

As your post indicates, the ethical considerations about these innovations are complicated. As are the considerations about gun control. I'm one who thinks that reasonable controls are a good idea but not a complete answer. I think the only true answer comes when we can begin to develop more empathy for our fellow human beings. I think we could change the dynamics of many societal issues, including the two mentioned here, if we could begin to act from one simple, yet difficult premise: what we do to others, we do to ourselves.

I truly appreciate your comment here. I believe in this capitalistic society, people are a forethought, now they are more a commodity; something to be used and retired when worn. The humanity and compassion we once had has seemingly gone with the ages and the pressure to work to the bone and not enjoy life is a common core value. When we work together, with the collective's actual well-being in mind, we could accomplish much greater things as a society. Let alone, have a much safer and friendlier society. Thanks for your post, helped me have a good way of thinking today.

[ValentineT]

As much as we would like to slow down on the scientifical and technological innovations, We cann't. At some point what this world will be left of is science, technology and all other sorts of manufactured stuff. I however really like the beauty of all things natural. If it were possible, only necessary advancements should be made.

[Julehart1]

This is such a difficult question. I feel that every innovation could have its pluses and minuses. It just depends on the people using it. Technology itself isn't evil, but people can use technology for evil purposes. It all comes down to choices. There have to be guidelines and regulations on inventions as some people don't have the necessary comprehension on how to use them correctly. Or they do understand but still choose to use them incorrectly and for wrong reasons. Technology isn't as scary to me as the people that are abusing it.

[Kolig595]

I think a huge aspect of allowing scientific innnovation without ruining the world is for society to be aware of technology and how it influences our actions and opinions. If we remain aware of how it can influence us for the positive or negative, we can almost get ahead of the game and not fall into negative traps that some technology can set.

[toribyers13]

I think we most definitely need to rein in the innovation in some ways. I think one way to do that is by restricting AI. Other than that, it would be very difficult to stop innovation. I do think all of the progress will end up hurting us, though. I see it ending up kind of like in Wall-E (a Disney movie) where the humans end up having a "smart-chair" and they never walk anywhere, they get very fat, etc.