The invention of the atomic bomb poses a serious question about the application of science. Is science a liberator or an extinguisher of humanity?

While nuclear energy can be a great source of energy, an alternative to carbon-based fuels, the technology also has the capacity to extinguish the human race in one stroke if any mad ruler or a terrorist gets control of it.

Science has the ability to solve social issues like poverty, hunger, and diseases. The industrial revolution, which began in Europe in the 18th century and later spread to the entire world, is a product of modern science.

The discovery of penicillin in 1928 changed the course of medicine. The development of vaccines eradicated and prevented terrible diseases that plagued humanity.

Science also had consequences. The industrial revolution that modernised Western countries became the reason for two world wars. The unethical use of science for biomedical research by authorities led to Nazi experimentation on humans and the Tuskegee study of untreated syphilis.

More importantly, science unleashed its tremendous ability of destruction with the invention of the atomic bomb. The usage of this destructive weapon on innocent people of Japan was the tipping point in human civilisation. The world changed forever with this event.

Today’s world is assimilated with science. Hence, we need a lot of checks and balances with a moral framework to deal with the challenges posed by science. The rulers who are free from prejudice, hatred, and insanity become important in this context.