Is it plausible to think we may one day get to a point where scientific exploration is no longer worth it?
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00:00 Science.
00:07 It's saved billions of lives,
00:09 allowed us to discover new worlds,
00:11 and helped the world's civilizations
00:13 to grow exponentially.
00:15 But it's also come with some severe consequences.
00:18 Weapons of mass destruction,
00:20 unethical experiments,
00:21 and an unfolding environmental catastrophe
00:23 are all results of scientific discovery.
00:27 With all those risks in mind,
00:28 is it plausible to think that we may one day get to a point
00:32 where scientific exploration is no longer worth it?
00:36 Is it prudent to continue spending resources
00:38 on discovering the unknown,
00:40 when we can't even afford to fix the problems
00:42 we already know about?
00:44 This is WHAT IF,
00:46 and here's what would happen
00:47 if we stopped doing science.
00:51 Yes, we're quite aware that this question is pretty fantastic,
00:55 even by our standards.
00:57 But sometimes you have to consider the ridiculous
01:00 in order to expose real-life revelations.
01:04 For centuries, humanity has moved itself forward
01:07 by feeding its scientific curiosity,
01:09 rarely stopping to consider the ramifications.
01:12 Like, do the positives outweigh the negatives?
01:16 To really get people talking,
01:17 let's start with a little segment
01:18 I like to call the pros and cons of science.
01:22 On the one hand, science is great
01:23 because it helps develop technology
01:25 to solve our everyday problems.
01:27 It addresses societal issues,
01:30 it informs policymaking,
01:32 and it explains natural phenomena.
01:35 But it also has a negative side.
01:37 For one thing, it's really expensive.
01:40 It can harm the environment,
01:42 its methods and products can be harmful to humans
01:44 and other living things,
01:47 and it can lead to destructive technologies.
01:52 With those kinds of issues in mind,
01:54 the magazine New Scientist
01:55 brought together a few different opinions
01:57 on whether or not we should stop "doing" science.
02:01 One philosopher from the City University of New York says
02:04 that scientific research should only continue
02:07 in the field of applied sciences,
02:08 like medical research,
02:10 that can result in social benefit.
02:12 But scientists from the University of Leicester
02:15 say that it's not that simple.
02:17 History has proven time and time again
02:19 that we should continue exploring all of life's mysteries,
02:22 because you never know where the next practical application
02:25 will come from.
02:27 And even if we did want to stop doing science,
02:29 it would be nearly impossible.
02:31 We wouldn't be able to stop all scientific research at once.
02:35 There would have to be a gradual scaling back.
02:37 So who would choose what areas of study to scale back first?
02:41 Any selective scaling back
02:43 would seem to open the process up
02:44 to potentially disastrous political tampering.
02:48 And it'd be incredibly difficult
02:50 to get all the nations of the world
02:52 to agree to stop their science programs
02:54 and stay true to their word.
02:56 On top of that,
02:57 if we were able to stop doing science,
02:59 we'd all have to accept the bleak reality
03:01 that our society would pretty much never progress any further.
03:05 No more new medicines,
03:07 new smartphones,
03:08 we'd never know any more about the Universe
03:10 or the oceans surrounding us,
03:12 and we probably wouldn't be able to perfect
03:14 the alternative energy sources necessary to save our planet.
03:18 With all that considered,
03:19 it seems pretty safe to say
03:20 that we should never stop doing science.
03:23 But that doesn't mean we can't improve how we do it.
03:26 To minimize the negative side effects of scientific discovery,
03:29 a science policy researcher at the University of Sussex
03:32 put forth three guiding principles.
03:35 They say that not only should every decision
03:37 be made with responsibility and precaution,
03:40 but also with the participation of the public.
03:43 Ordinary people should have a say
03:45 in the technologies we pursue,
03:47 the innovations we support,
03:48 and the sciences we prioritize.
03:51 What do you think?
03:52 How do we make sure science is never doing more harm than good?
03:57 Maybe one day,
03:58 we can move all our dangerous experiments to distant planets.
04:02 But that's a topic for another WHAT IF.
04:05 ♪ ♪