@fire7side said:
@duane said:
No, I disagree. Science has solved lots of problems, or we wouldn't all still be here. It's just that humans have a talent for creating problems faster than we can solve them.
We'd be here, only in numbers that are sustainable. Science has it's place, but it's not a solution for the problems of the world. It's how you use it. We're on a crash course for world wide destruction.
It doesn't take much technology to destroy the world. We did a good job of destroying the cradle of civilization with nothing more than wooden plows and axes. Most of the deforestation of the old world occurred before the first airplane flew. Scientific agriculture is a lot more sustainable, but we've found other ways to damage the environment since.
The reason populations didn't grow as rapidly in the past was because the average lifespan was so short. That's not because people couldn't live as long, it's because so many died young, of disease, malnutrition, and violence. The four horsemen have been around since before we could smelt iron. It's hard to appreciate how much better life is, now that science keeps at least three of them at bay.
Our cultural short-sightedness isn't new, and it isn't the result of science or technology. And we're becoming more aware of our impact with each generation, largely due to scientific discovery.
I agree that relying on possible, future technologies to solve our problems is a mistake. You can't guarantee that they'll ever come about.
