Are you a Planck or an Einstein?

[marki]

As much as it may frustrate many scientists ethics commitees are as much a part of Science as the scientific method itself and simply adds to the excitment of it all. If science claims to work for the advancement of humanity, it follows then that it should also listen to the concerns of humanity. In the end most things get done.

Mark

[dolphinx]

I'd have to say I'm an Einstein, myself. Science doesn't operate in a vacuum, nor should it.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Neither. I'm a VB guy Life's too short

[Archy (George)]

Originally Posted by yinyang23

I am doing year 12 physics and we recently researched the views of two famous scientists (Max Planck and Albert Einstein) regarding what we as humans should and should not do in the name of science.

Planck's view was that science should be studied for science's sake. To put it another way; If a question is asked science should answer it, or at least attempt to.

Einstein agreed that science should attempt to benefit the human race, however not if it involved some negative consequences.

Two examples of scientific research which were (and still are) highly controversial are the development of the atom bomb and stem cell research which raise questions of moral and ethical nature such as: what is the value placed on human life?

I personally am an Einstein, so the question I'm asking is are you a Planck, an Einstein or someone different altogether.

Re: "Einstein agreed that science should attempt to benefit the human race, however not if it involved some negative consequences." As Einstein wrote the letter to President Roosevelt that led to the development and use of the Atom Bomb, we should not believe that Einstein actually meant what is quoted, unless he regarded Germans and Japanese as not being humans and that would put him beyond the pale.

[Zaps]

Religion and politics have done far more harm than Science ever has.

The so-called "negative consequences of science" have only ever occurred because the religious and the political exploited science for their own despicable ends.

Compare the Scientific Method with the biased and emotive practices and mindsets of religious and political people and it's easy to see where Humanity is going wrong.

Let science be-and-do science, and start reigning-in the lunatic control freaks who obsess about controlling the rest of us.

[TrevorW]

Someone once said I was thick as a a a Planck

[lacad01 (Adam)]

I'll drink to that....with Ein-stein of bier, bitte