CERN and creating knowledge

[greenie_breizh]

Granted, I am not known for my super scientific mind, but so far from what I've heard about the CERN and its LHC, all I can think is:
...we really should be spending our research money on other stuff.
...how much energy are they using just to run this thing?
...will we ever know where to stop and what are we doing with this knowledge?

The thing to me about scientific knowledge is very often it doesn't seem to be put into any kind of perspective. It's all knowledge for knowledge's sake, which arguably is cool, but the problem is that knowledge isn't created in a vaccuum and I wish we would think more seriously about the consequences of that, about the social context in which we come up with that knowledge and the meanings and uses that are going to be put onto it. I guess I have more examples that come to mind with genetics and bioengineering, but fuck knows nuclear research has blown up in our faces, too (but I guess not really our faces so it's all good).

I'm also slowly coming to wonder if knowledge for knowledge's sake in the sciences is all that good. I mean, scientific knowledge in itself isn't good or bad (though arguably depending on how much energy it demands you could also wonder if the means are worth the end). I guess it's just that the applications for that knowledge can be so wrong that it really makes me wonder if the pros outweigh the cons of just leaving some things unknown.


Yesterday my TA class was...interesting, to say the least, and I want to say a word about that, but first I have to take Mommy Cat to the vet to get spayed. She peed in the litter box overnight and I'm hoping this is going to be the end of that.

Comments

[shiraz_wine]

That's the thing though. Scientific research is done for knowledge's sake and not for anything else. Of course, a lot of forays into new areas of science is done because of social reasons (for example, cancer research or sustainability research), but the role of the scientist is just to seek out knowledge, not to dictate what should be done with the knowledge after the fact.

It may seem a little bit cold and there are clearly some cases in which scientists have regretted the uses of their research - most notably, the atomic bomb. However, if a scientist can think in that manner, it prevents him or her from twisting data to prove something that suits their own needs or foregone conclusions.

It's really up to society to decide what to do with that knowledge, and as we all know, society is often stupid and corrupt.

[fan-elune.livejournal.com]

"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."

Because Shakespeare's got it all right.

Incidentally, I was just thinking about that yesterday while listening to the Torchwood radio episode. Captain Jack goes on a rant about why humans are teh shit and it's all about how we keep looking for answers, without even necessarily knowing the questions, and yet we still keep on looking. And the whole episode pretty much makes your point for you. Scientific experiment for knowledge's sake that lets something through into our world and it's up to Torchwood to save the day. Pretty basic, but it definitely goes in the same direction as you, no matter what Jack has to say about how admirable our quest for answers is.

[lounalune.livejournal.com]

If you have some time (which I know you don't, but...) you should watch or read the play "The plysicists" by Dürenmatt. It's really about the theme that's been debated here, the responsibility of the researcher for the consequence of his research (and of the human being for the consequences of his actions, in that case the murders, but I'm not going to write any spoilers).

[pee-wai.livejournal.com]

That's a very interesting debate but it's saturday and it's 08:52 so I will just point out that it's funny you chose to put a icon from the West Wing because there's an episode where Toby debates with a scientist about giving money for a superconducting supercollider (and then refuses)!

[lounalune.livejournal.com]

Reading PhD I found that they have a storyline about the CERN. So of course it's PhD, but as far as I know the information in there is pretty accurate and at least it's a fun way of presenting it. So you might want to check it out (and do further research on any information you find interesting to make sure it really is accurate.)