
Quote from carligula on Oct. 14, 2005 at 9:58 AM


Quote from Keith on Oct. 13, 2005 at 1:30 AM


Quote from carligula on Oct. 12, 2005 at 12:29 PM

but I have strong faith in the efficacy of Science
Really? When was the last time we cured anything? Small Pox?
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're just yanking my chain, but it's pretty ignorant to measure the success of Science by "cures". One should also consider advances in preventative medicine and disease treatment, too. As previously pointed out, more and more people are living with disease rather than dying from it these days. I think the advances we've seen in mental health alone during the course of our lifetime have been astounding. I recognize there are obvious downfalls to this, like living with a lower quality of life, overprescribing medication (especially anti-depressants), overpopulation, etc. My point is that Science is finding new ways to deal with whatever Mother Nature throws at us. And as long as people see the opportunity afforded by Science to avoid death, they'll usually take it and accept the consequences.
I'm not sure i care for using the blanket term "Science" as a completely positive concept that one might bow down to. Sure "Science" has given us Polio vaccines, artificial hearts, and TiVo, but it has also given us thermo-nuclear weapons and anthrax.
Anything that causes significant changes tends to have both good and bad effects. Take the internet for example. It changed the way we communicate, allowed small businesses to grow in ways that wouldn't have been possible before and, in general, connected the world in a new way. It also gave the child molesters a new tool to hunt their prey.
Of course science has it's benefits, but I think anyone who ever had to get their children treated for radiation sickness might disagree about it being a 100% good thing.
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