Irresponsible scientific and technological activity


  • Improper use of science and technology
  • Unethical practices in science and technology
  • Misuse of scientific knowledge
  • Scientific malpractice
  • Abuse use of technology
  • Negligent technicians
  • Criminal use of science
  • Dangerous technology
  • Corrupt scientists
  • Illegal technology

Nature

The natural pace of development of science and the continuing emergence of new techniques, open up new possibilities for research. Whilst scientific and technological developments provide increasing opportunities for better conditions of life, they can give rise to social problems as well as threaten fundamental freedoms and human rights. In the absence of any control mechanism, some of these experiments (although scientifically interesting in isolation) may have unforeseen multiplier effects which disrupt the existing natural or social systems.

Incidence

Examples of such experiments (proposed or implemented) are: warming the ionosphere to gain information on how it functions, underground nuclear tests in earthquake areas, creation of free-flowing interoceanic canals, construction of dams across interoceanic straits, melting polar ice-caps, release of artificial substances into the ionosphere and magnetosphere, and alteration of the atmosphere of Venus.

Claim

  1. Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men. (Martin Luther King, Jr.).

  2. Scientists are often inseparably involved with decisions on the use of discoveries. For example, many of the scientists working in the USA on the first atomic bomb unhesitatingly recommended its employment, and some argued successfully for its use without any governmental warning to Japan.

Counter claim

  1. Scientists should not be held responsible for the nature of the systems they study, nor for the nature of the social systems that exploit those studies. In these matters, their responsibility is no greater than that of other citizens.

Narrower

  1. Unethical practices in social science
  2. Unethical practices in agriculture
  3. Unethical practice of the life sciences
  4. Unethical practice of radiology
  5. Unethical practice of physics
  6. Unethical practice of earth sciences
  7. Unethical practice of chemistry
  8. Unethical food practices
  9. Uncertain toxicity thresholds
  10. Pseudoscience
  11. Planned weapons
  12. Official cover-up of consequences of experiments
  13. Misuse of chemicals
  14. Misappropriation of resources for high cost research projects
  15. Irresponsible research
  16. Irresponsible nanotechnology
  17. Irresponsible chemists
  18. Irrelevant scientific activity
  19. Inhumane scientific activity
  20. Female infanticide
  21. False claims regarding environmental issues
  22. Dubious neutrality of science
  23. Dual-use research of concern
  24. Disproportionate involvement of scientists in defence research
  25. Copyright barriers to transfer of knowledge
  26. Abusive experimentation on humans
  27. Abuse of scientific power
  28. Abuse of science


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