Issue31 【METTLE小组】第三次作业 by Benjamin9

Benjamin9UID: 2306677

31"Money spent on research is almost always a good investment, even when the results of that research are controversial."

I agree with the point of view that investment in research is generally money well invested, nevertheless the speaker unnecessarily mention to the research whose results are controversial. My point of contention with the assertion as discussed below.

Research is the chief means by which we attempt to satisfy our insatiable appetite for knowledge, and our carving to realize ourselves and the world around us. However, we cannot forecast the results of research before we invest in it. In fact, if the research whose result can be predictable, it cannot be considered “research”.
So forth, we also cannot forecast whether the results of research are controversial. While we must invest in research irrespective of whether the results might be controversial, meanwhile we should be circumspect about research whose objectives are too vague.

The money should be spent toward addressing society’s more immediate problem that require research as much as possible. If we waste too much money in some research whose potential benefits are too speculative, some immediate societal problem will be lack of money, for example the AIDS and the environment problem. We must enhance AIDS awareness and education, and the environment what has been worse and worse must be improved right now, it concern all of our life. Their needs must be met first.

After all, no amount of research can completely solve the problems of war, poverty and violence because of our human nature. In the meantime it is up to our experts in other special fields not our research laboratories to mitigate these problems.

Furthermore, for every new research breakthrough that helps human suffering is another that serves primarily to add to that suffering. One apt illustration of this point involves the power of the atomic, it provides us with an alternative energy, but also bring us the fact that hundreds of thousands of innocent people murdered and maimed by the atomic blasts. And the chemical research improve our living, but it gives us chemical weapon for human slaughter.

In sum, the assertion that we should invest in research whose results are controversial has question, because we have not know whether the results of research are controversial. As for the broader assertion, I agree that the most investment in research is well invested, because it can advance our human knowledge. However we must use the resource to relieve the immediate social problem.