Issue31【超越自我小组】第7次作业

apjackUID: 2381599

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

花在研究上的资金基本上都是不错的投资，即使研究的结果是有争议的。

By arguing that money spent on research is almost always a good investment, is over-simplified the difficulty and uncertainty on research study. But I fundamentally concur with the other respects of the author’s assertion that spending money on research is worthwhile despite the results of research are controversial and uncertain.

To begin with, it is sometimes true that heavy money invested on a research cannot guarantee commensurate harvest or even worse. Scientist and researcher often have failures attributed to wrong assumption and mistake during their researches, even as intelligent as Einstein and Thomas Edison who eventually lost all his stock in his electric company as a result of his failure creating a practical way to mine iron ore. Besides, working in research, particular in fundamental researches, scientists confront many challenging and universal problems that ancestor did not think about. Even if they develop a new theory, civilians would not able to utterly understand because of its abstruseness and strange phenomena. Typical examples aptly illustrate this occasion are String theory and neutrino physics which are merely interesting to a coterie. Rational people and utilitarian might question that why we need to spend so much money to uphold an inapplicable research and satisfy the voracious appetite of a coterie, not a whole society.   

Without failing and fundamental research, our society would not be developed as prosperous and diverse as today. In fact, failure, criticizing and discussing are recurrent steps of a successful research; and they are the catalyst for science, technology and society stride forward. Scientists and researchers should not be denounced, whereas they should deserve applause as they often strive defiantly in their life full of defeat and frustration. Marie Curie who discovered two radioactive elements profoundly contributed her life to the modern radiotherapy and nuclear energy. Faraday who not only lived in poverty, but also suffered occasionally headache and memory lapse profoundly contributed to the field in electromagnetism and electrochemistry which evolve to widespread applications and technology. In short, thank to the great contribution of scientists and researchers, if not people these days cannot live with an efficient, a convenient and comfortable manner.
  
Research, one characterizes its result is controversial, is actually beneficial, rather than merely detrimental to our society. I concede that not all researches are only conducive to society, whereas many research projects arouse controversy, uproar or even disaster. Consider certain controversial issues these days that evidently illustrate the pros and cons of some research studies with initially positive intention to a better life. Gene-modified foods or simply GM foods provoke various disputes in human and environmental safety, and labeling. Some people insist that GM foods can ultimately relieve food shortage and energy crisis as a result of their compelling features such as more resistant to disease and bringing more nutrition. Yet opponents express strong concern for the side-effect on human and the balance of ecosystem. And an even more disputable issue is nuclear technology which sheds the light on solving energy crisis in human society. Utilizing nuclear technology in military aspects, nevertheless, reveals conspicuously in the Second World War and Cold War; and consequently leads to massive casualty, severe conflict and rivalry among nations. Undoubtedly, these examples reveal that the benefits of these research projects inevitably accompanies with adverse effects.

Some reasonable people with different cultural and political viewpoints might criticize and over-exaggerate the negative side of controversial research. However, in my opinion, people cannot boggle at the investment on further research because of its adverse effect. In most circumstances, people could determine how to use the results of research in order to establish a better society. Being rational and judicious people, they should oppose autocracy and aggressive people who tend to use research result incorrectly and inappropriately. Also, sufficient discussion should be aroused on controversial research, if necessary cease a research which is detrimental to human belief.

To sum up, money spending on research is good investment, however people cannot neglect the uncertainty and failure that research work intrinsically has. Besides, some research will provide not only advantages, but also side-effect to our society, and it depends on how people apply them correctly. Consequently, I fundamentally agree that people should not cease the financial support to these controversial researches.  

[ 本帖最后由 apjack 于 2008-8-14 15:33 编辑 ]