lecture 2ppt.pdf

A DILEMMA
A LAYMAN LOOKS AT SCIENCE

1. COMPREHENSION &
COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN
ENGLISH
SomanathSarvade
Assistant Professor (Agroforestry)
College of Agriculture Balaghat
E-mail: [email protected]
Jawaharlal Nehru KrishiVishvaVidyalaya,
Jabalpur

2. A DILEMMA
A LAYMAN LOOKS AT SCIENCE
AUGUST 6, 1945 –The day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima -
brought home to all of us in a dramatic fashion the significance of science in
human life.
The impact of that bomb has left us stunned and confused. Certainly we
laymen are scaredby science as we never were before. And certainly too,
we are confusedby the power which science has suddenly placed in our
laps –puzzledand humbled by our realization of how unequipped we are,
in terms of ethics, law, and government, to know how to use it.

3. That,Ithink,isthefirstreactionofalaymantothestupendous
repercussionofthatbombonHiroshima.Andthefirstquestionthatcomes
tohismindisthis:whatuseareradioandautomobilesandpenicillinand
alltheothergiftsofscienceifatthesametimethissamesciencehands
usthemeansbywhichwecanblowourselvesandourcivilizationinto
driftingdust?Wehavealwaysbeeninclinedtothinkresearchand
technologyasbeingconsciouslyrelatedtohumanwelfare.Now,frankly,
wearenotsosure,andwearedeeplytroubled,bytherealizationthat
man’sbraincancreatethingswhichhiswillmaynotbeabletocontrol.

4. Tothelaymanitseemsasifsciencewerefacingavastdilemma.Scienceis
thesearchfortruth,anditisbasedonthegloriousfaiththattruthisworth
discovering.Itspringsfromthenoblestattributeofthehumanspirit.Butitis
thissamesearchfortruththathasbroughtourcivilizationtothebrinkof
destruction;andweareconfrontedbythetragicironythatwhenwehavebeen
mostsuccessfulinpushingouttheboundariesofknowledge,wehavemost
endangeredthepossibilityofhumanlifeonthisplanet.Thepursuitoftruthhas
aatlastledustothetoolsbywhichwecanourselvesbecomethedestroyers
ofourowninstitutionsandallthebrighthopesoftherace.Inthissituation
whatdowedo–curbourscienceorclingtothepursuitoftruthandrunthe
riskofhavingoursocietytorntopieces?

5. Itisonthebasisofthisdilemmathatseriousquestionsareforminginthe
publicmind.Unlessresearchislinkedtoahumanandconstructivepurpose,
shoulditnotbesubjecttosomekindofrestraint?Canourscientistsaffordto
beconcernedsolelywithfactandnotatallwithvalueandpurpose?Canthey
legitimatelyclaimthattheironlyaimistheadvancementofknowledge
regardlessofitsconsequences?Isthelaymanjustifiedinsayingtothe
scientists:‘Welooktoyoutodistinguishbetweenthattruthwhichfurthersthe
well-beingofmankindandthattruthwhichthreatensit?

6. Oneofthescientistswhoplayedaleadingroleinthedevelopmentof
theatomicbombsaidtothenewspapermen:‘Ascientistcannothold
backprogressbecauseoffearsofwhattheworldwilldowithhis
discoveries’.Whatheapparentlyimpliedwasthesciencehasno
responsibilityinthematter,andthatitwillplungeaheadinthepursuitof
trutheveniftheprocessleavestheworldindustandashes.

7. Isthatthefinalanswer?Istherenootheranswer?Frankly,asa
layman,Idonotknow.Offhand,thisdisavowalofconcernseems
callousandirresponsible.Butwemaybefacingasituationwhereno
otheranswerisrealisticorpossible.Toaskthescientisttoforeseethe
use–thegoodoreviloftheuse–towhichhisresultmaybeputis
doubtlessbeyondtherealmoftheattainable.Almostanydiscoverycan
beusedforeithersocialoranti-socialpurposes.TheGermandye
industrywasnotcreatedtodealwitheithermedicineorweaponsof
war;andyetoutofthatindustrycameourSulphurdrugsandmustard
gas.WhenEinsteinwrotehisfamoustransformationequationin1905
hewasnotthinkingoftheatomicbomb,butoutoftheequationcame
oneoftheprinciplesuponwhichthebombwasbased.

8. WillardGibbswasagentlespiritwhoselifewas
spentinhislaboratoryatYaleUniversity,andwho
neverdreamedthathisworkinmathematical
physicsmighthaveevenaremoterelationshipto
war;andyetitissafetosaythathisideasgave
addedpowertothearmamentsofallnationsin
bothWorldWarIandWorldWarII.

9. Isuspectthatthewayoutofthedilemmaisnotassimpleasthequestionsnow
beingaskedseemtoimply.Thegoodandtheevilthatflowfromscientific
researcharemoreoftenthennotindistinguishableatthepointoforigin.
Generallytheyarebyproducts,ortheyrepresentdistortionsoforiginal
purpose,noneofwhichcouldhavebeenforeseenwhentheinitialdiscovery
wasmade.Wearedrivenbacktoaquestionofhumanmotivesanddesires.
Sciencehasrecentlygivenusradar,jetpropulsionandpowersourcesof
unprecedentedmagnitude.Whatdoessocietywanttodowiththem?Itcanuse
themconstructivelytoincreasesthehappinessofmankindoritcanemploy
themtoteartheworldtopieces.Thereisscarcelyascientificformulaora
processoracommoditywhichcannotbeusedforwarpurposes,ifthatiswhat
weelecttodowithit.Inbrief,thegiftsofsciencecanbeusedbyevilmentodo
evilevenmoreobviouslyanddramaticallythantheycanbeusedbymenof
goodwilltodogood.

10. Ifearthereisnoeasywayoutofourdilemma.Iwouldnotabsolvethe
scientistsfromsomemeasureofresponsibility,fortheyaremenof
superiortrainingandinsightandweareentitledtolooktothemforhelp
andleadershipmorehelpandleadership,Iventuretoadd,thanhavethus
farbeengiven.However,Inotethataconsiderablenumberofscientist
whowereconnectedwiththeatomicbombprojecthavepubliclyexpressed
theirapprehensionoftheconsequencesoftheirowncreation.‘Allofus
whoworkedontheatomicbomb,saidDr.AllisonoftheUniversityof
Chicago,hadamomentaryfeelingofelationwhenourexperimentmetwith
success;butthatfeelingrapidlychangedtoafeelingofhorror,anda
ferventdesirethatnomorebombswouldbedropped.

11. Nevertheless,inthelongrunIdonotbelievethatweshallbe
successfulin
makingsciencethearbiterofitsdiscoveries.Somehoworother
societyitselfmustassumethatresponsibility.Thetoweringenemyof
mankindisnotsciencebutwar.
Sciencemerelyreflectsthesocialforcesbywhichitissurrounded.
Whenthereispeace,scienceisconstructive;whenthereiswar,
scienceispervertedtodestructiveends.Theweaponswhichscience
givesusdonotnecessarilycreatewar;theymakewarincreasingly
moreterrible,untilnowithasbroughtustothedoorstepofdoom.

12. Ourmainproblemtherefore,isnottocurbsciencebuttostopwarto
substitutelawforforceandinternationalgovernmentforanarchyinthe
relationsofonenationwithanother.Thatisajobinwhicheverybodymust
participate,includingthescientists.ButthebombonHiroshimasuddenly
wokeusuptothefactthatwehaveverylittletime.Thehourislateandour
workhasscarcelybegun.Nowwearefacetofacewiththisurgent
question:‘Caneducationandtoleranceandunderstandingandcreative
intelligencerunfastenoughtokeepusabreastwithorownmounting
capacitytodestroy?
Thatisthequestionwhichweshallhavetoansweronewayoranotherin
thisgeneration.Sciencemusthelpusintheanswer,butthemaindecision
lieswithinourselves.

13. A DILEMMA
COMPREHENSION
Checkyourunderstanding:
1.Whoisalayman?Whattodowecallapersonwhoisnotalayman?
2.Inthefirsttwoparagraphsthefollowingwordsareused:stunned,
frightened,bewildered,confused,humbled,troubled.Whatwillbethe
typicalbehaviorofpeopleineachofthefollowingsituations:
a)Atigerisfoundinthegardenorahouse.
b)Oneisdefeatedinamatchoradebate.
c)Intheexaminationhallallthequestionsinthequestionpaperare
foundtobedifficult.
3)Canyounameasituationinwhich
a)Youwillbestunned?
b)Youwillbebewildered?
c)Youwillbetroubled?

14. 4.Whatwasthefirstreactionofthelaymantotheeffectofthedroppingof
anatomicbombonHiroshima?
5.Whyarewetroubledbytherealizationthatourbraincancreatethings
whichwemaynotbeabletocontrol?
6.Howcanoursearchfortruthbringourcivilizationtothebrinkof
destruction?
7.Canourscientistsaffordtobeconcernedsolelywiththepursuitoftruth
unmindfulofitsconsequences?Whatistheauthor’sopinion?Whatis
youropinion?
8.What,accordingtotheauthor,isthetoweringenemyofman-kind?
9.WhendidEinsteinwritehisfamousequation?Whatisitabout?Whyisit
sofamous?WhoisEinstein?

15. Matchingwordswiththeirmeanings
Matchthewordswiththeirmeaningsasusedinthepassage.ColumnIIhas
one‘extra’.Youmayuseadictionaryandlookbackattheessay.
Column I Column II
1. Indistinguishable a. amazing in degree
2. Arbiter b. free
3. Repercussion c. unfeeling
4. Dilemma d. far-reaching effect
5. Perverted e. denial
6. Absolve f. cannot be differentiated being in spirits
7. Distortions g. The state of being in high spirits
8. Stupendous h. passionate
9. Callous i. turned to a wrong use
10. Elation j. having to choose between two equality
undesirable courses of action.
11. Fervent k. person in complete control
12. Disavowal l. false accounts
m. judge.

16. Thinkandanswer.
Distinguishbetween:
i.Cultureandcivilization
ii.Knowledgeandwisdom
iii.Anarchyadautocracy
iv.Educationandliteracy.

17. Undereachstatementgivenbelowtwomeaningsaregiven.Saywhichone
correctlyexplainsthemeaningoftheitalicizedexpression.
1.Sciencewillplungeaheadinthepursuitoftrutheveniftheprocessleaves
theworldindustandashes.
a)inahighlypollutestate.
b)inastateofdestruction
2.Theweaponswhichsciencegivesushavebroughtustothedoor–stepof
doom.
a)closetoruin
b)closetoevil
3.Wehavebeenmostsuccessfulinpushingouttheboundariesofknowledge.
a)limitsofourknowledge
b)divisionsofknowledge
4.Wearebewilderedbythepowerwhichsciencehasplacedinourlaps.
a)inourpower
b)atourdisposal.
5.Weareconfrontedbythetragicirony.
a)sadreversalofasituation.
b)disastrousoutcome