Scientific Discovery Blog

    One of the most common fears many people have is of the unknown. This is precisely why things such as science and concepts that we don’t fully comprehend often generate doubt and uneasiness. People fear what they do not understand. This viewpoint is seen in the passage “A Measure of Restraint” from the book “The Virgin and the Mousetrap” by Chet Raymo. Raymo warns against the desire humans have for knowledge and scientific discovery. He gives a series of examples throughout his writing that portrays the determination for learning and finding new scientific concepts in a negative manner by describing potential dangers.

    Personally, I would specifically agree with his sentiments regarding the fact that it is important to be aware of the risks associated with discovery and venturing into unknown territory. It most definitely is crucial to be aware of the fact that with a lack of knowledge, a certain level of caution is necessary due to the obscurity of what lies ahead/what revelation is to be discovered. With unfamiliarity also comes controversy and thus disapproval from the average citizen. An example of this is the new Neurolinks, a chip designed to be inserted inside the brain of the disabled, in order to, according to Elon Musk, allow the patient to control a computer. By targeting such a sensitive and significant area of a living, breathing human, there inevitably comes a series of risks and dangers.

    However, being cautious to the point of having your fears overtaking your capabilities to find out what others couldn’t is only detrimental. Many discoveries and explorations of things even outside of the scientific world could not have been done without the realization of the risks and an understanding of the need to push past them in order to develop a greater understanding of what was hidden or simply not discovered. For example, Louis Pasteur was in a dilemma when he came across a case of a young boy who had contracted rabies. Despite lacking the legal requirements and clear indication that the vaccine would be successful within a human, the vaccine which had only been tested in dogs was administered to a dying young child. Had Louis Pasteur let the fear of risks and consequences overwhelm him, he never would have verified the success of the first ever human rabies vaccine.