A Moment of Reflection Where Scientists Stand

Abstract

Human history showed that civilization is episodic. In that context science made its impact on modern society in the late nineteenth century onwards. As scientific research output moulds human societies and progressively empowers mankind, it places no restriction on its wide applications [1]. Eventually it is left to politicians and commercial circles as to how to harness scientific progress with almost no say on the part of scientists. Instead of improving human life style and maintaining healthy and conducive environment for the Homo sapiens, we end up with miseries in poor and torn up countries, by waging wars and inflicting indiscriminate killing on civilians. Had we learned lessons from our ancestor’s outrages and contemporary oppressive regimes, we could have a better spiritual and material civilization. Conceptually, humankind needs uplift to establish a real and lasting brotherhood. It is time for international scientific community to organize itself and have their say on the right way of using scientific achievements, equally as political, commercial and religious circles do. This is augmented by the realization that political systems are complex ones, that politicians generally have poor predictability as to the impact of their decisions. Also the religious leaderships are generally bias and financial circles are often selfish and more or less corrupt. Consequently, it remains up to science being universal and to the international scientific community to exert its influence on decision makers and to raise international public awareness of human unity. This is not an easy task and the course to achieve it requires concerted efforts and clear vision of the imminent dangers and challenges ahead of all of us [2]. Currently, scientists have the means to create a culture based on mutual understanding and with no feeling of inferiority, fear or discrimination. They can spread concepts of human unity and freedom of belief and expression through scientific institutions, journals, meetings and the internet’s. Above all, they possess the best brains and they can come up with innovative solutions that could upgrade existing political systems [3]. Scientists should attach great significance to ethical and environmental aspects of their scientific achievements as well as their impacts on national and international scales. In my view scientists have moral obligations and responsibilities which they could be accountable for.