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The study of Science in its various realms—medical, political, psychological and even agricultural—is something that has undoubtedly pervaded the history of Man. Our forefathers hoped to use science to explain the many mysteries of life and forge a better living for themselves. This attitude remains prevalent today as researchers the world over continue to develop existing ideas to solve global problems such as poverty and famine. Nonetheless, it is easy to see why some may argue that we have increasingly forgotten the intrinsic value of science, and have instead overstepped our boundaries, exploiting it such that its worth is lost. However, this essay will argue that Man has not been so myopic—the importance of Science after all continues till today, and has heralded in a 21st century greatly improved from the last, with the hope and potential for upward progress.

It may seem that our history of humans shows a poor record of our use, or rather, the exploitation, of science. For instance, the discovery of nuclear energy promised a world that no longer would rely on the steadily depleting fossil fuels and natural gases. Instead, however, it led to the disasters of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, whose effects on Japanese society still breed problems today. It also ushered in an era of mutually assured destruction during the Cold War years, and especially after the Cuban Missile Crisis, the closest Man would ever come to the possibility of nuclear war between the two superpowers. Some may argue that Man therefore has lost sight of the purpose of Science a long time ago: instead of making use of it to improve our quality of life, it was greatly abused and wielded by those in power for destructive ends and what can be seen as selfish pursuits. However, scratching beneath the surface, we also see many people—world leaders and lay men alike—having stepped up in protest against this abuse of Science, which in fact led to nuclear arms talks to prevent any further...