Scientist’s Roles And Responsibilities

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Cultural Perspectives on Science and Technology SHORT ESSAY Mere Tewhata ------------------------------------------------- Lewis Wolpert suggests that scientists’ “…obligations are only that they must inform the public about the possible implications of their work and, particularly where sensitive social issues arise, they must be clear about the reliability of their studies.” This essay draws on the key ideas presented in the first 3 modules. Discuss the following in 1000 words. 'Consider the scientist’s roles and responsibilities as both citizens and as scientists, the impact and management of social values in scientific practice, and the role that government has regarding how scientific knowledge is used.' Student No. 9659080 Due Date: Monday 9th January Have you ever thought, as you are sitting on the couch watching your television or driving your car to work, who discovered this? But in reality there have been a lot of trial and errors and a substantial amount of progression involved to get to the point we are today. In this essay I will be addressing the questions, what are scientist’s roles and responsibilities in relation to their values and their discoveries, not only as scientists but also as citizens. How does scientific knowledge affect social values, and what kind of management is in place, lastly what role does the government play in how scientific knowledge is used. (P. Krishna 2005) Firstly the main role of a scientist is to make new discoveries that will advance human knowledge by, study, exploring the unknown, statistical correction, controlled experiments while using the scientific method. In doing these scientific methods they then can start to define theories and then disprove or prove them. As written in (Australian Journal of Chemistry 1993) the main duty of a scientist is to build the public opinion for the right policies, and
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