There is great excitement in some scientific circles. Experiments in the Large Hadron Collider appear to have found the Higgs boson, a sub-atomic particle that could be the foundation of matter. This excitement is understandable as this has been the object of research for many years. It was a theoretical concept in particle physics. It is believed to have been part of the Big Bang that created the universe. Now it has been found!
Scientists have advanced knowledge of how natural forces operate in many fields - physics, chemistry, medication, biology, botany, geology, climatology, oceanography - rapidly in recent times. This knowledge has been a major factor in the development of technology to provide society with infrastructure, goods and services that now deemed to be indispensable. This advancement of knowledge is indicative of how little we know about how natural forces have operated for eons.
This knowledge of how natural forces produce things is only one side of the coin. All things age due to the action of natural forces is the other side of the coin. The aging of organisms, including people, is common knowledge and many attempts have been made to slow this process down. But aging of organisms is unstoppable.
The aging of the structures of civilization is also common knowledge. Machinery, buildings, roads, bridges, cities etc. all age due to the action of friction, wind, rain and other natural forces. Appreciable natural material and energy resources are used up in maintaining these structures but that only slows the aging process down.
The natural resources used for this maintenance and for the replacement of those structures that are worn out are irrevocably running out. The demise of these structures in coming decades is something society will have to face up to. What will they do? Is science seriously addressing this fundamental problem? Scientists are curious about how the universe began. But what about the future of civilization!
No comments:
Post a Comment