Science's illusory role

Scientific investigations have the objective of providing people with understanding of what happens and how this comes about. They are an anthropocentric invention aimed at satisfying human curiosity. Physical scientists have discerned only some aspects of how natural forces have operated for eons, operate now even in industrialized civilization as well as the natural world and will continue to operate long after the collapse of this civilization.

Science has provided people with sufficient understanding of how some natural forces operate that they have been able to construct technological systems that use natural material resources (wisely and unwisely) to temporarily supply goods and services while having the unintended consequences of outputting intractable waste material and immutably damaging the environment. The technological systems that have stemmed from scientific findings have done no more than use natural forces to operate on natural resources in producing goods and services. Technology has never created anything, despite the hype that humans have about its utility.

Mother Nature slowly responds to the parasitic operations of civilization without being aware of the mutterings of the invasive human species. But the populace still believe that scientific findings will allow them to continue the malfeasance of civilization's operations. They do not understand that scientists have provided understanding of only some of Mother Nature's repertoire with the fundamental physical principle being beyond their ken. Technological systems are irreversibly using up natural material in tangible operations. So civilization irreversibly uses some of Mother Nature's bounty for temporary relief while society hopes that intangible money flow will continue to power the illusion of economic growth although it does not pay the eco cost.

So when will society realize that the benefits they have enjoyed as the result of scientific findings are only one side of the coin. That the claims that science is advancing the the frontiers of knowledge  are really pointing out how limited scientific knowledge of the operation of natural forces had been. The failure of science to warn of the damage to the ecosystems of using fossil fuel to provided energy is but one example of the failings of science. Yet the illusion still persists because the flow of fiat money still manages to provide society with the benefits provided by technology. Ironically it also it has a significant impact on the research carried by scientists and,in many cases, on their findings!

Fundamental physical principles

I list the points in my hypothesis about fundamental physical principles below. People, in the main only make decisions as their personal impact on the operation of physical (materialistic) systems is small compared to the impact of technological systems and natural forces. People make decisions (good and bad) about realizing some of the potential that fundamental physical principles determine.

These principles are:

1. energy is a property of materials and the form of energy (nuclear, chemical, thermal, mechanical or electrical) able to do positive work depends on the applicable circumstances. The internal (chemical) energy in water is of relevance in electrolysis but it is the gravitational potential energy of water that is relevant in hydro works. There is a vast amount of thermal energy in the oceans but there are very few systems installed to extract some if it. 'exergy' is often used in technical works to identify the circumstances where energy does work in technological systems. 
2. every physical operation (process) entails the passing of time, the dissipative flow of energy and often the immutable transformation of material (as in hydrocarbon fuels to greenhouse gas emissions due to combustion) in the associated transformation of energy in doing positive work
3. technological systems irreversibly use limited natural material resources, including those that supply energy, in an unsustainable process to temporarily provide infrastructure, goods and services for use by civilization
4. this process produces immutable material waste that has a deleterious impact (such as contributing to climate disruption and ocean acidification and warming) on the eco (terrestrial and marine) systems and on the health of organisms (including human beings)
5. the materialistic infrastructure of civilization (cities, roads, skyscrapers, bridges, etc.) is subject to an aging process due to the destructive action of natural forces, including friction during negative work, so these components have a lifetime that depends on circumstances, including what natural material resources remain available for their operation and maintenance 

These principles have applied for eons but human beings have devised (made decisions) about innovative ways of realizing (in an unsustainable manner) on some of the potential provided by the application of these principles.

Denis Frith