Science and nature

1. Science and Nature
Luisana Guillen A., 5C
Science will always be in close contact with nature since science consists of observing the world
that surrounds us by watching, listening, observing, and recording. As Thomas H. Huxley once
wrote: “Nature! We are surrounded and embraced by her: powerless to separate ourselves from
her, and powerless to penetrate beyond her.” Science is curiosity in thoughtful action about the
nature and how it behaves and how it works. Science can be thought of as both a body of
knowledge (the things we have already discovered), and the process of acquiring new knowledge
(through observation and experimentation, testing and hypothesizing).
Modern science has an important influence on the development of society as a whole; however,
scientific progress is constantly challenging if not completely clashing with long-held beliefs
concerning our ethical values. It is, therefore, necessary to conduct ethical discussions in order to
adapt the use of scientific knowledge (new forms of technology) to a general context that is in
agreement with the basic principles of our civilization. For example: In the 1950s and 1960s,
ethical discussions dealt mainly with the use of physics and engineering for the construction of new
weapons. In the 1970s and 1980s, the focus was on environmental problems. Today, most ethical
discussions deal with the progress in biology and its consequences for society (bioethics).
Bioethics is an academic field that studies the ethical issues arising in relation to biological
disciplines. It is also multidisciplinary, including clinical, scientific, legal, sociological, and religious
approaches, as well as philosophical. Bioethics finds application in many disciplines and human
issues. From debates regarding the boundaries of life, such as abortion or euthanasia, to surrogate
motherhood, the allocation of organs for transplantation or the right to refuse medical care on
religious grounds. Its importance is such that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has hosted the International Bioethics Committee (IBC) since
1993. This body, which is made up of 36 independent experts, monitors advances in the life
sciences and their applications to ensure respect for human dignity and freedom.
The field of bioethics also extends to the applications of biotechnology, including genetic
engineering, which affects humans, animals and plants, or to the impact of
air, soil and water pollution on living beings. Biotechnology can be broadly defined as the
application of biological organisms, systems, and processes to manufacture products or provide
services. It uses living cells to develop or manipulate products for specific purposes, in fact, the
spectrum of biotechnological products covers a wide range from simple substances such as
ethanol and citric acid through antibiotics and vaccines to the most advanced ‘biopharmaceuticals’
such as recombinant proteins, antibodies, or DNA-based therapeutics. Biotechnological
innovations are already part of our daily lives and we find them in pharmacies and supermarkets,
among many other places. In addition, in recent months biotechnology has become one of the
spearheads in the fight against the COVID-19 global pandemic, since it helps to decipher the virus'
genome and understand how our body's defense mechanism works against it. Biotechnology will

2. therefore play a crucial role in the society of the future in preventing and containing potential
pathogens. The benefits of biotechnology are tangible, but at the same time some warn of
its possible adverse effects on the environment, health and ethics. Its main risks include: the
proliferation of laboratory foods could end harvest diversity. It may also affect the balance of
ecosystems. The risks include unforeseen allergies, poisoning of living organisms and modified
bacteria escaping from a laboratory. Finally, cloning, the modification of the human genome and
assisted reproduction are matters of ethical debate and social controversy. The limits that must be
considered in the use of biotechnology are ethical, social and limits in genetic manipulation
(especially due to its effects).
Ethical choices, both minor and major, confront us everyday in the provision of health care or new
technologies for persons with diverse values living in a pluralistic and multicultural society. In the
face of such diversity, where can we find moral action guides when there is confusion or conflict
about what ought to be done? Such guidelines would need to be broadly acceptable among the
religious and the nonreligious and for persons across many different cultures. Due to the many
variables that exist in the context of clinical cases and biotechnological innovations, there are
several ethical principles that seem to be applicable in many situations. However, these principles
are not considered absolutes, but serve as powerful action guides in clinical medicine and
biological research. Four commonly accepted principles of health care and biotechnological ethics,
include the: principle of respect for autonomy, principle of nonmaleficence, principle of
beneficence, and principle of justice. If we consider the principle of respect for autonomy, for
example, Jehovah's Witnesses have a belief that it is wrong to accept a blood transfusion.
Therefore, in a life-threatening situation where a blood transfusion is required to save the life of the
patient, the patient must be so informed. The consequences of refusing a blood transfusion must
be made clear to the patient at risk of dying from blood loss. When properly and compassionately
informed, the particular patient is then free to choose whether to accept the blood transfusion in
keeping with a strong desire to live, or whether to refuse the blood transfusion in giving a greater
priority to his or her religious convictions about the wrongness of blood transfusions, even to the
point of accepting death as a predictable outcome.
Science and technology are limitless, they are like the imagination and they can go as far as we
want to. But I believe that science must have rules and limits because it is powerful and, even if it's
for a good purpose, it can cause irremediable damage (for example the nuclear weapons). It is
important that all of us make decisions based on the fundamental values of human dignity. When
scientists develop new technologies they should think about its impact over every living being and
not only over humans, so our society can progress without interfering with nature’s balance.