I write these notes to absorb what I’ve learned from books and organize it better in my head.
The Power of Science and Its Impact on Human Civilization
If a Spanish peasant had fallen asleep in the year 1000 and woken up in 1500, the changes would have been insignificant, and he would still recognize the world around him. However, in the last 500 years, humanity has undergone phenomenal transformations.
The total value of goods and services produced by humans in the year 1500 was approximately $250 billion in today’s currency. Today, the total value of human production is around $60 trillion. Any large modern bank holds as much money as all the premodern kingdoms combined.
The most significant moment of the past 500 years occurred at 5:29:45 AM on July 16, 1945, when American scientists detonated the first atomic bomb in New Mexico. From that moment, humanity not only gained the power to change history but also the ability to end it.
The central event that triggered all these changes over the past 500 years was the scientific revolution and the rise of scientific research.
The Interconnection of Science, Politics, and Economy
Science requires more than just research and progress – it depends on the mutual reinforcement of science, politics, and economy. Political and economic institutions provide the resources necessary for scientific research, which in turn generates new capabilities. These capabilities, among other things, can be used to acquire more resources, some of which are reinvested in scientific research.
Modern science differs from all previous knowledge traditions in three fundamental ways:
- The willingness to acknowledge ignorance. Modern science is based on the Latin expression ignoramūs, meaning we do not know.
- The central role of observation and mathematics in the scientific method.
- The pursuit of new capabilities and power.
The scientific revolution was not a revolution of knowledge – it was a revolution of ignorance.
Ancient knowledge categorized ignorance into two types. The first was ignorance of something important, which could be resolved by consulting a wiser person. The second was ignorance of something deemed unimportant, which was dismissed as useless.
It is not surprising that science had to rely on religious and ideological beliefs to justify the funding and research necessary for its development.
For most of history, rulers and businessmen did not finance research about nature and the universe to develop new technologies. However, new technologies occasionally emerged, usually created by uneducated craftsmen through trial and error.
The Role of Science in Warfare and Daily Life
During World War I, militaries heavily relied on scientists, and scientists responded by developing new weapons in laboratories – military aircraft, poison gas, tanks, submarines, machine guns, artillery, and bombs.
Until recently, most people on Earth suffered from hunger and lived at the biological survival threshold, where food was insufficient for a long life. Today, hunger is no longer a global threat. In fact, in many societies, the risk of death from obesity is now greater than the risk of death from starvation.
King Edward I of England, his wife Queen Eleanor, and their children lived in the best conditions available at the time. They resided in palaces, ate as much as they wanted, and were served by the best doctors and servants. However, out of sixteen children, only three lived to the age of forty – an indicator of the quality of life in those times.
The Future: The Pursuit of Immortality
Some serious studies suggest that by the year 2250, some individuals may become biologically immortal – provided they do not die in an accident.
Science is an incredibly expensive endeavor. Why, then, have billions been poured into laboratories and universities by governments and businesses? Most scientific research is funded because someone believes the results will provide new political, economic, or religious advantages.
Yet, scientists are often unaware of the political, economic, or religious interests that control the flow of funding. Many scientists, in fact, pursue research purely out of intellectual curiosity.
The Feedback Loop Between Science, Empire, and Capital
Scientific research flourishes only in alliance with religion or ideology. Ideology justifies the costs of scientific research, but in return, it influences scientific agendas and determines how discoveries are applied.
The positive feedback loop between science, empire, and capital has undeniably been the historical driving force of the past 500 years.
