(February 24, 2019 at 9:06 am)Mathilda Wrote:(February 24, 2019 at 8:39 am)Brian37 Wrote: Anything can be abused by wealth and power. But scientific method itself is a tool.
There is still a huge difference between science being used by friend or foe to be used to make weapons, even chemical weapons to kill others, and corporate science used to attract shareholders, such as big pharma. And the separate ethic of say a neutral scientist merely making observations, like an astrophysicist, or "Doctors without boarders".
Big oil has bullied the planet's governments and even used propaganda masked as "science" to protect the industry's profits when REAL scientists are sounding the alarm of global warming.
Also scientists are generally people who actually care about the world and who prefer to educate themselves rather than stay ignorant. After all, you don't become a scientist to get rich but for the love of knowledge. Generally to achieve something useful.
I wouldn't put it like how you put it.
I would say there certainly are plenty of scientists who do care, I'd agree with that. But there are scientists who work for the global weapons industry, and even make and maintain nukes in enemy states. There are scientists who work for chemical companies and oil companies whom dream up ways to make cheaper products to attract shareholders and boost profits, it is the company itself that pays them, and that company doesn't itself always care what damage that product may do to the environment.
Ethical scientists do care yes. But there are corporate "scientists" who only care about making money for the company they work for.
