At the end
of 2013 year there emerged a news that Shokalskiy vessel got stuck in the ice
of Antarctica. The mission was introduced few weeks earlier to recreate explorer
Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition from a century ago.
The
original expedition performed in early nineteenth-century brought huge amount
of scientific knowledge about Antarctica but also took life of many people from
Mawson’s crew.
The remake
expedition met harsh Antarctica but even they got stuck in ice they had instant
link with the world through Internet and other media.
Here are
the links to Mawson/Shokalskiy expeditions.
Mawson was
ready to pay the highest price for his scientific work.
Is it the
case with nowadays science?
Are there
any science areas that you must risk your life while exploring?
I think that many scientists had to make a risk during their research. The most spectacular areas seem to me that connected with exploration something undiscovered. There are presented Antarcica’s expedition in Waldek’s article, but I think that similar areas are high mountains or wild jungles. I think also about areas not placed at lands like depths of oceans or spaceship. Going back more in time it seems possible to think about sailors like Columb or Magellan as people who wanted prove the Copernicus theory.
ReplyDeleteI also notice many areas not connected with travelling like research on dangerous viruses, chemicals or radiation. I think, that many scientist died for science although many of them were not probably conscious dangers connected to their work.
I suppose that nowadays scientists don’t have to make such a big risk during exploring lands or other areas because the most dangerous parts of their work can be done by machines. But risk connected with closeness dangerous things (viruses, chemicals or even great energies) still exists.
Yes. The risk still exists but the more we (as humans) understand world the bigger chances we have to avoid accidental loses.
DeleteI see a problem with risking life only if somebody risk lives of his team members without their agreement.
DeleteIn other cases - it is a personal choice.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with Grzegorz that there are still many areas where scientist need to risk for example exploring deep oceans or exploring the space. I think that exploring new things always will be connected with risk and scientist will be accept that risk. Look where we would be if the scientists would not have risked, thanks to their courage man land on the moon ,they built a base in space, they investigated depths of the ocean where they discovered that (in these terms where there should be no life) there is a life.
ReplyDeleteI think that most of the time people know that they risk a lot but they rarely accept to pay life price. Usually they think that it is going to be 'somehow' but they do not truly believe that they will die.
DeleteI understand that it is and actually must be. This price is not only to get "something" but also very often in order to help others people. It may not fully apply to this case which you show here, but for example, it really often relates to medicine. I mean often, in order to discover or verify a vaccine, where it is implanted many times into children. This example which you show here is really nice, I always wanted to explore something new and do expedition like this one. In the past I almost started in one expedition to Antarctica combine with yacht sailing from Argentina. I had to give up only because of money. Maybe next time ;)
ReplyDeleteSorry for bringing your memories about the Antarctica trip back. That was not my intention :).
DeleteTrue point. There are cases when people risk their lives intentionally and most of examples can be fond in medicine science.
Science has always been a dangerous profession. In the past many of the great visionaries have been burned alive for announcing their finding to others or trying something new. Others (like M. Skłodowska-Curie) died because of their finding. So, all in all, I believe that each discovery is inherently associated with danger and I find people that willingly undertake such risk for the good of all humanity very brave.
ReplyDeleteNaturally some areas of science are more dangerous than others ;)
Thankfully the computer science is not that dangerous I believe :)
DeleteI'll try to comment a little differently than my predecessors in this topic. This the general admiration for the discoveries of scientists sounds artificial and false. Firstly, I do not consider that the highest price you can pay for discovery in science, are my life or health. For me, a much higher price tag is life with the knowledge that my activity in the field of science contributed to human misery, and maybe I led to the collapse of my soul (spirit). This problem has been known for a long time, for example it is shown at the tragedy Faust (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe). To recap the best-known examples of such dilemmas "scientists": Robert Oppenheimer, Andrei Sakharov.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion it is not that straight forward to say that someone's discoveries led to people misery. It is usually one step further when usually some other individuals decide to use new knowledge for something bad.
DeleteThe judge each of the scientist will his own conscience. "The Court through the word".
DeleteIn my opinion there are no limits to risk their lives for some scientist, who in pursue of their goals will cross any border including sacrificing their health, life or wealth. History shows numerous examples of scientists loosing there lives or health because of the experiments they were conducting. For eg. Alexander Fleming, Roald Amundsen or Jacques Cousteau. However, it is one thing to risk your own life or possessions and quite something else to endanger other’s people lives or health, while conducting dangerous experiments. There should be an ethical border for every scientist to consider and to adhere to when performing experiments, in order to keep it safe for others. The only acceptable way of endangering people lives or health is the case when they volunteer to participate.
ReplyDeleteDo you really think that nowadays science volunteers are ready to intentionally pay with their lives? I can hardly think of any real example I must say.
DeleteOh sure, there are lots of volunteers who claim they would go on a one way trip to live in a colony on Mars. I believe most of them would actually do that given a chance.
DeleteFor me being a scientist is not dangerous profession anymore. May be because I cannot consider exploring new lands or dangerous places as a science. In my opinion only risk that modern scientist can take is a risk of loss of time or money if results of research are useless.
ReplyDeleteThat is interesting statement. Indeed the lost time (for fruitless activities) has a higher price then it used to have.
DeleteI can agree with certain areas of science being difficult to pursue and potentially dangerous. People risking their life for the "betterment of the mankind" can earn my respect, as they do something I wouldn't try myself.
ReplyDeleteHowever, "science" is a pretty broad term. In this case, we have potentially freezing to death because people tried to recreate a historical expedition. Perhaps there really is a great amount of knowledge to be gained from something like that, but I consider it a point where "science" ends and "needless risk" begins. It might be because I prefer utilitarian approach to science, rather than something that may or may not turn out to be important.
This is also the case with plenty of so called "discoveries" and "research". To me, it seems that one can do something insanely stupid and dangerous and yet excuse it as "science" - thus being considered a brave person looking for truth, instead of someone who foolishly risked their life for nothing. I realize that this might be disrespectful to some people, but more than once I have seen some "research" and couldn't help but to ask "Why?" Might not be just the case of people risking their lives, but also spending millions on something that seems to have no practical benefits.
You are right. The very simple question 'Why' should always be asked. It does not only applies to science but to all our activities. The world is full of useless products of ill-considered decisions.
DeleteThat's a fascinating story.
ReplyDeleteWell, if you think about it, perhaps the most dangerous job for a scientist today is being a nuclear physicist for some authoritarian state (and have foreign spy agencies hunt you).
As has been mentioned above, another example are people willing to accept a radically new or untested medical treatment such as a surgery. But other than that, you're right, it doesn't happen very often that a scientists pays the highest price for his work nowadays. I hope it stays that way.
Regarding the people that are willing to take part in medical experiments. It is quite possible that those people are in hard health situations where only new technologies bring promises for their recovery.
DeleteThey can be on edge and that might be why they allow experimenting on them selves even putting their lives at risk.
There are a lot of science areas that require putting life at risk. There are not only extreme cases of expeditions in harsh environment that scientists not only risk their lives but they need to sacrifice everything for results. Scientists that work stationary 40hours per week are also at high risk due to many harmful factors that they encounter everyday like radiation, pollution, chemicals or ultrasounds. Many people that work in the pharmaceutical or chemical industry are at constant exposure to dangerous factors that can significantly shorten their life or can cause some serious health damages.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. Where are still not in the place where the risk associated with science would be totally eliminated.
DeleteAccording to me there are scientists with a passion. Who are able to devote to learning all their lives and risking their lives. They are able to get to lose your health. They leave and family leave for
ReplyDeletescientific purposes. We must first remember that science is not conducive to the public and himself. Famous scientists say that devote their lives to save humanity. I have very great respect for
scientists because it is very difficult passion.
I agree that there are domains where science can fill whole life eliminating space needed for family.
DeleteI think that in most fields of science lifetaking risk are not part of a daily job of a scientist. But I believe that devoted scientists would be willing to give a lot, maybe event their lives, to make a great breakthrough in their field. I would believe it's analogical to sportsman. I've read an article some time ago where I found information about a study done among sportsman. More than half said that would be willing to give their life away for winning a medal on olympics.
ReplyDeleteI think it is possible to find scientists that would do the same for a Nobel prise.
Going back to risk in science. I believe it was quite common in 19th century but not now. Mostly I'm thinking about pioneers of flight and steam engine. Many died falling from their own flying machines or being killed by explosion of a new high pressure steam engine.
I could hardly understand dying for the Nobel price but dying for the Olympics seems true insane.
DeleteI believe that such is the fate of the pioneers have to bear the consequences of their choices.
ReplyDeleteScientists and explorers all move in areas unknown to science is the related high risk.
Even now, scientists, physicists explore areas of science that involves substantial risks.
Research at CERN Large Hadron Collider associated with discovering the unknown matter in the universe and it is not a safe operation.