Wonders Of Science

Dixya Poudel

Science is at the core of the modern world. From daily utilities to innovative discoveries, science lends its knowledge quite generously. If someone from the sixteenth century would visit the earth today, he or she would be extremely baffled. The individual would look with wonder at the motor vehicles, airplanes, skyscrapers, electricity, etc. There is also a dire chance that they would mark them as sorcery, since in the sixteenth century there had been only a few scientific discoveries. 

The sixteenth century astronomer, Galileo Galilei added to the astronomical knowledge through his telescopic observations and attested the heliocentric view of the universe. However, as much as his observations were of importance in advancing science, they created a rift in the religious beliefs of the Catholic Church. 

Galileo was condemned as a heretic and it would take centuries for the Catholic Church to officially acknowledge this wrong doing. It shows that while science adds to the knowledge of the human world, it also brings a sense of fear among the orthodox people. 

As such, it was in the 17th century that Isaac Newton introduced the theory of gravity supposedly when he was struck by an apple falling from a tree. He also discovered the Laws of Motion. How many of us have heard the saying, “Every action has its equal and opposite reaction”? It was in fact postulated by Newton in his Laws of Motion. These laws also include Law of Inertia which states that an object remains in a state of rest or motion unless it is acted upon by the external forces. Since Newton, there have been numerous scientists who have contributed to science by discovering new theories that govern the world.

It is the curious ones who attribute to new discoveries and what is science if not an amalgamation of such discoveries? Today, science is taken as a significant subject with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) being a competitive and rewarding set of studies. Looking around the world, or even at the cornucopia of everyday life, the branches of science such as Physics, Chemistry and Biology explain how the world works including human bodies. Medicine is a field that saves lives and one that is a glorious mixture of all three branches. Physics on the other hand, sustains modern infrastructures and facilities. 

Chemistry meanwhile, helps advance the medical field. The trio that includes Physics, Chemistry, and Biology has explained the hidden workings of the world, from its physical structures to its chemical and biological structures. The said time traveller from the sixteenth century would ooh and ah at every modern discovery with a certain degree of awe and perhaps even a little skepticism. Riding on a vehicle, the time traveller would likely be dazed. Next, the traveller would be astonished by the efficacy of modern medicine and would agape at the telephone, the light bulb, the smartphones and computers. 

But then there would also be questions and concerns over the consequences of such modern facilities and the reckless way of modern lifestyle that risks the future of the planet, particularly the natural world and ecosystem. The wonders of science have made the modern world possible. It would be even wonderful if science could ensure that the world continues to progress without any dire consequences.