The Effect of the Social Context of Scientific Work on the...

The Effect of the Social Context of Scientific Work on the Methods and Findings of Science The world society is in a constant state of fluidity regarding everything from social customs and slang to technology and inventions. With even more abundance, scientific understanding and questioning evolve as time progresses. As the human race changes and grows, scientific knowledge of the world and universe must expand to accommodate the growth. To a large extent, the social situations surrounding the scientific work affect the specific sciences that are investigated. Historically, the use of science to explain natural phenomenon has existed for many centuries. Ancient establishments such as†¦show more content†¦Oftentimes, the types of scientific research performed are those that supply information needed in a particular societal context. If a certain epidemic breaks out in an area, for example, scientists may gear their research toward the cure for the illness. On a much larger scale lies the example of the historically, socially, and scientifically significant experimentation revolving around both space exploration and the creation of the atomic bomb. During the Cold War, the U.S. and Russia both strived to be the leading country in space exploration. When the Russians released Sputnik, John F. Kennedy decided it was crucial to surpass Russian abilities; in the early 1960’s he pledged that a man would land on the moon within a decade. JFK, and later President Johnson, knew that having a U.S. astronaut land on the moon would stir self-esteem and nationalism into the American mind. Aware of this, it was only right to avidly pursue scientific research in this field. A similar example, the researching of atomic weapons, demonstrates how societal emotion and reason had a hand in the study of the atomic bomb. In the heated times of WWII, the most powerful nations involved in the conflict became a part of a cutthroat arms race. 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