Scientific knowledge is generally considered to have a positive effect on society. In which situation would scientific knowledge most likely have a negative effect on society?

There are several ways in which too much scientific knowledge, if it makes its ways into the wrong hands, can be harmful for society. Examples include the atomic bomb and human cloning.

Answer Link

Erudite1 Erudite1 · Answer 2 · 2018-07-18T13:20:08-04:00

The options attached to the question above are given below:

A. If it is used to justify changes in medical practices

B. If it results in new governmental regulations on industry

C. If it takes years to become widely understood

D. If it is misrepresented in order to influence public opinion

ANSWER

The correct option is D.

Scientists carry out scientific investigations all the time in order to improve the well being of humanity, thus scientific discovery usually have beneficial effects on the society in one way or the other. Examples of beneficial effects of scientific knowledge are telephone invention, electricity invention, generation of energy from the sun, etc. But a scientific knowledge can have negative impacts on a society if such a knowledge is purposely misrepresented in order to influence public opinions.