Science Has Taken Over My Life

     After spending a good portion of the day studying for tomorrow's AP Biology test, I guess now is as good of a time as any to write a blog post about science! It's not like I'm tired of it or anything. *Sarcastic laughter*...  So. Anyway. I really enjoyed reading the piece "A Measure of Restraint" by Chet Raymo, because I found the style to be beautiful, and also because it is about science, which is a topic I generally enjoy (just not after cramming it into my brain for hours). But, I did not fully agree with the claim of the piece, which was essentially that "the unexamined quest for knowledge is hemmed with peril", and that we must be hesitant when forging for new scientific discoveries (11). Of course, this makes sense, logically. Putting ourselves at risk in order to make new discoveries may not be the best idea in theory, and human curiosity can be detrimental. However, hesitation in this world of broadening scientific opportunities could prevent groundbreaking discoveries for which the benefits could, in fact, outweigh the possible dangers.
     One part of the piece "A Measure of Restraint" that really stuck with me was the story of Marie Curie, probably because she is a really admirable scientist who committed herself to her work. And, of course, it was that commitment that caused her death. This was one of Raymo's central examples for his argument that restraint should be used in scientific discoveries. However, when I was scrolling down tumblr the other day, I found a quote that suggests that Marie Curie herself may disagree. She states that "nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less". This implies that even though Curie's work lead to her death, she does not regret the discoveries that she made, even though they had great costs to her own health.
     With the fields of science providing more opportunities for research than ever before, it is important to take into consideration the risks of taking advantage of such opportunities. But perhaps more important is to listen to the words of Marie Curie, a woman who threw herself so completely into her research with no hesitation, and who still, even after realizing the consequences of her actions, rallies for scientific discoveries to continue.