PP1 - How Sciences Challenges Society

7/31/2019 PP1 - How Sciences Challenges Society

1/16

How Science challenges

SocietyIs progress always good?
http://www.picsearch.com/info.cgi?q=mushroom%20cloud&id=vTXEu6oYl76CsKpb_sBZhGhxBF7sH65NyWn6VVWUEpg&opt=&cols=4http://www.picsearch.com/info.cgi?q=mushroom%20cloud&id=vTXEu6oYl76CsKpb_sBZhGhxBF7sH65NyWn6VVWUEpg&opt=&cols=4http://www.picsearch.com/info.cgi?q=mushroom%20cloud&id=vTXEu6oYl76CsKpb_sBZhGhxBF7sH65NyWn6VVWUEpg&opt=&cols=4http://www.picsearch.com/info.cgi?q=mushroom%20cloud&id=vTXEu6oYl76CsKpb_sBZhGhxBF7sH65NyWn6VVWUEpg&opt=&cols=4


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The BasicArgument

Look at these two pairs of

pictures

How is progress shown

between them?

What are the disadvantages of

this?


3/16

The Basic

Argument

Look at these two pairs of

pictures

How is progress shown

between them?What are the

disadvantages of this?
http://www.picsearch.com/info.cgi?q=battle%20of%20waterloo&id=yy32YaxqaOkj1HyuWGAyIg_LN5niOr2wWQRBw9Z4H5w&opt=&cols=4


4/16

Debate

We are going to look at 3 areas and discuss

if progress is always positive.

Glossary

Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear Fission

Genetic Modification
http://www.picsearch.com/info.cgi?q=Glossary&id=chL5-KBIBxGEIS35L3_jITdk6kl_RHn5tNomRptqMLE&opt=&cols=4


5/16

Key Definitions: Nuclear Fusion

1. The division of the nucleiofisotopesof certain heavyelements, such as uranium andplutonium, effected bybombardment with neutrons.

2. Nuclear fission causes the releaseof energy, additional neutrons, andan enormous quantity of heat.Nuclear fission is used in nuclear

power plants and nuclearweapons.

3. A by product of nuclear fission istoxic radioactive waste. Used to

create the atomic bomb
http://www.picsearch.com/info.cgi?q=key&id=Nb2SPgUXQHMp8R4XPiu8rC9pH0FjA4yHHXOzTAjoouo&start=21&opt=&cols=4


6/16

Key Definitions: Nuclear Fission

1. The combination of the nucleiof certain extremelylight elements, especially hydrogen, effected by theapplication of high temperature and pressure.

2. Nuclear fusion causes the release of an enormousamount of heat energy, comparable to that releasedby nuclear fission. The principal by product ofnuclear fusion is helium.

3. 6. Used in creating the more powerful hydrogenbomb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSi-zSeS0_Y

Mk- 17 Hydrogen bomb 1954- 1957
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSi-zSeS0_Yhttp://www.picsearch.com/info.cgi?q=key&id=Nb2SPgUXQHMp8R4XPiu8rC9pH0FjA4yHHXOzTAjoouo&start=21&opt=&cols=4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSi-zSeS0_Yhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSi-zSeS0_Yhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSi-zSeS0_Y


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Advantages of nuclear energy

1. Almost zero emissions (very low greenhouse gas emissions).

2. They can be sited almost anywhere unlike oil which is mostly imported.

3. The plants almost never experience problems if not from human error, which almost

never happens anyway because the plant only needs a small group to operate it.

4. A small amount of matter creates a large amount of energy.

5. A lot of energy is generated from a single power plant.

6. Current nuclear waste in the US is over 90% Uranium. If reprocessing were madelegal again in the US we would have enough nuclear material to last hundreds of

years.

7. A truckload of Uranium is equivalent in energy to 10,000+ truckloads of coal.

(Assuming the Uranium is fully utilized.)

8. A nuclear aircraft carrier can circle the globe continuously for 30 years on its original

fuel while a diesel fuelled carrier has a range of only about 3000 miles before havingto refuel.

9. Modern reactors have two to ten times more efficiency than the old generation

reactors currently in use around the US.

10. New reactor types have been designed to make it physically impossible to melt down.

As the core gets hotter the reaction gets slower, hence a run-away reaction leading to

a melt-down is not possible. .


8/16

Disadvantages of nuclear energy

Nuclear plants are more expensive to build and maintain.

1. Proliferation concerns - breeder reactors yield products that could potentially bestolen and turned into an atomic weapon.

2. Waste products are dangerous and need to be carefully stored for long periods of

time. The spent fuel is highly radioactive and has to be carefully stored for many

years or decades after use. This adds to the costs. There is presently no adequate

safe long-term storage for radioactive and chemical waste produced from early

reactors, such as those in Hanford, Washington, some of which will need to be safely

sealed and stored forthousandsof years.

3. Early nuclear research and experimentation has created massive contamination

problems that are still uncontained.

4. A lot of waste from early reactors was stored in containers meant for only a few

decades, but is well past expiration resulting in leaks are furthering contamination.

5. Nuclear power plants can be dangerous to its surroundings and employees. It would

cost a lot to clean in case of spillages.

6. Mishaps at nuclear plants can render hundreds of square miles of land uninhabitable

and unsuitable for any use for years, decades or longer, and kill off entire river

systems


9/16

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im8AAm9

mz2o&feature=related

Nuclear fuel production can go wrong

though. Watch the you tube clip above

which looks at problems in Japan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im8AAm9mz2o&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im8AAm9mz2o&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im8AAm9mz2o&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im8AAm9mz2o&feature=related


10/16

The Manhattan Project

example of the use of

nuclear power

Was undertaken by the Americangovernment during World War 2.

The first atom bombs were droppedon the Japanese cities of Hiroshimaand Nagasaki in 1945 which ended

the war. Also it has been used to create

power stations

Look at the statements on the following

slide and decide what are the

advantages and disadvantages of thediscovery of nuclear fusion

The clip below details the Manhattanproject

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhSKqzwwypQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhSKqzwwypQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhSKqzwwypQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhSKqzwwypQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhSKqzwwypQhttp://www.picsearch.com/info.cgi?q=radioactive&id=Y1TLW5r2yeUqkYY2xRcYjLcwTBFp8eSF5NOIdfFsZGw&opt=&cols=4


11/16

1. Having Nuclear weapons makes a country moresecure as stops other countries from attacking

2. Nuclear Fission could provide even more energy forsociety.

3. It is not a cheap way of making electricity as itproduces waste that is dangerous and difficult tostore.

4. It can makes countries more secure as they do nothave to rely on unstable oil producing countries.


12/16

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gjqxegu2n8k

Atomic Bombs of Hiroshima and

Nagasaki 1945

The consequences of scientificdiscoveries can be unintended and harmful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gjqxegu2n8khttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gjqxegu2n8k


13/16

Key Definitions:A genetically modified organism (GMO)

1. Genetically engineered organism (GEO) is anorganism whose genetic material has beenaltered using genetic engineering techniques.

2. These techniques are generally known asrecombinant DNA technology. With thistechnology, DNA molecules from differentsources are combined into one molecule tocreate a new set ofgenes.

3. This DNA is then transferred into anorganism, giving it modified or novel traits.
http://www.picsearch.com/info.cgi?q=key&id=Nb2SPgUXQHMp8R4XPiu8rC9pH0FjA4yHHXOzTAjoouo&start=21&opt=&cols=4http://www.picsearch.com/info.cgi?q=key&id=Nb2SPgUXQHMp8R4XPiu8rC9pH0FjA4yHHXOzTAjoouo&start=21&opt=&cols=4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_engineeringhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_engineeringhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recombinant_DNAhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moleculehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moleculehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recombinant_DNAhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_engineeringhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_engineeringhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organismhttp://www.picsearch.com/info.cgi?q=key&id=Nb2SPgUXQHMp8R4XPiu8rC9pH0FjA4yHHXOzTAjoouo&start=21&opt=&cols=4


14/16

Great Debate

Developments in geneticswill lead to a

Frankenstein future for

mankind! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

kefoIXnLAN0

Dolly the sheep

CSI: NY -- Human Ears on Mice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kefoIXnLAN0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kefoIXnLAN0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoEWYJHf0kUhttp://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k11/nicole_sunday/GMOCORN.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blogs.takepart.com/tag/genetically-modified-food/&h=354&w=354&sz=27&hl=en&start=39&um=1&usg=__K6G6YliSAMU23W8owps16H-kOGA=&tbnid=duhFvkvygDL5lM:&tbnh=121&tbnw=121&prev=/images?q=genetically+modified+crops&start=21&ndsp=21&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-45,GGLG:en&sa=Nhttp://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.freakingnews.com/pictures/25500/Two-Headed-Sheep--25903.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.freakingnews.com/Two-Headed-Animals-Pictures--1282.asp&h=700&w=500&sz=82&hl=en&start=13&um=1&usg=__ul48oGOcZnPNN2f-uh00GLyYHfA=&tbnid=Tn1jY7d6B4-c6M:&tbnh=140&tbnw=100&prev=/images?q=sheep+with+two+heads&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-45,GGLG:en&sa=Nhttp://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://nalts.files.wordpress.com/2006/07/frankenstein.jpg&imgrefurl=http://nalts.wordpress.com/2006/07/page/2/&h=1024&w=816&sz=93&hl=en&start=2&um=1&usg=__KK72fYtUO8lXhazkv2mVZoWAsXg=&tbnid=hiNBEibj0gky2M:&tbnh=150&tbnw=120&prev=/images?q=Frankenstein&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-45,GGLG:en&sa=Nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoEWYJHf0kUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kefoIXnLAN0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kefoIXnLAN0


15/16

Key Points

Scientific discoveriescan lead to hugeprogress

The consequences of

these discoveries canbe unintended andharmful.

This leads to a debate

as to whether humansshould always seek todiscover morescientific knowledge
http://www.picsearch.com/info.cgi?q=key&id=Nb2SPgUXQHMp8R4XPiu8rC9pH0FjA4yHHXOzTAjoouo&start=21&opt=&cols=4


16/16

The Key Debate: As a class

discuss the following questions Should human beings

have popularised thediscovery of nuclearfusion?

Should they be pursuingnuclear fission?

How is this debate

similar to Geneticsandgenetic modification?

Should we modify cells?
http://www.picsearch.com/info.cgi?q=debate&id=Dj0sEo_SQkRhiTJD90_k6mRxsN9wtmPWPYNFI8bFb3g&opt=&cols=4

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PP1 - How Sciences Challenges Society