Question mark: Start asking questions
Every elementary school student working on a science fair project learns that the first step in the scientific method is asking a question. Some scientists and philosophers, however, wonder whether science is asking enough questions.
New fields like geoengineering have the power to reshape the planet – literally – but there is little understanding of their longterm consequences. The New York Times cites the example of Planktos, a private company that proposed seeding the South Atlantic with iron to produce carbon dioxide-absorbing plankton blooms despite heavy criticism from scientists and governments.
Such incidents suggest that biotechnology is not the only arena where ethics and philosophy should play a critical role. In response, scientists are changing gears and taking a broader view of complex issues and questions. In the United States, for example, the National Academy of Engineering has established a Center for Engineering, Ethics, and Society. Dr. Rachelle Hollander, the center’s director, explains, “There are social questions we should be paying attention to, that we should see as important,” adding, “I mean we as citizens, and that includes people in the academy and engineers. It includes everybody.”
Kathryn provides market intelligence services to MaRS Advisory Services clients and to The Innovations Group at the University of Toronto. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto's Faculty of Information.
