Science never stops, you know. It travels accompanying man in his evolution, and brings us continuous surprises: as our direct attitude, however, some of them can be dangerous, and have negative effects on humanity.
This fact, obviously, should not be a pretext to stop making discoveries: rather, to work more and more on an ethical level. Because there is no theory or scientific discovery, even a very positive one, that cannot have terrible implications if exploited with malicious intent. Here are 5 of the most dangerous scientific theories in history, for which you must always have an eye (and a little fear).
Einstein: everything was fine until the atomic bomb
The most famous equation of Albert Einstein it is perhaps the only formula of this type that has also gone down in history as a "pop phenomenon". Everyone remembers her. It itself is an icon: E=mc2 represents one of the main pillars of human knowledge in the world of physics. However, it also has a dark side. The equation shows that mass is multiplied by the square of the speed of light, 'c'. This means that even a small amount of mass can generate enough energy to destroy an entire city. The creation of the atomic bomb was a dramatic example of the misuse of this theory and its destructive power.
Phrenology: assessing mental abilities, or trying to override them?
Phrenology, developed by Franz Joseph Gall in 1800, it was intended to evaluate a person's psychological condition and mental abilities through observation of the shape of the skull. The theory holds that the human skull evolved to house and protect different parts of the brain, each responsible for a specific function. Well, this theory has been used in the past to exalt dangerous ideas: first of all, those of Charles Caldwell who aimed to justify the maintenance of slavery, with the claim that African populations had substantial differences with others. This demonstrates the potential influence of a "hijacked" scientific theory on people's minds.
Eugenics: the dangerous temptations of “racial refinement”
In its most radical formulations, eugenics argues that some genetic traits should be promoted through artificial selection, with the aim of conserving and perpetuating "desirable elements" over others, which should instead be abandoned. This theory was used by Nazism in Germany, during the Second World War, to justify the elimination of "undesirables", leading to the death (direct and indirect) of an incalculable number of people. The practice of forced sterilization alone, to give you an idea, was extended to more than 400.000 victims.
Climate change: the threat of today and tomorrow
Climate change is a very topical and discussed topic all over the world. And not since today: for a century and a half. However, many still deny what appears to most to be evidence: human activity is causing rapid and irreversible climate change. The effects of climate change are already visible: glaciers are melting faster than ever, spring is coming earlier and earlier, there are more and more floods and earthquakes around the world, plants and animals are migrating to more extreme altitudes to survive. Our pollution is destroying the planet. Yet, theories like that of the “millennial solar cycles” question, or tend to diminish, the role of man. Far from there being an open and calm debate based on the comparison of data, the climate controversy risks becoming a sterile ideological clash while the future of humanity collapses.
Aliens: would we like them or not among us? Drake's theories and the Fermi paradox: dangerous liaisons
The existence of extraterrestrials has been the subject of many theories and hypotheses, and lately the investigation into these phenomena she has grown a lot. To date, however, there is no solid evidence to support their existence. Drake's Theory, developed in 1961, tries to make a rough estimate of the number of alien civilizations present in the Milky Way: and there would be many. The Fermi paradox, published 14 years later (in 1975), challenges the entire argument with a simple statement: “If they existed, they would already be here.” But should we be happy or cautious, just in case? Speaking of dangerous theories, those about the "leap forward" that could derive from the encounter with a civilization much more advanced than ours. Sure, it could be. Buzz Hawking.
