How Much is Too Much?

 

The basis of the world is science, right? Our lives revolve around the small screens we can hold in our hands and the large ones that surround us, whether they be laptops, TVs, or even the screens in cars. We have all heard of the so-called never-ending developments that science stands for. But at what time do we have to think differently?

What if there is nothing else to discover? What made us think that there were no limits to science? I’m not saying that there are no more discoveries; by all means, there should be many more. We have to start looking at what is in front of us instead of trying to only discover new things. If you go to university to receive a Ph. D in a subject, you are classified as an expert, yet there are people out there who look on the internet once and believe that they know it all. Science itself is built on discovery, and as Christie Aschwanden says in “Science Isn’t Broken,” even when false information reaches publication, there is always a way to prove that it is false. Even with that said, false discoveries continue to occur, so even within “new” discoveries, there are issues.

At this point in time, there is no way to know everything. According to research in Patrick Collison and Michael Nielson’s Atlantic article, “Is Science Getting Less Bang for Its Buck,” even with more technology and money, science is still producing discoveries at a relatively similar rate. Of course, there is space for people to discover different fields and for there to be a research bubble in the types of discoveries and inventions that can be made from this achievement. But what if science is not endless?
It would be an interesting question. We are told to believe that everything around us has come from something. Some say it is the big bang, others God, but how can everything around us be limitless? If there is a start, should there not also be an end? 

Take a look at the current semiconductor chip shortage that is happening due to COVID-19 factory shutdowns. For anyone who does not know what a semiconductor chip is, The Semiconductor Industry Association’s article “What is a Semiconductor?” describes it as a microchip normally made out of silicon or germanium that allows for easy connections between electrical components. So, without adequate access to semiconductor chips, it stunts technological research and growth. But what’s to say that we could not produce computers or smartphones with a new technology that utilized fewer semiconductor chips?

Instead of harping on the idea that there is nothing new to discover, take a look at what can be rediscovered. Just because we cannot go out to find new things does not mean that there is no new, different way to solve a problem. As with semiconductors, there may come a time where the resources we have to make easily accessible technology are no longer readily accessible. Instead of only raising the prices and waiting for everything to be used up, there can be discoveries made to ensure that technology can still be readily available.

Without the ability to rediscover what we already know and to find new solutions, we cannot make improvements to what we already have. Just because there is already one way to solve the problem does not mean that there is not a better solution. 

-Isabel Gringeri