In this blog post, we will look at how science and technology can make our lives more convenient while also harming the environment and our health, and consider how we should accept this duality.
We live a more convenient life under the protection of science and technology. Science and technology have provided us with a rich life, but not many people are aware that this technology can be a poison. Here, we would like to think about the duality of science and technology that makes us convenient, which can be a medicine or a poison. Let’s start the story with a few examples.
First, let’s talk about food additives. Food additives are chemical compounds that are allowed to be manufactured, processed, imported, used, stored, or displayed for sale as long as they do not pose a risk to human health. There are about 600 designated food additives in Korea. Food additives are considered to be indispensable substances for maintaining the freshness and quality of food.
However, the important question here is whether the use of these approved food additives is safe. Of course, food additives approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety can be considered to be somewhat safe. However, there is a daily intake limit for food additives, and excessive consumption beyond this limit can be problematic. Therefore, when purchasing food, it is important to check the ingredient list carefully and avoid foods that contain a lot of additives. In other words, there is no need to be overly concerned about the consumption of food additives, but it is desirable to minimize the amount of food additives consumed.
Nevertheless, the controversy over whether food additives are harmful to health continues. In particular, sodium glutamate (L-glutamic acid sodium), known as MSG, is a representative subject of controversy. Konrad Beyreuther, a professor and neuroscientist at Heidelberg University in Germany, explained that Alzheimer’s is a phenomenon in which nerve cells die, and pointed out that “L-glutamic acid sodium is a poison for nerve cells.” In addition, American writer Gene Copper has described L-glutamic acid sodium as “a serial killer that kills cells.” Although the US FDA and the European Union currently classify L-glutamic acid sodium as one of the safest food additives, there are many experts who have different opinions on this. For example, in 1969, Professor John Olney of the University of Washington in the United States discovered that L-glutamic acid sodium causes damage to the brains of rats, and this research led to the banning of the addition of L-glutamic acid sodium to baby food in the United States. Since then, Olney has continued his research, suggesting a link between L-glutamic acid and diseases such as stroke, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s.
However, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of South Korea has stated that there is no need to be afraid of food additives and avoid their consumption. Additives that have been scientifically verified and approved can be used safely within the prescribed dosage. However, it is recommended to use only the minimum amount to maintain the freshness of food, and it is beneficial for consumers to carefully check the ingredient list of food additives and refrain from consuming food with excessive additives. Even after 2020, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has reaffirmed the safety of monosodium glutamate (MSG), but many consumers still prefer additive-free products, and foods that emphasize natural ingredients are becoming popular.
Next, I will talk about flush toilets. Many people may wonder why the flush toilet, which we use every day, is the subject of controversy. However, flush toilets are praised as a great invention that saved humanity from disease, but at the same time, they are criticized as the main culprit of environmental destruction.
Flush toilets are sanitary facilities that cleanly dispose of waste after a user flushes the toilet. They were once praised as the greatest invention of mankind. However, some criticize them as the worst invention in terms of the environment. Flush toilets are also considered to be the main culprits of water waste, water pollution, and resource waste. So, let’s find out if the flush toilet is the best or the worst invention of mankind.
First of all, there is no denying that the flush toilet is a hygienic method of waste disposal that has saved humanity from disease. In the past, people used to relieve themselves anywhere, and they used to take their waste home and throw it out on the streets, which made the streets full of waste and foul odors. In medieval Europe, people who lived in high-rise buildings would throw their feces out of the windows. One of the causes of the Black Death, which wiped out one-third of Europe’s population, was unsanitary toilets and unsanitary living conditions. In addition to the Black Death, millions more died from drinking dirty water and contracting typhoid, dysentery, cholera, and hepatitis.
In this situation, the flush toilet was an invention that freed humanity from disease and bad smells. Sir John Harrington’s flush toilet, first developed in 1596, was a groundbreaking invention at the time, but it had the problem of bad smells from the waste tank where excrement was collected. Later, in 1775, Alexander Cummings developed a technology to block the odor from the manure tank by introducing a U-shaped drainage pipe. These drainage pipes are still used in toilets, sinks, and sinks today, preventing odors and insects from coming up from the sewer. As such, the flush toilet was an important invention that saved humanity from filth, bad smells, and diseases. In the early days, sewage flowed directly into the River Thames in London, contaminating the drinking water source and causing waterborne diseases to spread, but these problems were largely solved as the city’s water and sewage facilities were improved. As a result, flush toilets became more widely used.
However, despite the convenience of flush toilets, environmental issues are still serious. About 13 to 15 liters of water is used each time the toilet is flushed, and water-saving toilets consume about 6 liters of water. Considering how many times we use the toilet in a day, we can see how much water is used to flush the toilet. This polluted water is purified by flowing through the sewage pipes to the sewage treatment plant, but this process requires a huge amount of money and effort. The amount of tap water that Koreans use in flush toilets in a year is about 1.1 billion tons, and this water flows into rivers and is a major cause of river eutrophication and red tides in the sea. No matter how hard the sewage treatment plant tries to clean the water, there are some pollutants that cannot be filtered out, and the water will eventually become polluted. Therefore, flush toilets are the worst water-wasting facilities and the main culprits of environmental destruction, which is a particular problem in South Korea, which is classified as a water-scarce country.
Modern society has treated incurable diseases with human cloning technology, increased food production through genetic manipulation, and made it possible for robots to explore Mars with the development of space science. Also, whenever a war breaks out, we are always amazed by the emergence of new weapons and their destructive power.
However, as the two cases above show, the development of science and technology does not always bring about beneficial results. What truly makes humanity happy does not depend on technological progress alone, but on how that technology is used. Science and technology should contribute to making human life more abundant and prosperous, but if not, they can harm humans and the environment. For this reason, we need to control the development of science and technology and carefully consider its direction.
We need to find ways for the Earth, the environment, and humans to coexist, which is an important task to ensure that the development of science and technology does not flow in a direction that hinders human life. In fact, human life is becoming more affluent every year with the development of science and technology, but the blind pursuit of speed can lead to negative results. We need to prepare for the side effects that technology will bring, and we need to regulate the development of science and technology so that it can have a positive impact on human life.
Since the development of science and technology, people have been talking about its dual nature. Science and technology have brought us many benefits, but at the same time, there is also fear that it could threaten human life. We are now at a moment of choice to ensure that technological development does not go in a direction that harms human life.
The choice is to continuously check whether science and technology are being used correctly and whether the technology is moving in the right direction. We must use the power of science and technology wisely to create a safer and more sustainable future. Science and technology have brought us amazing progress, but the side effects of this progress cannot be ignored. That is why we must think critically about science and technology and strive to ensure that the technology is developed in a way that truly promotes the well-being of humanity and the sustainability of the Earth.
Finally, we must recognize that the development of science and technology is no longer just about making our lives more convenient, but has the potential to threaten our very existence. We have a responsibility to carefully manage the use and development of science and technology so that it remains a tool for making human life happier and safer. Otherwise, the bright future we have expected from science and technology may instead come back to haunt us.
