Science, Technology, and Society
Core Concepts
Understand how science and technology influence each other and society, and how societal needs shape research priorities. Know that scientific knowledge is tentative and revised with new evidence, and that peer review, replication, and transparency support reliability. Recognize ethical considerations: informed consent, animal welfare, data integrity, and avoiding plagiarism or fabrication. Understand risk assessment, cost–benefit analysis, and the difference between scientific evidence and policy decisions (which involve values). Know that technology can have unintended consequences and that benefits and risks are often unevenly distributed.
Traps
Questions may imply that a scientific consensus is "just an opinion" or that a single study overturns established science. Watch for the false dilemma that science and ethics are unrelated, or that technology is automatically beneficial. Another trap is confusing what science can establish (empirical claims) with what it cannot (value judgments).
Rule of Thumb
Separate the empirical question (what does the evidence show?) from the policy question (what should we do?), which also weighs values, costs, and equity.
Worked Example
A new pesticide increases crop yields but harms pollinators. Science can quantify both effects; deciding whether to restrict it requires weighing food supply, ecosystem health, and farmer livelihoods. The decision is a policy judgment informed by, but not settled solely by, scientific data.