<p>Can too much knowledge be harmful?</p>
<p>The thirst for knowledge seems to be a permanent part of human nature; however, in recent times, humans have witnessed how dangerous knowledge can be. Advances in fields ranging from medicine to transportation have made our every day lives easier. We have gained the knowledge do so many things that our ancestors deemed impossible. However, these discoveries can have negative effects on our world. We sometimes do not how or when new knowledge should be used. A lack of moderation has caused some of our greatest discoveries to go awry.
The mass production of the automobile is probably one of the greatest innovations of the twentieth century. It has also caused one of the most detrimental changes to the environment. Henry Ford experimented with the use of an assembly line in his factories. This cut production costs and made cars more accessible. Because of Ford's discovery and others like it, most families have at least one car. However, many scientists have shown how burning fossil fuels to run our cars have harmed the planet. We are releasing more carbon dioxide than the plants on earth can absorb. This is affecting climate and weather patterns. We don't know how to moderate ourselves when it comes to our cars. We are using all of our knowledge to advance transportation, without creating boundaries for this knowledge. When we use our knowledge to create without limits, we can damage the world we live in.
Aldous Huxley's Brave New World also demonstrates the dangers of knowledge. In the novel, scientists have discovered ways to rigidly control reproduction. Every child is created in a "hatching center" from DNA created by the scientists. Then the child is conditioned from birth for its future job. A person's social class is determined by their genetics. Although genetic science can be helpful, the way this society uses its knowledge of it is out of control; a human life is degraded to a commodity that the government produces. Because the government in Brave New World uses genetic science so freely, it creates an oppressed society. When we use scientific knowledge without restrictions, it is often harmful.
The knowledge that we've gained over time has helped and hurt us in many ways. We should be careful when applying it because there can be unpredictable consequences such as harming the environment or creating an oppressed society. Moderation and using our best judgment are the only ways that we can reduce the chance of our knowledge harming us in the future.</p>
<p>Don't be afraid to rip it to shreds, I can take it... hopefully...</p>