<p>Any feedback and scoring is greatly appreciated. I wrote this in 23 minutes. Prepping for the March SAT. Cheers.</p>
<p>Blue Book Test #3
Prompt: "Knowledge is Power. In agriculture, medicine, and industry, for example, knowledge has liberated us from hunger, disease, and tedious labor, Today, however, our knowledge has become so powerful that it is beyond our control. We know how to do many things, but we do not know where, when, or even whether this know-how should be used."
Can knowledge be a burden rather than a benefit?</p>
<p>While the acquisition of knowledge is one of the foundations of our society, there are times when our knowledge proves detrimental to the stability of our species, due to the abuse of technological and social knowledge without regard for the possible consequences. The threat posed to our civilization by our superior technology, as evidenced by the bombing at Hiroshima, the society portrayed in Lois Lowry's The Giver, and the controversial and frightening research and experiments being undertaken by modern-day scientists.</p>
<p>One example of the destruction that knowledge makes us capable of is the use of the atomic bomb at the end of World War II. At this point, Americans, frustrated by the ongoing war with Japan and eager to use the nuclear technology developed in the clandestine Manhattan Project, dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The resulting chaos and destruction both immediately after this act and years later, with the widespread leukemia that resulted from the radiation exposure, is regarded as a great tragedy. This experience, made possible by America's pursuit of knowledge and technological superiority, demonstrated the extent to which our knowledge is beyond our control.</p>
<p>Another example of the harmful effects of the application of knowledge to our daily lives is depicted in Lois Lowry's The Giver, which depicts a futuristic dystopia in which scientific knowledge has been used to regulate all aspects of people's lives. In the attempt to prevent citizens from ever experiencing pain, the society also prevents its citizens from ever reaching true happiness. This frightening dystopia is a manifestation of the consequences of applying technological knowledge to control people's lives.</p>
<p>A final example of the threat that knowledge poses to our society lies in the research being conducted by scientists concerning cloning and genetics. The development of these technologies would make possible genetic manipulation and the use of mass-produced human armies, inevitably leading to the destruction of our world. Thus, in this case, knowledge is being used for immoral purposes and is thus a burden upon society.</p>
<p>In conclusion, while the development of technological knowledge may seem beneficial, in truth, because of the potential for abuse and destruction posed by this development, this knowledge could eventually destroy humankind and our cherished way of life.</p>