Science cannot progress on a theoretical and academic basis alone. There has to be a simultaneous intellectual evolution of scientific thought with practicality of the real world. The socioeconomic order of the world dictates the direction science goes, from being used to increase profit generating production to endless militaristic advancements. A bitter truth! Why cannot science just be left alone, divorced from the stubborn nature of society? The answer is simple, the struggle to live in a society and create a comfortable place for humans to coexist, is whence the need for science came in the first place. The growth of science is intimately connected with the growth of society. Scientists often tend to look at themselves as a class apart from hardworking labourers but I would argue that both the toiler with the hands and with the minds are on an equal footing, interacting freely and joining hands to move up the ladder of humanity together.
When science ceases to nurture the very beings that make it be, it regresses or stagnates. When science embraces its role in society and delivers egalitarian benefit, it grows. What good is it when science is held hostage by the dominant classes of our day, and the millions of ordinary people, whom scientific progress directly affects, are deprived the fruits of it? We have been given the gift of mechanised labour, but for small agricultural workers owning an acre or two of arable land, mechanisation is not a practical approach. It is more possible for such people to appreciate scientific achievements when they finally get access to basic necessities — clean drinking water, sanitation facilities and opportunities to earn a living — due to the wonders of modern and a more practical science.
The theories of science are inevitably influenced by the general intellectual atmosphere where scientists work. It is possible for them to have established opinions and judgements and never questioning them simply because they are in tune with the establishment’s ideology. This fear of radical change impedes the growth of science even further. Was Galileo ever threatened by the Romans? He knew that history would absolve him, and it did.
Never let the practical use of science wander off into the hands of the few. Never let the spirit of science extinguish among common, ordinary people like you and me!