Scientific Research is a Token of Humankind's Survival || Vladimir Keilis Borok || Compulsory English Grade 11

 

5. Scientific Research is a

Token of Humankind's Survival

 

Vladimir Keilis Borok

 

Before Reading

Answer these questions.

a. What is science? What do the scientists do?

b. We are all scientists. The nature of science can be captured to our ordinary experiences. Share you scientific experiences that you have got in your everyday life.

c. Work in pairs and the complete the following table.

Professionals	Writer	Lawyer	Teacher	Scientist
Vocation	Writing	arguing	teaching	research
Field	literature	Law	Education	science
Reward	Satisfaction	money/promotion	respect	freedom

 

Vladimir Keilis-Borok

v born in 1921 and died in 2013,

v Russian mathematical geophysicist and seismologist,

v Taught at the University of California, Los Angeles

v Research group leader of the International Institute for Earthquake Prediction Theory and Mathematical Geophysics, Russian Academy of Science,

v Co-director and founder of the Research Programme on non-linear dynamics and earthquake prediction of the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics, Trieste

 

Summary:

Vladimir Keilis-Borok begins his essay with the reason why he became a scientist though he could earn lots of money choosing the professions like business, medical, or law. For him science is an exciting adventure his discoveries are his rewards. There is extreme happiness in unfolding the secrets of the nature.

 

During 1960, there was a cold war between the USA and the USSR regarding geo-political tensions, and in Moscow Vladimir was working on seismological wave's theory. It was a challenging job to him, but he was not aware of this study which could be applicable in humankind's survival.

 

In Geneva Summit, in Switzerland, scientists and experts from three superpower countries- the USA, the UK and the USSR held a secret meeting. Those three countries were powerful in nuclear weapons. He was invited in Geneva because an American scientist Frank Press quoted his works while arguing with Russian experts about nuclear weapons ban. During the time people on the Earth were scared of a complete disaster that would be caused of nuclear weapons. They had the most advanced and most destructive weapons. The retaliation system was even more advanced. This system called Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) was protecting fates of millions of people. Through never-ending nuclear tests, there was global terror devastation. So the three super powers were trying to come in an agreement of banning nuclear weapon tests. So, the technical experts were summoned to take part in the Geneva Summit. In this course, Vladimir was also summoned to solve the problem if any participants of the Summit secretly tested nuclear weapons. Because he could detect the natural tremor caused by earthquake or nuclear weapons induced tremors.

 

Underground tremors caused by nuclear weapon tests are very much similar to the tremors caused by earthquakes. His theoretical knowledge could detect such differences. The total banning of nuclear weapon tests was almost impossible because of the political leaders. But the scientists were able to make the politicians agree on nuclear tests ban.

 

The scientists all around the world have a common language, and they work for humankinds' survival and well being. Scientists are not like that what we common people think. They are also practical. They have developed new technologies which are very much useful for humankind's survival and well being. The developments of antibiotics, electronics, biotechnology, synthetic fibers, the green revolution, genetic forensic diagnosis, new mineral deposits, efficient defense from terrorism, cure for cancer, new forms of transportation etc. have made human life easier. Event scientists are employed in financial institutions, they run pharmaceutical industry etc. If you are a scientist or a researcher, there is a maximum career opportunity.

 

Both natural manmade disasters such as earthquake, self inflicted destruction of megacities, environmental catastrophes, social and economic crises, radioactivity from a nuclear waste disposal, outburst of mass violence, global disaster, global economic depression and war etc. can be reduced by applying all known techniques. Intellectual resources can help developing new disaster preparedness industries. So, scientific research has become a token (boon) of humankind's survival and well being. It can give us safety from such disasters. But what matters the most is, if it is used humanly, it is our indispensable guardian and care taker.

 

Understanding the text

a. What does a scientist get instead of big money?

Ans:- Scientists gets rewards, freedom, independence and overwhelming feeling of happiness in research works instead of big money.

 

b. What was the problem that the nuclear powers had faced?

Ans:- The nuclear powers had signed the nuclear weapons test banning document but one of the participants had violated the agreement secretly making the underground nuclear explosion.

 

c. In which area did Keilis Borok's theoretical knowledge have a direct application?

Ans:- Keilis Borok was a seismologist and he had theoretical knowledge on the study of seismic waves caused by earthquake. That knowledge became applicable while the super powers were applying the nuclear weapon tests ban but one of the participants secretly involved in such tests and to solve such problems his theoretical knowledge was applied to detect either the seismic waves were natural and nuclear tests induced. In other words his theoretical knowledge was applied to save humankind's survival.

 

d. What was the important decision that the politicians took before Geneva Summit?

Ans:- The most important decision that the politicians took before Geneva summit was to ban nuclear weapon tests stopping to produce competitive nuclear weapons in the future. It was important because it was on the behalf of saving millions of lives of people.

 

e. What are the natural and manmade disasters as mentioned by the author?

Ans:- Most of the disasters such as self inflicted destruction of megacities, environmental catastrophes, economic and social crises, a massive release of radioactivity from a nuclear waste disposal, outburst of massive violence, economic depressions and war where as earthquake is natural disaster.

 

 

 

 

Reference to the context

a. The profession addressed as 'you' in the sentence "If you are clever, why are you so poor?" refers to a …

i. lawyer        ii. doctor       √iii. scientist           iv. businessman

 

b. The writer says, "I found myself in Geneva." What does it express?

Ans:- During 1960 there was a cold war between the USA and the UK and Vladimir had been facing mathematical challenge in the course of the study of Seismic waves. At the same time the superpowers had a trouble on permanent ban of nuclear weapon tests in Geneva Summit because the natural waves are nuclear weapon test induced waves are similar. Vladimir was invited there because his theory could solve this problem. "I found myself in Geneva" means Vladimir was also invited in the Geneva Summit.

 

c. Are the following statements true? Why or why not? Discuss with your partner.

i. Money is more powerful than intellectual resources.

Ans:- Either money is powerful or intellectual resources, it depends person to person. For me both are important. Money is important to supply our basic needs and fulfillment. To strengthen intellectual resources money is necessary. There is no proper utilization of intellectual resources if money is lacking.  Intellectual resources and money are needed to solve many problems. For example it is said the intellectual resources such as scientists are caretaker and guardian of humanity, but they can't do so if they don't have money because they need lots of equipments for scientific researches. Both are equally powerful so I don't like to make one superior and another inferior. Both have equal role to save humankind.

 

ii. Intellectual resources help survival of the mankind.

Ans:- Humankind is always scared of limitless natural disasters such as earthquake, flood, volcano, pandemic of different diseases and so on. Intellectual resources help to find out solutions of such problems. They develop different technologies that help humankind to be safe from such disasters. Day by day, several diseases are identified and human lives are threatened, but intellectual resources find out cures of such diseases.

 

iii. Basic research is a way of stalling disasters.

Currently, the world is suffered of COVID-19 pandemic, but within one year lots of successes have been made to combat this pandemic. Invention of COVID vaccine is one of the most important achievements to save humans from this pandemic. Despite millions of people across the world are died of this disease, but if the intellectual resources are not conducting scientific researches on Corona Virus, billions of people would have been died of this disease.

 

d. How does the essayist justify that scientific research is the humankind's survival?

Ans:- The essayist Vladimir Keilis Borok, a Russian nationalist, is a mathematical geophysicist and seismologist. He is a scientist and views the science is the humankinds' indispensable guardian and caretaker. He performs mathematical calculation on seismic waves caused by earthquake. In this essay "Scientific Research is Token of Humankinds' Survival" he justifies that scientific researched is the humankind's survival by giving his own example. He is a scientist and performs mathematical calculations and researches on seismic waves caused by earthquake. During the time when the essay was writer, there was a threat of annihilation by nuclear weapons because there were repetitive nuclear weapon tests and continued even after signing the agreement to stop the test. It was impossible to identify whether the tremors were caused by nuclear tests or earthquakes. So Vladimir's theories and researches were applied to stop nuclear test banning permanently because he could distinguish the natural tremors from the one produced by the explosion. In this way his theoretical knowledge was applied for the survival of the human kind. Furthermore science has helped in different sectors needed for humankinds such as antibiotics, electronics, biotechnology, and synthetic fiber, the green revolution, genetic forensic diagnosis, defense system from terrorism, cure of dangerous diseases and so on.

 

e. What can be the purpose of the essayist of using quotations in the essay?

Ans:- In the essay "Scientific Research is a Token of Human Kind's Survival" by Vladimir, science is viewed as the most important thing for the wellbeing and survival of humankinds if it is used humanly. In this essay he quotes L. Tolstoy, F. Press, MC George Bundy and a French Proverb. He brings references of these people to justify his idea that science is the most important thing to save the lives of humankinds.

 

f. Discuss and illustrate the writer's stand that scientists are the most practical people in the world.

Ans:- Whatever other people think about science and scientist, it doesn't matter, bur for the Vladimir scientists are the most practical people in the world. All the technological developments applied in different sectors developed from scientific researches. The development of antibiotics, electronics, biotechnology, synthetic fibers, the green revolution, and genetic forensic diagnosis, efficient defense from terrorism, cure of cancer, new forms of transportation are based on scientific researches. If the scientists are not practical people, they would not develop such useful technologies for well being and survival of humankinds. Except the few developments of weapons, most of the discoveries and invents are useful for humankinds. The development of retaliation system has reduced the fear of annihilation by nuclear weapon. If scientists were not practical, and their discoveries were not useful, humankinds would suffer a lot. In contrast, humans are able to make their lives easier using the technologies more and more. The 21st century would not be like this, if the scientists were impractical.

 

Reference beyond the text

a. Everyone lives under the fear of annihilation by nuclear weapons. Explain this statement.

Ans:- The world was facing another threat in 1960s after the end of the most devastating world war- The Second World War. There was a great geopolitical tension between the two superpowers: the USA and the USSR, as a result there was a cold war between them. During the time humans on Earth lived under the threat of annihilation by nuclear weapons because these superpowers possessed the most advanced and most destructive nuclear weapons to destroy each other. The competition of nuclear weapon tests were making them to develop even stronger and most destructive bombs that caused more imbalance in the global nuclear standoff. So everyone lived under the fear of annihilation by nuclear weapons at that time.

 

b. The essayist says, 'While there is science, there is hope of survival and well being of all of us.' Explain it.

Ans:- Vladimir Keilis says that only the science ensures the survival and well being of all of us. He further says that science can be an indispensable guardians and caretaker of humankinds if it is humanly used. If can sort out the problems created by the developments of nuclear weapons. His theory is really helpful for sorting out the problem of complete banning of nuclear tests. It helped millions of people to remove the fear of complete destruction of humankinds due to repetitive nuclear weapon tests by superpowers. Not only this, science has helped to reduce the threats of natural and manmade disasters. People were suffered of earthquakes, self-inflicted destruction of megacities, environmental catastrophes, social and economic crises, massive release of radioactivity, outburst of mass violence, global economic depression and war, but such problems can be solved by all known techniques. Scientists develop tools to combat against such disasters helping people live safely.   

 

 

c. Is science a blessing or a curse? Write an essay on it.

Please try to write an essay on this topic yourself with the help of the following hints:-

Introduction: Define "What is science?"

 

Body

Stand on the idea that Science is a blessing based on the following ideas- How modern discoveries and inventions have given comforts and happiness to human lives in the field of transportation, communication, health and medicine, engineering and so on. Do consider the following points:-

v The comforts we got from science and technology,

v Utilization of transportation and communication- easier, fast, comfortable, safety

v Living stander - easy lifestyle

v Mention few drawbacks such as- misuse in destructive purpose, terrorism, bad effects of development of technologies etc.

 

Conclusion: Extract your main points from the body paragraph supporting your thesis.