Science and technology bring more harm than good. Do you agree?
Thanks to development and advancement in science and technology, humans have
thrived and prospered over the course of hundreds of years. The discovery of germs and viruses
helps scientist to combat diseases, the Wright brothers’ airplane has revolutionized travelling and
the Industrial Revolution gave birth to machineries which led to automation in factories.
However, not all advancement in science and technology can be met and received with open
arms. Development of weapons in the name of self-defense, abuse of technology for profits and
rampant pollution are the reasons why I agree with the statement above.
Firstly, under the pretense of self-defense, science and technology have been misused by
countries all over the world to develop weapons. Tanks, missiles, guns and even nuclear bombs
were developed under the disguise of defense, which in turn are used to kill hundreds of
thousands people in conflicts around the globe. Look at Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, and in the
South Africans’ countries; people are killed en masse everyday by arsenal of destruction, while
the doers justify their action for self-preservation and security. Another example is, in effort to
combat terror due to 9/11 terror attack, United States of America and its’ ally rallied and invaded
several countries which were suspected to aid and support terrorism with nothing but blurry and
unconfirmed pieces of intelligence. They attacked using fighter jets, smart bombs and missiles
and even unmanned aircraft. Ironically, the so-called ‘smart’ missile, bombs and unmanned
drones often miss their intended target and killed more civilians than combatants. The war on
terror that they waged left the occupied countries torn, ravaged and devastated while leaving
hundreds and thousands, even millions of people died, homeless, orphaned and displaced; all in
the name of justice and self-defense.
Moreover, by abusing science and technology, unscrupulous individuals, companies and
organizations can gain tons of profits. This can be seen easily through the use of Internet.
Nowadays, humans’ daily activities can be crippled without the Net due to our dependency upon
it. Shopping, paying bills online, playing and even socializing are done mostly on the Net these
days. However, scammers, phishers and hackers are waiting for victims to fell for their cheap
and sometimes complicated tricks. Often we hear and see on news, locals have been cheated in
terms of cash by people that they don’t know online and even in reality, and some were even
tricked to be drug mules due to lure to get tons of easy money. These scammers will do anything
to trick people in order to get cold hard cash while leaving the victims scarred for life. Apart
from that, hackers who work as a team can also hold companies and even government bodies’
hostage by uploading Trojan horses and viruses into federal servers, just like a case in U.S 3
years ago, where a hacker managed to slip past a nuclear-power plant firewall and took control
of the reactor system. Even though he didn’t trigger a nuclear meltdown as he mentioned he was
just testing his skills, imagined what could’ve happened if he actually demanded ransom and
caused a nuclear meltdown if his ultimatum is not met?
Finally, another ugly face of science and technology is pollution. In the name of
development, lands and forests were cleared for agriculture, urban development and factories. In
the process of aiding crops growth, chemical fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides were used.
These chemicals concoctions seep into the ground and eventually end up in our rivers and water
reservoir, contaminating our water supply which led to incurable illnesses and diseases. Not only
that, factories also dumps toxic and chemical waste into streams which contaminate and kill
fishes and water fowls that feed on the aquatic plants and faunae. The surviving edible animals
end up on our dining plate and without us realizing, poisoning and infecting our health which
leads to numerous health disorder, like the Minamata illness that is still affecting thousands of
innocent Japanese adult and children when mercury was dumped intentionally into a river in
Minamata city of Japan from 1932-1968.
In essence, even though science and technology do provide us with comfort and security,
they do act like a double-edged sword and will backfire if they’re abused and used in negligence.
Remember, science and technology are just tools, whether or not it is evil depends on the
handlers.
*Remember, this is just a sample answer. I’ve written more than 400 words for this essay.

Title: Should mobile phone be allowed in schools?
Most adults have a mobile phone and even children as young as 8 years of age own one. Mobile
phones can be used for a lot more than talking. Mobile phones can be used in the classroom to
help students with their academics. Young adults can use the calendars to record due dates for
homework and tests. As Malaysians, we have grown accustomed on relying on our mobiles for
our communication needs. Also, students need mobile phones in case of an emergency. For
these reasons, I agree that mobile phones should be allowed in schools.
First of all, mobile phones can be very helpful in the classrooms. Students could use their
camera on mobile phones to take pictures of school experiments being done by the teacher. This
would help students remember information for an upcoming test. Also, students could perform
phone interviews during class time. Most mobile phones have calendars on them, so students can
put the due date of a test that is coming up. In addition, students could record their teacher giving
a lecture.
Other than that, parents and students rely on their mobile phones to get in contact with each
other. Parents may need to get in contact with their children because of a family emergency such
as, a death in the family or an accident that has happened. If parents are able to call or text their
children at school, then it would be less likely chance that a mix-up would occur while relaying
messages. Also, it would save the office staff time because they would not have to be running
around the school all day delivering messages.
In addition, if there was an emergency, students may need to reach their parents. If a stranger or
gangster tried to disturb the students, they could call 999 and give the information on his
whereabouts, what he looks like, and a description of his clothes to the policeman. For these
reasons, mobile phones can become lifesavers in an emergency. For example, if a student
happened to pass out in a classroom, it would be faster to call on a mobile phone versus taking 5
minutes to run down to the office and make the call. Ultimately, this could save a student's life.
In essence, mobile phones are imperative in our lives. In an emergency, mobile phones
could save a person's life by being able to get in contact with the police. Mobiles can also help
parents know where their children are after school. Today, mobile phones are more like a small
hand-held computer. That could become very useful in schools that don't have a lot of extra
computers for the children to use.