Many years ago Stephen Hawking declared that science was the death of philosophy.
I have enjoyed many of Mr Hawking's works and been, at times, astounded by his brilliance. Yet I believe that in this instance that he was fundamentally incorrect.
Science is often a trigger for philosophy. The current question of evolving A.I's is debated time after time. Speculative fiction and science fiction has been pondering the subject since the fifties, only now is such fiction becoming a reality. Soon A.I's will surpass us, what happens then?
As our known universe expands (or we gain knowledge of it's macabre vastness) many philosophical questions arise into mankind's role in such an infinity of darkness.
Now that we grow to understand the human genome and DNA what are the repercussions of us altering it (we are already doing so in some cases) yet is this faintly veiled eugenics?
Genetically modified crops? oh and I could go on and on, these are not only questions of science but of philosophy and ethics,
I hate to say it but in this case Mr Hawking got it wrong. Science I suspect is a catalyst for philosophy.
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