The Dangers of Scientific Discovery

In “A Measure of Restraint” Chet Raymo demonstrated the idea that humans must exercise restraint in the pursuit of scientific discovery.  Throughout his piece, Raymo reveals that science is a deadly enemy that must be kept restrained to prevent danger.  In the first paragraph, Raymo provides an anecdote about “two unemployed young men in search of a fast buck” entered a radiation clinic in Brazil, and that the pair sold a “stainless steel cylinder about the size of a paint can” to a junk dealer.  His young niece rubbed “the glowing dust on her body,” which eventually killed her.  The effect of this anecdote was to show the lack of knowledge and awareness that existed within the people.  They thought the blue light was beautiful but did not think about that the same pretty blue light could cause them harm. 

In paragraph 4, Raymo writes about Pierre and Marie Curie and their obsession over radium.  Their discoveries made them famous, but at a deadly cost.  Curie died of “radiation-induced leukemia,” with “cataracts on her eyes and her fingertips marked by sores that would not heal.”  This represents a time where people jumped so fast into scientific discoveries without knowing the true danger of them to achieve fame.  The poem by Adrienne Rich which states “her wounds came from the same source as her power,” reveals the irony of something that gave Curie power was also the cause of her demise. 

This incident was not unique to Marie Curie either.  Malcolm Casadaban, an associate professor of molecular genetics, cell biology and microbiology at the University of Chicago, was performing laboratory research on the bacterium that causes the plague when he became sick and died from it.