Wider Implications (Edexcel International AS Physics): Revision Note

Wider Implications

• An implication of physics is a consequence of scientific knowledge

• The implications could be:

  • Commercial - concerning money e.g., the funding for a scientific experiment

  • Legal - concerning law e.g., copyright protection for data collections

  • Ethical - concerning moral principles e.g., using animals, humans

  • Social - concerning society e.g., how the results affect all members of society (children, elderly, disabled etc.)

• For example, when building a new power station, although this will provide an appropriate energy source, the implications could be:

  • Commercial - who pays to run and maintain the power station and how much will this cost

  • Legal - planning permissions to build the power station which requires a lot of land

  • Ethical - is it safe for the wildlife that live around the area when the power station is built

  • Social - how will the power station affect the people that live in the surrounding area in both health and economic prospects (e.g., providing more jobs)

•  All applications of science will have benefits and risks

• For developing a new type of radiotherapy, designed to treat cancer, the benefits are clear that the treatment could potentially save lives

  • However, there are also risks with accidents occurring when using harmful radiation that could cause injury or death to the doctors or the patient

• All new technologies are therefore always tested thoroughly

• Society makes decisions based on scientific evidence

  • This is why the evidence must be thoroughly tested and trusted

• Scientific work leads to important discoveries that benefit humankind

  • E.g. rigorous testing for medication means we trust that medication is safe consumption to treat symptoms of an illness

• The results are used by society to make decisions about the way we live, what we eat, what we drive, how we work etc.

• All sections of society use scientific evidence to make these decisions

  • This is mostly done by policy makers, politicians and government

• Most individuals making these decisions may not be scientists themselves, so they will be trusting the research to base their opinions on

• Other factors can influence decisions about science or the way that it is used

Economic Factors

• The economy is based around money and the cost of implementing changes based on scientific conclusions

• Not only can experiments be very expensive to run, but the cost of buying technology based on science to provide for healthcare or transport costs a lot of taxpayer money

• Therefore, when research is expensive, the Government must justify spending money on new equipment, such as a telescope, instead of another area of society such as schools or the healthcare system

• However, the long-term benefits should also be taken into account

  • For example, reducing carbon emissions to limit the human contribution to climate change

  • In this case, the current human contribution to climate change will be provided from scientific research, as well as methods to reduce carbon emissions (e.g., solar power)

Social Factors

• Social factors are considered for decisions that affect people's daily life

  • This could be how it affects the surrounding area where people live, such as noise pollution

• These factors should take into account all members of society, whether they're young, old, disabled and for all genders

• An example of this is scientific knowledge of a healthy lifestyle informing the choices we make

  • E.g., Cycling to work instead of driving in order to exercise and reduce carbon footprints

Environmental Factors

• Environmental factors are taken into account for any decisions that could affect the environment

  • This is primarily nature such as plants and animals and the geography of the area

• An example of this is wind farms

  • Although they are cheap and environmentally friendly (wind is a sustainable energy source) way to generate electricity, the turbines can harm birds and bats