Evolution of life on this planet took place over billions of years and it tends to return to it’s inherent course after big or small perturbations. But because manipulation goes against that natural process we now have to manipulate further and further disturbances in the web of life. And very soon all our resources are consumed by the necessity to control and compensate for negative side effects of other effects of other effects. At some point it is no longer possible to control every aspect and we end up losing all control.
The strategy of total annihilation can be successful for 99,999% of bacteria, but what happens with the rest? Can we truly hope to stem the tide of evolution that has been driving life on this planet for billions of years?
Hand in hand with manipulation come many other problems. An inherent challenge of mechanistic science is having to deal with staggering, overwhelming complexity. To exert more and more powerful control we have to study and manipulate finer aspects of the mechanism from gross body mechanics to cellular mechanics, genetics and even individual molecules. With each progressive level of complexity we have to control for multiplying cascades of negative side effects. Even if a particular drug has been tested for safety, it will be never be tested in all possible combinations with other drugs. Underlining the above comes the rising costs of new manipulative technologies associated with development and manufacture, legal fees due to side effects, specialised training and so on.
Is entirely different approach possible? One in which Science will support the natural course of life, instead of fighting it?
