How Does Science Affect Daily Life?

Several scientific inventions and discoveries affect people's daily lives:

• Electricity was discovered in the 1700s, and since then it has allowed people to use light, watch television and communicate using telephones.
• Plastic came into society in the early 1900s. Today, people use it for storing food hygienically, flossing their teeth and protecting themselves from bullets.
• In the 1940s, biologists began producing substances that would encourage crops to grow faster. As a result, the world has greater access to food. In addition, faster growing crops have made agriculture more profitable.
• Before the advancements of modern medicine, many people died of diseases that are prevented today. For example, vaccines act as a form of prophylaxis and antibiotics prevent the onset of life-threatening infections.
• Fuel makes it easier for people to move from place to place, and it allows businesses to import and export goods. In addition, scientific advances produce renewable forms of energy, which allow people to live greener lifestyles.
• Scientific inventions allow people to act on their values to make the world a better place. For example, people who want to reduce their impact on the environment support technology that repairs the ozone layer.