The world has become a much smaller place. Not just in terms of technology, which has allowed the citizens of an entire planet easy access to one another, but also in terms of population. There are now more than 6 billion people on earth with more are being born each second. The amount of strain this causes on our planet’s resources has introduced numerous scientific challenges that we must overcome if we wish to survive as a species.
These modern scientific challenges affect us all. Whether it is a third world country or a developed nation, these pressing concerns cannot be taken for granted.
The overpopulation problem has been a glaring scientific challenge since the turn of the 19th century when economists predicted that the growth of humanity shall strain available resources if not checked. Various theories for the mitigation of the overpopulation trend have been proposed. From birth control, education and even the colonization of other planets have been offered as solutions. With the great minds of our age pondering the answers to this great scientific challenge, a hope for population control may yet present itself.
Water is considered the cradle of life and is important to all living species on the planet. Although water covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, a paltry 2. 75% of that can be considered safe for drinking. As our world’s population increases the demand for drinking water gets pushed to its limit. Recent reports have stated that by 2030 some developing nations the demand for clean drinking water will exceed available supplies by as much as 50%. The scientific challenge that faces our scientists regarding availability of water is how to protect available sources and possibly harness the world’s ocean as a viable source through desalination. Although the current technology is still practically uneconomical for it to be practiced large scale, an answer to this scientific challenge is needed to ensure that we do not run out of this vital resource.
There is no doubt that climate change is one of the most hotly debated and controversial scientific challenges in recent times. Although there is still widespread arguments about whether or not the increase in temperature affecting climates all over the world is manmade or not, there can be no question that global temperatures are really raising and it is causing our planet to behave in unexpected ways. The rise of worldwide sea levels has also caused concern especially for low lying areas that may disappear from the face of the Earth. Until a solution can be found for this urgent scientific challenge, our own way of life may drastically change as well.
The scientific challenges that have been previously mentioned are just a few of the mounting concerns that threaten our modern society. Modern scientific challenges are no longer a regional problem but a global dilemma that must be overcome. Humanity’s ability to adapt to his environment and his resourcefulness in finding ways to meet adversity is entrenched in history. Now, more than ever, the need for us to work together to conquer these scientific challenges is paramount.
