Question: If you were to go back in time what invention would you change?

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  1. That’s a complicated question!

    I think I know what inventions I’d introduce; if science had PCR a couple of years earlier things would have progressed a lot faster. But what would I change?

    Probably hygiene; did you know medics in the middle ages didn’t even wash their hands between examining a corpse and examining pregnant women?

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  2. Great question for a Monday morning 🙂
    I would change the invention of weapons of mass destruction-nuclear, chemical and biological. Not sure how that could be done, but so much misery has been bought to the world through the invention of these evil things.

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  3. This is a tough question – I think that even inventions such as the atomic bomb, which have caused devastation in their use, have still allowed us to learn new things. I think that inventions can be used for good and evil, and while the invention itself may be harmless, the implementation of that invention is what causes terrible things to happen.

    So my answer is that I wouldn’t change anything – every invention allows science to grow, and allows us to learn more. Rather, I would change who is allowed access to these inventions – a tool can be used for any purpose, and an invention in the hands of bad people is what leads to awful consequences.

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  4. Really good answers from the other scientists!

    One thing that bothers me are inventions that take away jobs. Like the new check out machines at supermarkets. They have taken away someone’s job…
    But then, so many machines have been invented to avoid such hard work and make life easier. That’s what happened during the industrial revolution !!

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  5. This is such a great question, and really tough to answer. I think cars could have been done a lot better, both in terms of safety and emissions. I always find it bizarre the costs we as a community seem to accept on this front.

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Comments

  1. what are narwhaltastic idea Kristyn. That would save a lot of peoples lives and there would be no war. Josie what is PCR?

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    • Thanks!
      PCR stands for polymerase chain reaction. It is a technique we use in the lab to make lots of copies of DNA. There are lots of reasons why we do this, one is to find genes that may cause diseases, another is to see if certain genes are turned on more than others. It is one of the most commonly used lab techniques in biological science and was only made possible by the discovery of worms that live in volcanic vents under the sea!!!

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  2. To change hygiene would be a really good idea.

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