100+ Science Debate Topics for Students

Sherry Haynes is currently pursuing a PharmD degree. As a college student, she has participated in various debate competitions.

Controversial, Fun, and Interesting Debate Topics

Debate is an interesting way to explore and express various views on a topic. Science debates by students interested in science or for a fun conversation with a friend can be really fascinating. If you are a student searching for good debate topics in science, this article includes a list of topics that are ever engaging and almost never near resolving.

Science Topics for Debate

1. Ageing can be slowed down and reversed.
2. Urban upbringing can alter how genes influence one's brain.
3. Socio-economic status influences a child's intelligence.
4. Should people be encouraged to opt for homoeopathic medicine?
5. Is corn ethanol helpful in fighting against global warming?
6. Should a nutrition class be included in grade school and high school?
7. Mental pain forges one's character.
8. Should people be encouraged to purchase generic medicines?
9. Should the government regulate fast-food chains?
10. Man can exercise free will and is accountable for anything he does in any circumstance.
11. Can mental pain be fatal?
12. Is marijuana medicine?
13. Science in high school should be optional.
14. Atheism is better than any religion.
15. Should genetic engineering of humans be considered ethical?
16. Genetically modifying livestock can be harmful in the long term.
17. Are antidepressants a good solution?
18. Medical research should be focused on increasing the health span and not the life span; true or false?
19. Evolution, a theory or a fact?
20. Transgender, a reality or a gender identity disorder?
21. Is abiogenesis falsifiable?
22. Are video games a healthy form of entertainment?
23. Should trans fats be banned?
24. Is religion genetic?
25. Human cloning technology can be a boon to the world.
26. What has more side effects, herbs or modern medicines?
27. Humans are the main cause of global warming.
28. Human overpopulation is a threat to humans.
29. Are vaccines safe or risky for children?
30. Is obesity a disease?
31. Should we depend on fossil fuels or renewable energy?
32. Is botox more harmful than useful?
33. Does prayer have the power to heal?
34. Should steroid users be included in baseball games?
35. Should weed be legalized?
36. Is there a link between poverty and poor health?
37. Should fast-food restaurants be blamed for obesity?
38. Should there be education programmes for the use of over-the-counter medicines?
39. Is nutrition really important for health?
40. Living water or dead water, myth or a fact?
41. Should genetically engineered food be allowed by the government?
42. Does overpopulation threaten the environment?
43. Can vegetarianism save the earth?
44. Can eating meat and consuming animal-based products be justified morally?
45. Should an alcoholic be allowed a liver transplant?
46. Do psychiatric disorders need to different treatment approach as compared to physical diseases?
47. Is autism exaggerated?
48. Intelligence is gained from Gene's and not surroundings
49. Is animal experimentation justifiable with human progress in medicine?
50. Should humans be blamed for animal extinctions or it is a part of evolution?
51. Are kids growing up in a broken home disadvantaged?
52. Is reincarnation (life after death) possible?
53. How will the world end?
54. Earth curvature: fact or fiction?
55. Alternate remedies do more harm than good.
56. Genetically modified organisms: more risk than benefit?
57. Does fishing threaten the makeup of the marine ecosystem?
58. Is pedigree breeding an unethical practice?

Technology and General Science Topics for Debate

1. Is artificial intelligence a threat to humans?
2. Is de-extinction worth the cost?
3. Can de-extinction lead to competitive exclusion and extinction of living species?
4. Should we depend on fossil fuels or renewable energy?
5. Should health websites be used as reliable sources of information?
6. Can Bitcoin replace government-issued money?
7. Should the practice of perceiving test-tube babies as different from normal babies be stopped?
8. Is technology helping people or making them lazy?
9. Do advancements in technology mean a decrease in the growth of nature?
10. Should a state spend money on developing new weapons?
11. Should internet use need censorship or control?
12. Is hacking always wrong?
13. Will humans ever colonize Mars?
14. Is colonization of Mars a good idea?
15. Is it possible to create a virus (the covid-19) in a lab?
16. Can computers or robots ever displace doctors?
17. What is the best gaming system?
18. Will newspapers soon be obsolete?
19. Could the sinking of the titanic have been prevented?
20. Can artificial intelligence replace human intelligence?
21. Is online coping effective in momentary stress?
22. Is artificial intelligence the next stage in evolution?
23. Do nuclear weapons make the world less safe?
24. Should humans pursue the development of AI?
25. Will humans branch out to the cosmos?
26. Will GM food stop world hunger?
27. Should humans become cyborgs to compete with artificial intelligence?
28. Should the government fund NASA?
29. Will cloning have negative effects on the environment?
30. Should negative SEO be made illegal?
31. Are the internet combustion engines still necessary to fight global climate change?
32. Does technology make people more isolated?
33. Can climate change be reversed?
34. Is digitalization good for healthcare?
35. Is genetic engineering dangerous in the long run?
36. Is hacking unethical?
37. Should the development of neural lace technology be banned?
38. Should the government implement a robot tax?
39. Is Mars exploration worth the investment?
40. Do aliens exist?

Topics Related to Medical Practices and Policies

1. Should genetic screening for healthier offspring be legal?
2. Should abortion be made entirely illegal?
3. Should the death penalty be banned?
4. A secular government should not include the term "God" in pledges.
5. Does alternative medicine market need as much regulation as modern medicines market?
6. Should direct-to-consumers prescription drug advertisements be banned?
7. Should the quality of generic drugs be regulated by the state?
8. Should marijuana be legalized?
9. Should society be forced to accept LGBTQ?
10. Should online pharmacies be legal?
11. Patents on life-saving drugs should be bypassed.
12. Should health insurance be mandated in a country?
13. Single-payer healthcare; good or bad?
14. Should cosmetic surgery be made illegal for normal people?
15. Should doctors be allowed to promote healthcare products?
16. Should the surrogacy option be used only if there is a healthcare reason?
17. Should alcohol and drug use in the movies be controlled?
18. Should animal use for drug testing be made unethical?
19. Should people with mental health illnesses be treated outside of the community?
20. Should the government provide free medical care to people below the poverty line?
21. Should the government provide funds for research in alternative medicines?
22. Should the quality of treatment in a government hospital be any different from a private hospital?
23. Should developed countries recruit medical professionals from developing countries?
24. Saving the life of a child is better than extending the life of an adult by 5 years.
25. Heavy drinkers should be denied liver transplants.
26. Should the government regulate vitamins, herbs and other supplements?
27. Herbal medicines have done more harm than good?
28. Is it ethical to use an aborted fetus for research?
29. Do controversies in science make it irrational?
30. Is depression a disease?
31. Should doctors be allowed to prescribe using brand names of drugs?
32. Are e-cigarettes less harmful than tobacco?
33. Breastfeeding is a superior choice compared to formula feeding?
34. Is there life on other planets?
35. Should human genes be patented?
36. Should government fund health organizations?
37. Junk food should be taxed to subsidize social health care.

© 2020 Sherry Haynes

Comments

Robert Sacchi on May 16, 2020:

Impressive list. This can keep a high school debate team busy for years.

Liz Westwood from UK on January 26, 2020:

This is an interesting list of discussion topics.