What are some examples of scientific progress that have caused controversy in our world?

There are many examples to choose from, going back many
years.  Even the discovery that the earth rotated around the sun caused controversy,
with its advocate of that position, Galileo, actually put on trial, nearly 400 years
ago.  Moving forward a bit, the theory of evolution has been causing controversy since
Darwin advanced it in 1859, even up to the present day, in which there are those who
insist that science is wrong.  More recent examples of scientific progress that have
caused controversy are birth control, the understanding of the fragile eco-systems of
our planet, stem cell research, and a grasp of the mechanics of global
warming.

Looking back over the examples I have offered, I
see a pattern here that suggests that science and religion and science and politics have
been clashing for a very long time. This is a pity because each is a completely separate
sphere and in a better world, there would be no conflict because science is a matter of
inquiry and evidence, while religion and politics are matters, respectively, of belief
and power.