Catherine A.

Prado BSN II - B

Science, Technology, and Society

Activity No. 2

The Information Age

The Internet is the decisive technology of the Information Age, as the electrical engine was the vector of
technological transformation of the Industrial Age. This global network of computer networks, largely
based nowadays on platforms of wireless communication, provides ubiquitous capacity of multimodal,
interactive communication in chosen time, transcending space. The technological advancements in
communication and information processes have greatly impacted our daily lives and have been the
driving force of social evolution for the last several decades. Ever since the Internet entered our daily
lives, we have seen a rise in what has been termed “social technologies”, essentially, any application of
technology that facilitates interaction. Digital age had so much impact on the social, economic and
political life of the societies today because it has brought so much changes in our daily aspects of life and
also helps us to get easy access, improve and reshape our environment with the aid of practical,
experimental and scientific knowledge or technology. And in contrast to that, easy access to data makes
us intellectually lazy. We are quick to access information that helps us, but we often lack the ability to
make sense of it, or to use it appropriately. Using social media can make you feel more connected to the
world. But, comparing yourself to others can leave you feeling inadequate or left out. Those with high
social media use felt more socially isolated than those who spent less time on social media.

Biodiversity and Healthy Society

Biodiversity is important to humans for many reasons. Biodiversity is also considered by many to have
intrinsic value that is, each species has a value and a right to exist, whether or not it is known to
have value to humans. Biodiversity allows us to live healthy and happy lives. It provides us with an array
of foods and materials and it contributes to the economy. Without a diversity of pollinators, plants, and
soils, our supermarkets would have a lot less produce. Most medical discoveries to cure disease and
lengthen life spans were made because of research into plant and animal biology and genetics. Every time
a species goes extinct or genetic diversity is lost, we will never know whether research would have given
us a new vaccine or drug. Biodiversity is an important part of ecological services that make life liveable
on earth. They include everything from cleaning water and absorbing chemicals, which wetlands do, to
providing oxygen for us to breathe – one of the many things that plants do for people. Biodiversity allows
for ecosystems to adjust to disturbances like extreme fires and floods. If a reptile species goes extinct, a
forest with 20 other reptiles is likely to adapt better than another forest with only one reptile. Genetic
diversity prevents diseases and helps species adjust to changes in their environment. In conclusion,
without biodiversity, there is no future for humanity.

The Nano World

Nanotechnology is often described as an emerging technology—one that not only holds promise for
society, but also is capable of revolutionizing our approaches to common problems. The societal impacts
of new technologies are easy to identify but hard to measure or predict. Nanotechnology will have
significant social impacts in the areas of military applications, intellectual property issues, as well as
having an effect on labor and the balance between citizens and governments. Nanotechnology has direct
beneficial applications for medicine and the environment, but like all technologies it may have unintended
Catherine A. Prado BSN II - B

effects that can adversely impact the environment, both within the human body and within the natural
ecosystem. While taking advantage of this new technology for health, environmental, and sustainability
benefits, science needs to examine the environmental and health implications. Many benefits of
nanotechnology depend on the fact that it is possible to tailor the structures of materials at extremely
small scales to achieve specific properties, thus greatly extending the materials science toolkit. Using
nanotechnology, materials can effectively be made stronger, lighter, more durable, more reactive, more
sieve-like, or better electrical conductors, among many other traits. It is vitally important we get to grips
with the potential adverse impacts of nanomaterials before widespread environmental dispersion
occurs. They could affect feeding rates as well as the behaviour and survival of different species, for
example. We also don’t know enough about how nanomaterials can affect humans when exposed in small
doses and over long periods. The world has already experienced the problems that can come with new
innovations; however, nanotechnology has already shown that it can enhance our lives, and with an
improved understanding of safety, we can more confidently enjoy the benefits this new technology offers.

Gene Therapy
Gene therapy is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease. If a mutated gene
causes a necessary protein to be faulty or missing, gene therapy may be able to introduce a normal copy
of the gene to restore the function of the protein. Gene therapy has the potential to work medical miracles
by today’s standards. Although curing genetic diseases may have foreseeable negative effects like a
population explosion, the benefits of curing the sick outweigh the rest. There are many ways to combat a
growing population and as people many of us cannot imagine many things greater that curing human
suffering from disease. If we can achieve a healthier tomorrow for present and future generations, then
the scientific and ethical battles being fought now are worth it.
I believe that gene therapy will be a regular part of the medical toolbox in 30-50 years. Already, we have
a tremendous ability (at least proof-of-principle in clinical trials) showing that we can replace genes in
certain contexts such as alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, Batten disease, several blindnesses caused by
defects in the retina, hemophilia, and several immunodeficiencies. We also have powerful genetic
vaccines that have been demonstrated and a few good examples of cancer therapies. Look for genetically-
enhanced engineered tissues, genetically-delivered growth factors to regenerate diseased tissues such as
ischemic hearts or osteoporotic bones, and many other applications. ‘Gene therapy,’ in the future, will
serve the same purpose that the syringe serves now. It will be a way to deliver any number of drugs to a
patient.

Climate Change and Environmental Awareness

Climate change is affecting the people in far-reaching ways. Impacts related to climate change are evident
across countries and regions and in many sectors important to society, such as human health, agriculture
and food security, water supply, transportation, energy, ecosystems, and others, and are expected to
become increasingly disruptive throughout this century and beyond. Climate change affects human health
and wellbeing through more extreme weather events and wildfires, decreased air quality, and diseases
transmitted by insects, food, and water. Climate disruptions to agriculture have been increasing and are
projected to become more severe over this century. Surface and groundwater supplies in some regions are
already stressed, and water quality is diminishing in many areas, in part due to increasing sediment and
contaminant concentrations after heavy downpours. A child born today faces multiple and life-long health
Catherine A. Prado BSN II - B

harms from climate change, growing up in a warmer world with risks of food shortages, infectious
diseases, floods and extreme heat. Climate change is already harming people’s health by increasing the
number of extreme weather events and exacerbating air pollution. And if nothing is done to mitigate it, its
impacts could burden an entire generation with disease and illness throughout their lives. Being aware on
what is happening is a great idea to minimize phenomena and this promotes radical change which can be
a help for the future generations. Maybe if we were more aware and more responsible by then, it’s
possible that we are not facing such extreme climate change. We could be possibly not experiencing too
much pollution, extreme floods, and living in a calming and beautiful place. And animals could be living
great and peacefully. It is so important to be aware for us to be more careful, reflect, and mitigate it for
the future of humanity.