Module 2- SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY AND HUMAN CONDITION

Introduction: This module will introduce you to a number of relevant and timely
philosophical foundations that will aid in examining the functions, roles, and impacts of
science and technology on society. The module is divided into sections. These sections
aim to provide you with cogent and comprehensive knowledge on the concept of
human flourishing in the face of rapid scientific progress and technological
development.

Module Learning Outcomes:

In this module, you should be able to:
1. analyze the concept of human flourishing in the face of rapid scientific progress
and technological development;
2. explain the importance of science in advancing technology; and
2. critique the impact of technology in the society.

Lesson 1

TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF REVEALING

I. Learning Outcomes:
In this lesson, you should be able to:
1. differentiate the essences of technology and modern technology;
2. cite an example of the dangers of technology; and
3. explain the importance of science and math in technology; and
4. illustrate the dangers of technology.

II. Pre-Assessment:
Instructions: Rate the extent of your agreement to the following
statement using the Osgood scale. You are also given space to write any
comment to further clarify your response.

Comments
Statements Agree Disagree
(if any)
Technology is a
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
means to an end.
Technology is a
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
human activity.
Poetry is
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
technology.
Nature is a
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
standing-reserve.
Man is an
instrument of the
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
exploitation of
nature.
Man is in danger of
being swallowed 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
by technology.
 There is a saving
power or a “way
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
out” of the danger
of technology.
Art may be the
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
saving power.

III. Core Content

ENGAGE: AT A GLANCE

The Impact of Technology in Our Lives and the Future of Technology

Over the last 2 to 3 decades, technology has become more and more a part of our daily
lives, to the point where it has taken over our lives. Take a moment, stop reading this
post and look around you. What do you notice? Do you see tech, gadgets, computers,
video monitoring?
Notice how our lives are surrounded by gadgets and tech appliances. The PC at your
desk, the cell phone next to your bed, the Wifi router, even your thermostat – all these

are examples of how technology has transformed every aspect of our lives; some for
the good and others may not be so good. In this post, we are going to look at some of
the latest feats in technology and analyze their positive and negative impact on our
lives.

Positive Impact of Technology on Society

Smartphone Revolution 
It was just over a decade ago when cell phones were primarily used for calling and
sending texts. Today, the uses of cell phones run the gamut. Phones do everything
from taking high-resolution pictures to watching pixel-perfect videos, browsing the
internet to playing graphic-intensive games to monitoring your movements. It’s
astonishing at how this small device can handle demanding tasks in addition to fulfilling
basic communication needs.

The advent of smartphones has simplified our lives immensely. People now connect
with their loved ones more frequently and easily through video calls and instant
messaging services. Tasks, like creating slides, reading emails, and creating documents
don’t require a PC anymore.

In a nutshell, smartphone and apps have changed the way we work, communicate and
play. In addition, the booming expansion of e-commerce and internet-based companies
is directly proportional to the rapid proliferation of smartphones.
Negative Impact of Technology on Society

Less-Active Lifestyle
While the smartphone revolution has made our lives easy, it has also made us lazy.
Today, the whole world is at our fingertips, and thus we don’t have to work or move
around like we did previously to get things done.

Our sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activities can be partly attributed to the
over-dependence on smartphones. This is especially true for the younger generation,
who are constantly glued to their cell phones. In the modern era, cell phone addiction is
having a negative impact on our lives. Care needs to be taken to deal with this issue in
an effective way.

Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

 

The advancements made by the scientific and engineering community has turned
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics from science fiction to reality. Though we don’t
have human-like robots like those depicted in movies, intelligent machines are now a
part of our daily lives.

Think about advanced drones that are capable of surveillance, tracking, and offensive
measures- aren’t such machines highly-intelligent robots? What about automated
assembly lines in industrial plants that can handle the manufacturing and packaging of
goods on its own?

Sophisticated machines that are capable of working with minimal human intervention
are sophisticated robots too. Driverless cars are yet another example of AI and robotics.
With tech giants like Google, Tesla, and BMW involved in the production of driverless
cars, it looks like we are going to see self-driving cars sooner than we may have
expected.

While the concept of Robotics and AI sounds exciting, it is not without flaws. Many
people believe that the implementation of robotics and AI will lead to mass layoffs and
unemployment. We have already seen how factory workers lost their jobs when
automated assembly lines were introduced. Now, with driverless cars, intelligent
chatbots, and more knocking at the door, it may turn out that drivers and customer
support agents are going to have a hard time keeping their jobs.

Future of Technology
With each passing day, technology is growing by leaps and bounds. And despite
concerns about unemployment and over-dependence, proper use of technology holds a
bright future for us. So, how can technology shape up the future in a better way? Let’s
take a look!

Clean Energy
 

Excessive consumption of fossil fuels has led our planet to the brink of catastrophic
consequences. However, technology is helping us deal with this problem by developing
clean energy. Development in the field of solar power technology has drastically
reduced the cost of solar cells.

Generation of electricity through wind turbines has also gained a lot of momentum in
the recent years. So, in the near future, technology can help us do away with
dependence on fossil fuels and embrace clean and green energy solutions.

Virtual Reality (VR)

 Remember Pokemon Go? Well, that was one of the earliest examples of virtual reality
going mainstream. Tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Nokia are spending a huge
amount of money to make VR experience better for the customers.

However, VR is not just about immersive multimedia experience. With time and further
developments, VR can be used for communication through holograms, for interacting
with 3-D objects and other useful and educational purposes.

Education for all 

A considerable number of the global population doesn’t have access to quality
education. With the help of the internet, anyone on this planet can have access to not
only basic education but also advanced topics.

Reputed educational institutions from different countries are already recording lectures
and publishing those materials on the internet for everyone to watch and learn. With
better internet connectivity and smartphones, “education for all” won’t be a pipe dream
anymore. 

Flying cars 
This sounds straight out of a movie, but flying cars might soon be mainstream. Amazon
has already started delivering goods with the help of its drone fleet, and Google is
working on building its own powerful drones.
A couple of start-ups are also working on building flying cars. A flying car for all intents
and purposes is a drone that is capable of carrying people. There are already a handful
of flying vehicle proto-types: Terrafugia has TF-X; Pal-V has the Pal-V1; Indigenous
Peoples’ Technology and Education Center (I-TEC) has the Maverick LSA “Flying Car”;
and lastly AeroMobil s.r.o. has the AeroMobil 3.0.
These are just a few of the amazing technologies that we will have in the coming years.
The future is unpredictable and the possibilities are limitless. What’s next? Teleporting?
Anything is possible!

Activity 1.1!
Think, Think, Think!
Now that we are currently facing the COVID-19 pandemic, what could be possible
contribution of science and technology on the said issue?
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EXPLORE: Critical Review-The question concerning technology

“The Question Concerning Technology” is a paper written by Martin Heidegger. This
critical review will summarize the author’s main arguments, which center on the nature
of technology. The review will then provide a critical analysis of Heidegger’s argument,
demonstrating that it applies to today’s technological environment more than ever. The
1966 artwork entitled “Lapis” by James Whitney will be used to illustrate this critical
analysis.

Heidegger’s argument about technology focuses on the motivations and reasons why
humans build technology. This is a unique perspective, because most people just assume
that technology is something built for efficiency and practical use. The author is
concerned that society is seeing technology as something neutral and misunderstanding
its “essence” (4). Heidegger is challenging that assumption, and he tried to break down
the real ways that technology is “brought-forth” or revealed by specific processes of the
human mind and abilities (11). First, he looks at the construction of a traditional object –
a silver chalice – and finds that this construction involves “fourfold causality” (6). That
includes the ancient elements of material, form, the end result, and the maker of the
result, which is the human element (6). According to Heidegger, this fourfold causality is
simple in the case of the silversmith making a chalice, but it becomes complicated in

th
e case of technology.

The chalice is a result of “bringing-forth” something from material and revealing its
qualities (11). That is a simple process of revealing the object’s qualities along with the
qualities of the person/people that made it. In contrast, Heidegger finds that technology
involves a more aggressive “challenging-forth” (16). For example, modern dam
technology is designed to unlock energy, rather than gather it from the natural flow of a
river (16). It does not work with the processes of nature, but instead interferes with it
and reorders it (16). This is why Heidegger calls modern technology a kind of
“challenging-forth” instead of “bringing-forth.”

Heidegger is concerned that “the essence of modern technology starts man upon the
way of that revealing through which the real everywhere, more or less distinctly,
becomes standing-reserve” (24). By this, he means that the human “essence” behind
technology is a drive to put things into order and use them for practical results. It is
different from the human “essence” behind more traditional arts and trades, which are
driven more by a desire to work with nature and reveal certain truths about the world
(27). Heidegger finds it dangerous that we have become so focused on technology with
a practical and exploitative “essence” and abandoned alternative concepts of technology
as art or philosophy (34). He notes that technology does not have to be rooted in
challenging-forth, and that it was once inclusive of “bringing-forth” processes that reveal
beauty and truth (34). Heidegger is therefore cautioning the reader against taking
technology for granted as a natural part of human progress, and forgetting that it is
rooted in human choices and influence.

Heidegger’s greatest weakness with this argument is the writing style, which is very
 EXPLAIN: Technology as a Way of Revealing

Heidegger stressed that the true can only be pursued through the correct.
Simply, what is correct leads to what is true. In this essence, Heidegger
envisioned technology as a way of revealing—a mode of “bringing forth”.
Bringing forth can be understood through the Ancient Greek philosophical
concept, poiesis, which refers to the act of bringing something out of
concealment. By bringing something out of concealment, the truth of that
something is revealed. The truth is understood through another Ancient Greek
concept of aletheia, which is translated as unclosedness, unconcealedness,
disclosure or truth.

Thus, for Heidegger technology is a form of poeisis—a way of revealing that

unconceals aletheia or the truth. This is seen in the way the term techne, the
Greek word for technology , is understood in different contexts. In philosophy,
techne resembles the term espisteme that refers to the human ability to make
and perform. Techne also encompasses knowledge and understanding. In art, it
refers to tangible and intangible aspects of life. The Greeks understood techne in
the way that it encompasses not only craft, but other acts of the mind, and
poetry.

Activity 1.2: Bring Forth or Challenge Forth

Instruction: Cut some pictures of human activities and technological effect in the
society and paste it in the following categories:

Bring Forth Challenge Forth

 EXTEND: Art as Saving Power
Activity 1.3!
Instruction: Heidegger explained that art holds power that could save humans
from the danger of being consumed by technology. In his words, “[art] is pious…
yielding to the holding-sway and the safekeeping of truth” (1977). In this
activity, focus on art as the saving power of technology. Discuss the artwork in
relation to the general concepts discussed in Martin Heidegger’s The question
Concerning Technology, and present your chosen artwork and the summary of
your discussion below.

[Paste a photo of your chosen artwork here.]

 EVALUATE: Reflection

Activity 1.4!
After studying the full text of Martin Heidegger’s The Question Concerning
Technology, available on www.psyp.org/question_concerning_technology.pdf,
answer the following:

1. What three concepts remain unclear or difficult for you to understand?

a._______________________________________________________________
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b.
_________________________________________________________________
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c.
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2. What three significant insights did you gain in studying the text?

a.________________________________________________________________
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b.
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c.
_________________________________________________________________
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3. What three questions would you want to ask about the text?

a.________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

b.
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c.
_________________________________________________________________
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IV. Post-Assessment:

Instructions: Rate the extent of your agreement to the following statement

using the Osgood scale. You are also given space to write any comment to
further clarify your response.

Comments
Statements Agree Disagree
(if any)
Technology is a
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
means to an end.
Technology is a
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
human activity.
Poetry is
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
technology.
Nature is a
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
standing-reserve.
Man is an
instrument of the
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
exploitation of
nature.
Man is in danger of
being swallowed 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
by technology.
There is a saving
power or a “way
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
out” of the danger
of technology.
Art may be the
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
saving power.
 Lesson 2

Human Flourishing in Progress and De-development

I. Learning Outcomes:
In this lesson, you should be able to:
1. discuss human flourishing in the context of progress in science and
technology;
2. explain de-development as a progress and development frameworks;
and
3. differentiate between traditional frameworks or progress and
development and Hickel’s concept of de-development.

II. Pre-Assessment:
Instruction: Examine the picture and follow the prompt that follows.

Recent researchers found that 70% of people in the middle-and-high

income countries believe that overconsumption is putting the planet and
society at risk. Discuss your thoughts about the following:

1. How do you think overconsumption puts the planet and society at risk?
____________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________

2. What are the manifestations of society’s tendency to overproduce and

over consume?
____________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________

3. Should middle and high-income countries regulate their growth and

consumption? Why or why not?
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III. Core Content:

ENGAGE: THOUGHTS TO PONDER

Despite efforts to close out the gap between the rich and poor countries, a BBC
report in 2015 stated that the gap in growth and development just keeps on
widening. Although there is no standard measure of inequality, the report
claimed that most indicators suggest that the widening of the growth gap slowed
during the financial crisis of 2007 but is now growing again. The increasing
inequality appears paradoxical having in mind the efforts that had been poured
onto the development program designed to assist poor countries to rise from
absent to slow progress.

With this backdrop and in the context of unprecedented scientific and

technological advancement and economic development, humans must ask
themselves whether they are indeed flourishing, individually or collectively. If
development efforts to close out the gap between the rich and poor countries
have failed, is it possible to confront the challenges of development through a
nonconformist framework?

EXPLORE: Forget ‘developing poor countries, it’s time to ‘de-develop’

rich countries

By: Jason Hickel

This week, heads of state are gathering in New York to sign the UN’s new
sustainable development goals (SDGs). The main objective is to eradicate
poverty by 2030. Beyoncé, One Direction and Malala are on board. It’s set to be
a monumental international celebration.

Given all the fanfare, one might think the SDGs are about to offer a fresh plan
for how to save the world, but beneath all the hype, it’s business as usual. The
main strategy for eradicating poverty is the same: growth.

Growth has been the main object of development for the past 70 years, despite
the fact that it’s not working. Since 1980, the global economy has grown by
380%, but the number of people living in poverty on less than $5 (£3.20) a day
has increased by more than 1.1 billion. That’s 17 times the population of Britain.
So much for the trickle-down effect.

Orthodox economists insist that all we need is yet more growth. More
progressive types tell us that we need to shift some of the yields of growth from
the richer segments of the population to the poorer ones, evening things out a
bit. Neither approach is adequate. Why? Because even at current levels of
average global consumption, we’re overshooting our planet’s bio-capacity
by more than 50% each year.
 Activity 1.5!: Reading Comprehension Task
Instruction: After reading the article on the concept of de-development,
answer the following questions in two to three sentences.

1. What is the framework of de-development of rich countries all about?

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2. How is the de-development framework different from traditional frameworks
of development?
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3. According to Hickel, how can rich countries de-develop?
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4. Why does Hickel frown upon pundits using terms such as de-growth, zero
growth, or de-development in describing an alternative framework?
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5. Some people might think that de-development is about giving things up. How
does Hickel explain that this is not the case?
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EXPLAIN: CORRECT MY THOUGHTS

Growth isn’t an option any more – we’ve already grown too much. Scientists are now
telling us that we’re blowing past planetary boundaries at breakneck speed. And the
hard truth is that this global crisis is due almost entirely to overconsumption in rich
countries.
Instead of pushing poor countries to 'catch up' with rich ones, we should be getting rich
countries to 'catch down'
Right now, our planet only has enough resources for each of us to consume 1.8 “global
hectares” annually – a standardised unit that measures resource use and waste. This
figure is roughly what the average person in Ghana or Guatemala consumes. By
contrast, people in the US and Canada consume about 8 hectares per person, while
Europeans consume 4.7 hectares – many times their fair share.
What does this mean for our theory of development? Economist Peter Edward
argues that instead of pushing poorer countries to “catch up” with rich ones, we should
be thinking of ways to get rich countries to “catch down” to more appropriate levels of
development. We should look at societies where people live long and happy lives at
relatively low levels of income and consumption not as basket cases that need to be
developed towards western models, but as exemplars of efficient living.

'Those sitting on wealth and power aren't going to stand aside and do the right thing'
How much do we really need to live long and happy lives? In the US, life expectancy is
79 years and GDP per capita is $53,000. But many countries have achieved similar life
expectancy with a mere fraction of this income. Cuba has a comparable life expectancy
to the US and one of the highest literacy rates in the world with GDP per capita of only
$6,000 and consumption of only 1.9 hectares – right at the threshold of ecological
sustainability. Similar claims can be made of Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua and
Tunisia.
Yes, some of the excess income and consumption we see in the rich world yields
improvements in quality of life that are not captured by life expectancy, or even literacy
rates. But even if we look at measures of overall happiness and wellbeing in addition to
life expectancy, a number of low- and middle-income countries rank highly. Costa Rica
manages to sustain one of the highest happiness indicators and life expectancies in the
world with a per capita income one-fourth that of the US.
In light of this, perhaps we should regard such countries not as underdeveloped, but
rather as appropriately developed. And maybe we need to start calling on rich countries
to justify their excesses.

70% of people in middle- and high-income countries believe overconsumption is putting

our planet and society at risk
The idea of “de-developing” rich countries might prove to be a strong rallying cry in the
global south, but it will be tricky to sell to westerners. Tricky, but not impossible.
According to recent consumer research, 70% of people in middle- and high-income
countries believe overconsumption is putting our planet and society at risk. A similar
majority also believe we should strive to buy and own less, and that doing so would not
compromise our happiness. People sense there is something wrong with the dominant
model of economic progress and they are hungry for an alternative narrative.
The problem is that the pundits promoting this kind of transition are using the wrong
language. They use terms such as de-growth, zero growth or – worst of all – de-
development, which are technically accurate but off-putting for anyone who’s not
already on board. Such terms are repulsive because they run against the deepest
frames we use to think about human progress, and, indeed, the purpose of life itself.
It’s like asking people to stop moving positively thorough life, to stop learning,
improving, growing.

Negative formulations won’t get us anywhere. The idea of “steady-state” economics is a

step in the right direction and is growing in popularity, but it still doesn’t get the
framing right. We need to reorient ourselves toward a positive future, a truer form of
progress. One that is geared toward quality instead of quantity. One that is more
sophisticated than just accumulating ever increasing amounts of stuff, which doesn’t
make anyone happier anyway. What is certain is that GDP as a measure is not going to
get us there and we need to get rid of it.
Perhaps we might take a cue from Latin Americans, who are organising alternative
visions around the indigenous concept of buen vivir, or good living. The west has its
own tradition of reflection on the good life and it’s time we revive it. Robert and Edward
Skidelsky take us down this road in his book How Much is Enough? where they lay out
the possibility of interventions such as banning advertising, a shorter working week and
a basic income, all of which would improve our lives while reducing consumption.
Either we slow down voluntarily or climate change will do it for us. We can’t go on
ignoring the laws of nature. But rethinking our theory of progress is not only an
ecological imperative, it is also a development one. If we do not act soon, all our hard-
won gains against poverty will evaporate, as food systems collapse and mass famine re-
emerges to an extent not seen since the 19th century.

This is not about giving anything up. And it’s certainly not about living a life of voluntary
misery or imposing harsh limits on human potential. On the contrary, it’s about reaching
a higher level of understanding and consciousness about what we’re doing here and
why.

EXTEND: PERSONAL CONSUMPTION AUDIT

Activity 1.6!
Instruction: Accomplish the personal consumption audit table below and see
what things you can reduce or minimize without sacrificing, or even improving,
the quality of your daily life.

My Personal Consumption Audit

Average daily, No. of Impacts of ‘de-
weekly, or hours/day I developing’ on
Product/Food
monthly amount reduce/ do my everyday
consumed away with living
By minimizing the
number of hours I
spend on social
media, I can
pursue authentic
Example: Social Eight (8) Seven (7) personal
Media Usage hours/day hours/day interactions. I can
also spend more
time doing
schoolwork or
helping I
household chores.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.
 EVALUATION: REACTION PAPER

Activity 1.7!
Instruction: Write a 200 to 300-word reaction paper on Hickel’s article. Use
Heideggerian concepts learned in the previous section in explaining your
thoughts and ideas about Hickel’s.

_________________________________
Title

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IV. Post-Assessment:
Instruction: Watch and take notes on the documentary film, The
Magician’s Twin: C.S. Lewis and the Case Against Scientism, available on
YouTube (https//www.youtube.com/?=FPeyJvXU68k). Then answer the
following questions:

1. Why was C.S. Lewis very much a skeptic and critic of scientism? Was
he against scientist?
____________________________________________________________
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2. How did C.S. Lewis explain the following:
2.1. science as religion
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2.2 science as credulity
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3. Why did C.S Lewis think that modern science is far more dangerous
than magic?
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__________________________________________________________
4. Why did C.S Lewis become increasingly concerned about the rise of
scientocracy? How does scientocracy relate to scientism?
____________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________
5. Based on what you learned in the documentary film, how does
scientism pose a threat to the human person flourishing in science and
technology? Why should science be guided by an ethical basis that is not
dedicated by science itself?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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 Lesson 3

Nanotechnology

I. Learning Outcomes:
In this lesson, you should be able to:
1. discuss the antecedents of nanotechnology and its importance to
society;
2. enumerate the positive and negative impacts of nanotechnology on the
environment and society; and
3. identify the moral and ethical questions and concerns surrounding
nanotechnology.

II. Pre-Assessment:
Instructions: What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of
the ability to manipulate the building blocks of the world (i.e., individual
atoms and molecules) at dimensions and tolerances of less than one-
billionth of a meter? List down your ideas.

Manipulation of Atoms and Molecules

Advantages Disadvantages

III. Core Content:

ENGAGE: INTRODUCTION TO NANOTECHNOLOGY

 Imagine a world where microscopic medical implants patrol our arteries,
diagnosing ailments and fighting disease; where military battle-suits deflect
explosions; where computer chips are no bigger than specks of dust; and where
clouds of miniature space probes transmit data from the atmospheres of Mars or
Titan.
Many incredible claims have been made about the future’s Nano technological
applications, but what exactly does Nano mean, and why has controversy
plagued this emerging technology?

Nanotechnology is science and engineering at the scale of atoms and molecules.

It is the manipulation and use of materials and devices so tiny that nothing can
be built any smaller.

EXPLORE: NANO AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Nanotechnology: a small solution to big problems

Invisible particles that fight cancer cells, faster microprocessors that consume
less energy, batteries that last 10 times longer or solar panels that yield twice as
much energy. These are just some of the many applications of nanotechnology,
a discipline with all the ingredients to turn into the next industrial revolution.

N a n o t e c h n o l
s m a r t
objects.

N a n o t e c h n o
f o r
c o n t e m p o r a

industry. This field, which flourished between the 60s and 80s, has surged in the
last two decades with a booming global market whose value will exceed 125,000
million dollars in the next five years according to the Global Nanotechnology
Market (by Component and Applications) report by Research & Markets which
presents forecasts for 2024.

WHAT IS NANOTECHNOLOGY?

This technological branch manipulates the molecular structure of materials to

change their intrinsic properties and obtain others with revolutionary
applications. This is the case of grapheme — modified carbon harder than steel,
lighter than aluminum and almost transparent — or nanoparticles used in areas
such as electronics, energy, biomedicine or defence.

In 1959 the American Nobel prize and physicist Richard Feynman was the first to
speak about the applications of nanotechnology at the California Institute of
Technology (Caltech). With the 21st century, this area consolidated, was
marketed and came into its own. It includes other areas such as micro-
manufacturing, organic chemistry and molecular biology. In the United States
alone, for example, more than 18 billion dollars were invested between
2001 and 2013 through the NNI (National Nanotechnology
Initiative) to turn this sector into a driver of economic growth and
competitiveness.
 EXPLAIN: CHALLENGES OF NANOTECHNOLOGY EXPLAINED

The advantages brought by innovations in nanotechnology come with a price.

With rapid developments in nanotechnology, its adverse effects become more
visible.

When the identified potential hazards that nanoparticles can bring to human
health and the environment, should people disregard the benefits that
nanotechnology provide the?
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EXTEND: PASTE YOUR NANO-IDEA!

Activity 1.8!
Instructions: Research on a nano product available in the market today. Draw
or paste a picture of the product and write a 50-words description about the
product, particularly explaining how it was produced using nanotechnology.
 EVALUATE: OUR SHARE TO A NANO SAFE WORLD

Activity 1.9!
Instructions: Review the potential hazards of nanotechnology that you learned
in this section. Then, propose a policy that addresses the potential hazards you
identified. Use the template below for your policy proposal.

1. Name of the Policy Proposal

2. Proponents

i. Names:

ii. Email:

iii. Telephone:

iv. Organization:

3. Date

4. Problem Statement (100-200 words):

5. Policy Statement (200-300 words):

6. Additional information

i. Timetable for implementation::

IV. Post-Assessment:
Instructions: What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of
the ability to manipulate the building blocks of the world (i.e., individual
atoms and molecules) at dimensions and tolerances of less than one-
billionth of a meter? List down your ideas.

Manipulation of Atoms and Molecules

Advantages Disadvantages
Summary:
In this module, you learned that:
 Technology have both positive and negative impacts in the society.
 Few of technology’s positive impact are the smartphone revolution, robotics and
intelligence, etc.
 Science is the pillar in advancing our technology
 Nanotechnology brings innovation
 Negative formulation won’t get us anywhere
 Some identified potential hazard of Nanotechnology are the environmental effect
of mineral-based nanoparticles found in cosmetics, paints, clothing and other
products that could be carried down by organic pollutants

References:
 Quinto, E. Science, Technology and Society. C&E Publishing, Inc.
 Olivar, J. Earth and Life Science. Phoenix Publishing House Inc
 Dasas, L. General Biology. Phoenix Publishing House Inc