Republic of the Philippines

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

College of Science
Department of Biology

Science,
Technology and
Society
(GEED 10083)

Enrykie B. Fortajada, MSc.

Instructor
Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society
 Objectives
At the end of this lecture, you should be able to:

appreciate the importance of STS education;

examine the subtleties and workings of modern science; and

develop understanding on science and its limitations.

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 What is STS?

It is an interdisciplinary approach of science education

aiming to teach students and the public about
understanding the progress of human knowledge,
particularly of science and technology.

It seeks to analyze its role in shaping the

human society through social, economic,
and environmental aspects.

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 Why do we need to study STS?
Students must be able to:
widen their views and
perspectives on the different
facets of science and
technology;
Science, Technology and Society (GEED10083)
nurture ideas and values develop a sense of
necessary to analyze issues responsibility and
and construct pertinent accountability for every
conclusions, which can be action and decision made as
used for decision-making; a contributor to vis a vis
and recipient of its impact.
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 How can we study STS?
It is a must for us to study STS to increase understanding and enable us to do social involvement in
addressing societal problems by and through science and technology.

Historical approach Philosophical approach Social approach

Learning history of This is a perspective of A societal and practical

science can shed us understanding the approach gives us a
light on how the aspects of science and realistic point of view on
progress of human technology in terms of science and technology
civilization has philosophical and logical and its impact on our
contributed to shape background of the modern society.
the future. sciences.

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 How does knowledge differ from science?
has a more a higher
general form of
reference concrete
ideas

attained through well-defined

the involvement of accumulation and
mental and organization of human
knowledge achieved
cognitive processing through a systematic
with experience, and methodological
perception, and process called
learning scientific method

covers
information, interdisciplinary
understanding, fields and
and skills that you disciplines with an
gain through overlapping
education or interest of studies
experience and engagements

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 What is scientific method?
Scientific method is a method of procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting of systematic observation,
measurement and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses. (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

It must be: Steps of scientific method:

1. empirically observable – gathering of evidences • refers to empirical observation to acquire initial data and information
using bodily senses Observation

2. testable or verifiable – must be able to be tested or • refers to the deeper inquiry of knowledge gathered from observation where
validated Determining
the problem
questions are framed to guide and direct the flow of the scientific process

3. falsifiable – idea or concept can be contradicted with • refers to the construction and presentation of rational and logical concept or
an opposite idea or concept Formulating idea that can tentatively answer the problem that is being studied
a hypothesis

4. repetitive in a continuous process – scientific • refers to gathering evidences and information through experimentation or
knowledge is repeatedly tested, verified, and Testing the observation to prove or rebut the hypothesis, or arrive at some other results
undergoes further improvement, otherwise totally hypothesis

discarded
• offers answers to the problems and arrives at the conclusion and
5. objective – must always be observed using scientific Analysis generalization of the knowledge
method

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 What are subtleties of modern science?
Life science – study of life, its
nature, origin, and development,
and how possible for it to exist on
earth.
1. Natural sciences explain the various rules of
the nature by using the scientific method.
It is divided into 2 main branches:
Physical science – understand and
predict physical events, processes,
and phenomena observed on earth
and the universe.
2. Social sciences describe and explain human
behavior and consciousness, developments and
attributes of social interactions and institutions,
and progress of civilization and humanity.

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 What are subtleties of modern science?

3. Applied sciences develop theoretical

knowledge into a purposive, meaningful, and
practical application and development of
technologies needed by human beings.

4. Formal sciences utilize numbers,

mathematical operations, logical processes, and
formal languages, which can also be useful to
qualify and quantify phenomena in nature.

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 What are the benefits of science?
Life Sciences
Microbiological basis of infectious diseases
Discovery of cell and the concept of cell theory
Discovery of DNA and RNA as molecules containing
genetic information
Understanding the anatomy and physiology of man
Central dogma of molecular biology and its
implications for genetic manipulation
Science, Technology and Society (GEED10083)
Physical Sciences
Discovery of electricity and magnetism
Understanding of classical mechanics and thermodynamic
principles
Theory of relativity gives us the view of matter, energy, time,
space, and gravity at macroscopic to cosmological scale
Quantum mechanics has led us to a deeper understanding of
matter and energy at microscopic scale of subatomic level
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 What are the benefits of science?

Social Sciences
Formal Sciences

Improvement of economics, governance,

and education systems.
Theories that precisely describe the
phenomena of social behavior in humans.
Mathematical and statistical symbols and operations, including
logical processes and the other types of formal languages are used
as tools and models aiding basic and applied research,
engineering, computer programming, and automation.

Understanding of the beginning and

development of human society.
Processors, database and data repository to manage big amounts
of data and information.
Preservation and transfer of human
knowledge from generation to generation.

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 What are the benefits of science?
Applied Sciences

Telecommunications

Medicine and genetic engineering

Engineering and architecture

Robotics and artificial intelligence (AI)

Nanotechnology

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