2| Science, Technology and Society 1

UNIT 2. SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, THE SOCIETY AND THE HUMAN

CONDITION
1.0. Intended Learning Outcomes

When you are done with this unit, it is expected that you can:

a. Examine and analyze concerns that make up the good life in order to come up
with innovative, creative solutions to contemporary issues guided by ethical
standards
b. Examine human actions and decisions in order to uphold such rights in
technological ethical dilemmas.
c. Evaluate human experiences in relation to science and technology in order to
strengthen and enlighten the human person functioning in society.

1.1. Introduction

There are a lot of famous personalities in the field of science that you could
ever imagine. But one thing is for sure: before they became famous, they all
faced controversies and raise issues before their theories and propositions were
accepted by the masses. Some of them until now are still under debate while
some of them had been persecuted because of science and quest for knowledge
and truth.
In this unit, we will be learning on the state of human condition in
connection to science and technology. Let us have some first a glimpse of few
revolutionary theories that served as the turning point and redirection of science
journey. Then, later on, we will be tackling on the different roles both
advantages and disadvantages of technology and reflect on the journey that
mankind is facing due to numerous technology applications.

1.2. Topics/Discussion (with Assessment/Activities)

1.2.1. Intellectual Revolutions

Copernican Revolution
Do you know what makes up the sun? Can you explain why sunsets are
red and why is the sky blue? Do you know what cause the wind to move? How
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about why are the clouds white while the rainbow is colorful? Nowadays, the
answers to these questions are just one click away. Just grab that gadget and type
the question on the search bar and voila…the answer is right there in front of
your face.

But what if you have lived the era of the ancient times where knowledge is
obscure and education are given only to few privileged people, what would you
do to answer these questions? And how are you sure that you are going to get the
right answers considering that technological advancement during that time is
very scarce. And if you have answers, how sure you will be that they are the
right ones? Would you be interested to find the answers or you would rather let
it be? It doesn’t concern you anyway.

In the early days, the people questioned things around them. They are
fascinated about how days and nights formed. They are amazed of the sky and
the heavenly bodies. The sun, the moon, stars, even the rain formation and the
clouds. They wanted to understand the things around them.
The
Greek
people
during those
times are the
ones with
very
sophisticated
form of
writings and
libraries.
They
pioneered the
formal way of education
and storing artifacts and
writings in a room that
resembles now to modern
libraries. They have Figure 1. Claudius Ptolemy
gathered answers from this questions

coming from man. One of this is Claudius Ptolemy. He believed that the heavenly
bodies moved around in circular motions including the sun and the moon. He
further explained that the Earth is stationary while the sun and the moon are the
 one revolving around the Earth. It is this revolving of sun and moon that causes
day and night. This theory is now called GEONCENTRISM. Many people
believed this theory for almost two thousand years. This is one of the most
widely accepted ideas and one of the famous discoveries during this period.
(Daniel Joseph McNamara, Valverde, & III, 2018).

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However, in the 16th Century, a

person
named Nicolaus Copernicus, a
mathematician and
astronomer from Poland, dared to go
against this
theory. After he studied the heavenly
bodies and
observe countless celestial phenomena,
he
introduced his new theory. He said that the Earth is
not stationary but rather it is the sun. he further
stated the moon and the earth are the one that
revolves around the sun contrary to what had the
geocentrism proposed. This new theory is called
HELIOCENTRISM. Where the sun is at the This theory of Copernicus was not accepted
center of the solar system rather than the Earth Figure 2. Nicolaus Copernicus- Pioneer of
(see figure 3). Heliocentric Theory

by the people at first. He was accused of “heresy” by the

church for
having that
kind of
theory and will be
persecuted if he will
pursue his idea. Because of
this, he hid many of his
discoveries and let the dust
covered his significant
findings. It was not until
Johannes Kepler and
Galileo Galilei further
explored this theory which
resulted also to Galileo’s
persecution that even made
 him house arrested for the
rest of his life.
Figure 3. Geocentric Vs. Heliocentric Model
Darwinian Revolution

Another person that had been persecuted due to his revolutionary idea is
the proponent of Evolution Theory, an English biologist and geologist, Charles
Darwin. Why and how?

Well, as you know, church and science have a clashing point of view
towards what is factual and what is fantasy. (Atlantic, 2020)

Darwin considered himself as an orthodox Christian (Spencer, 2009). He

studied the creation of God and as his notes revealed that he tried to compromise

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between what he was

seeing and
what the bible had taught
him.
However, his findings and
his
theory is the one that
punctured
and shove the religious
believe
severely.

To give us
background
about what is Evolution Theory,
let’s
have the frequently asked question be
cleared once and for all.

Who is Charles Darwin?

Full name: Charles Robert Darwin

Born: February 12, 1809

Birthplace: Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England Figure 4.

Charles Darwin
Died: April 19, 1882
Proponent of
Evolution Theory
Achievement: English naturalist whose scientific theory of evolution by natural selection
became the foundation of modern evolutionary studies. An affable country gentleman,
Darwin at first shocked religious Victorian society by suggesting that animals and
humans shared a common ancestry. However, his nonreligious biology appealed to the
rising class of professional scientists, and by the time of his death evolutionary imagery
had spread through all of science, literature, and politics. Darwin, himself an agnostic,
was accorded the ultimate British accolade of burial in Westminster Abbey, London.
(Desmond, 2020)

Activity 1. Short Answer.

How did Darwin arrive with such theory? What did he sacrifice for his theory?

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As Darwin is in HMS
Beagle Voyage, he
observed countless
animal species in
continents and islands
that they would pass
through (see figure 5).

We have the basic facts

as follows:

► Dates: February
12th, 1831

► Captain: Charles
Darwin

► Ship: H.M.S. Beagle

► Destination: Figure 5. The Ship Where Darwin Conceived his

Voyage around the world. Theory

► Findings: evidence to propose a revolutionary

hypothesis about how life changes over time
This is the sketch of
Darwin’s voyage as he
journeys across the
globe (see figure 6).

He stated the following

findings:

Darwin visited
Argentina and
Australia which had
similar grassland
ecosystems other
territorial aspects.

• those grasslands were

inhabited by very
Figure 6. The sketch of Darwin’s Path
different animals.

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• neither Argentina nor Australia was home to the sorts of animals that lived in
European grasslands.

Darwin then posed challenging questions…

o Why were there no rabbits in Australia, despite the presence of habitats that
seemed perfect for them?
o Why were there no kangaroos in England?
o Why there is no penguin in north pole and no polar bear in south pole despite
the fact that their temperature and environment are almost the same?

More and more questions that ponders on Darwin’s mind while he travels
around the world and some ordinary people asks…

If humans descended from Adam and Eve, then what is their skin color? Where
did black, white and brown come from? Why is there more than one human race?
Who is the original?

As Darwin focused more on an island…

The Galapagos Island is the place where his questions become wider and the
answer becomes clearer. According to him…
 Figure 7. Tortoise in Galapagos have
Different characteristics even if they
have similar environment. Why?

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The smallest, lowest islands were hot, dry, and nearly barren-Hood Island
sparse vegetation
The higher islands had greater rainfall and a different assortment of plants
and animals-Isabela- Island had rich vegetation.
Darwin was fascinated in particular by the land tortoises and marine iguanas
in the Galápagos.
Giant tortoises varied in predictable ways from one island to another.
The shape of a tortoise's shell could be used to identify which island a
particular tortoise inhabited.

Then, Darwin Observed that characteristics of many plants and animals vary greatly
among the islands

Hypothesis: Separate species may have arisen from an original ancestor.

Now, let’s answer some frequently asked questions about the theory and the
propositions presented. You can the full article in PBS Evolution Home Library
Website:

a. What is evolution?

Biological evolution refers to the changes that happens among living species
in the genetic component level t or the DNA of that organism. The causes of this
changes comes from many factors. It could be abnormalities during reproduction
and birth that could be passed on the nest generations. Sometimes, individuals
inherit new characteristics that give them a survival and reproductive advantage in
their local environments; these characteristics tend to increase in frequency in the
population, while those that are disadvantageous decrease in frequency. This
process of differential survival and reproduction is known as natural selection. Non-
genetic changes that occur during an organism's life span, such as increases in
muscle mass due to exercise and diet, cannot be passed on to the next generation
and are not examples of evolution.

b. Is this theory proven or unproven?

In science, a theory is a rigorously tested statement of general principles that
explains observable and recorded aspects of the world. A scientific theory therefore
describes a higher level of understanding that ties "facts" together.
A scientific theory stands until proven wrong -- it is never proven correct.
The Darwinian theory of evolution has withstood the test of time and thousands of
scientific experiments; nothing has disproved it since Darwin first proposed it more
than 150 years ago. Indeed, many scientific advances, in a range of scientific
disciplines including physics, geology, chemistry, and molecular biology, have

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supported, refined, and expanded evolutionary theory far beyond anything Darwin
could have imagined.

c. Is evolution and survival of the fittest the same?

Evolution and "survival of the fittest" are not the same thing. Evolution
refers to the cumulative changes in a population or species through time.
"Survival of the fittest" is a popular term that refers to the process of natural
selection, a mechanism that drives evolutionary change. Natural selection works
by giving individuals who are better adapted to a given set of environmental
conditions an advantage over those that are not as well adapted. Survival of the
fittest usually makes one think of the biggest, strongest, or smartest individuals
being the winners, but in a biological sense, evolutionary fitness refers to the
ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment. Popular
interpretations of "survival of the fittest" typically ignore the importance of both
reproduction and cooperation. To survive but not pass on one's genes to the next
generation is to be biologically unfit. And many organisms are the "fittest"
because they cooperate with other organisms, rather than competing with them.
 d. Did we evolve from monkeys?
Humans did not evolve from monkeys. Humans are more closely related to
modern apes than to monkeys, but we didn't evolve from apes, either. Humans
share a common ancestor with modern African apes, like gorillas and

Figure 8. The Evolutionary Tree

where every species is related to
each other at some point in time
according to Darwin

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chimpanzees. Scientists believe this common ancestor existed 5 to 8 million years

ago. Shortly thereafter, the species diverged into two separate lineages. One of
these lineages ultimately evolved into gorillas and chimps, and the other evolved
into early human ancestors called hominids.
e. How did humans evolve?
Since the earliest hominid species diverged from the ancestor we share with modern
African apes, 5 to 8 million years ago, there have been at least a dozen different species
of these humanlike creatures. Many of these hominid species are close relatives, but not
human ancestors. Most went extinct without giving rise to other species. Some of the
extinct hominids known today, however, are almost certainly direct ancestors of Homo
sapiens. While the total number of species that existed and the relationships among them
is still unknown, the picture becomes clearer as new fossils are found. Humans evolved
through the same biological processes that govern the evolution of all life on Earth.

Darwin was ridiculed, criticized and becomes the subject of study because of his
findings. He did not travel a smooth sailing path before his theory becomes part of the
curriculum among schools and other formal education institutions.
 Note: Frequently asked questions about theory of evolution could be found at this
link https://to.pbs.org/34YXJy9 You can explore more questions on this website
for clarifications about what is really evolution.

Well, that’s a lot to take in. Take some time to reflect.

Even though some sacrificed their selves in fighting for what is true and
what not, their sacrifices had not go to waste. Because as of the modern times, the
very foundation that lead scientists to explore more and redirect their thoughts
towards what is science really and paved the way to industrial, computer, and
the present Artificial Intelligence revolutions, is what Copernicus and Galileo
and many people before them had laid to us. That is- the idea of others may seem
odd, unique or different, but it doesn’t mean that its useless. Everyone has their
own talent, a quest for true nature and development of what is good. Thus, hear
them out first and understand what they mean. Don’t be so quick to judge other
peoples’ point of view because it might be that you are the one walking in the
wrong direction. However, don’t believe them immediately. Try to search the
truth within you and compromise between you and the knowledge you are
seeking. And if it doesn’t go the same way, try to express your thought carefully
and clearly (Desiderata, 1927).

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Activity 2. Essay. Explain your thoughts in according to the flow of questions from the
statement below. Clear your point and express concisely what you are trying to say.

If you are a person with a desire in science, a quest for true knowledge, how would you
react if people do not believe what you are trying to say even though you have concrete
evidence/s? and if the truth that you know might kill your life, would you rather let the
people know at the expense of yourself or would you keep the knowledge hidden just
so your safe or you have some different thing to do in mind? Come on, don’t hesitate to
share it. Your opinion matters a lot.
 Activity 3. Essay. Defend your answer clearly and on point.

Which of the two propositions do you think humans come from? (bible or evolution)

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That’s a long way to go. You are done on our first topic for this unit regarding
intellectual revolutions. Now, let’s proceed to the second topic. This time we will be
dealing about the goodness and badness of technology.

1.2.2. Science and Technology: A Curse or a Blessing

In the first unit, this was given to you as your activity, so let’s
supposed that you are already have the idea about this one. But this time,
lets elaborate the important component what really is science and
technology? Is it there for the betterment of life or is there to destroy
humanity and other beings?

If you recall, not all technology exists for the betterment of life. There
are inventions that are intended to destroy lives and to satisfy man’s side
for war and fights. (search technologies for war and destruction), the
primary reason for their existence is to destroy and take life. (knives,
bolo, sharp tools) However though these technologies’ primary aim is to
destroy, they seemed to have a very significant role in the later part of
life. Not for war anymore but to serve man for the greater good.
(examples of technologies that were used for goodness after war)

On the other hand, not all technologies that are invented for
goodness remains solely for that purpose. There are technologies that
their primary aim is for preservation of life but it turns out to be used
also on the opposite side and can destroy and can take life also.

Activity 4. Essay.
Does science really solve our problems and make life easier, or it only makes our lives
even worse? Analyze carefully. Explain your side clearly.

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1.2.3. Why the Future Does Not Need Us

One person predicted that at the current state of human race towards
technological advancement, environmental factors are put at stake and
sometimes left unchecked which in the future will cause. This person is
Bill Joy. He wrote this article entitled “Why The Future Does Not Need
 Us” way back in the month of April, in the year 2000 and was published
in Wired Magazine.
Read the article mentioned and give the summary of the article. This is
the link to the article: https://bit.ly/3ivqkze you can search the article
itself.

Activity 5. Short Answer:

What is Bill Joy trying to say? Do you think that what he said might come in near future? If
yes, cite minimum of 5 reasons if you think it’s impossible, cite 5 reasons why it’s
impossible.

1.2.4. The Good Life

Is your life good? What is the standard of a good life? Come to think
of it. Not all rich people are having a good life, some of them live in
misery. On the other hand, not poor people don’t live life in misery,
some of them are happy even if they are poor.
There are people that struggles really hard to survive. On the other
hand, there are people that really don’t care about their lives and even
wanted to end it.
There are people that are so jealous of others because they have
girlfriends/boyfriends. On the other hand, there are people who wanted
to be single forever and are happy with it.
We could have as many contrasting ideas as we want, but the answer
to the question of what makes a good life is still obscure and blurred.

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Activity 6. Survey
Interview a minimum of fifteen (15) people. Five (5) teenagers and
 youngsters (15 to 25 y.o.), five adults (26-45 y.o.), and 5 elderly (55 years
old and above).
Ask them the question, “What makes a good life?

Names (optional) Age Answer

A. Teenagers and
Youngsters
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
B. Adults
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
C. Elderly
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Conclusion: (Therefore, what makes a good life?)

Activity 6.1.

Do you have now an idea with what is really a good life? Do you agree with the answers
of the people you interviewed? Why yes, or why not. Cite your reasons.

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

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Well, you are done with the activity 6 and 6.1? You are about be finish this
module. Congratulations for going this far. But before you celebrate, you still have one
task to do.

Warning: You should only proceed to this activity if you are really done with the
activities 6 and 6.1.

Watch the video of Mr. Robert Waldinger on YouTube about what makes a good life.
You can access the video through this link: https://bit.ly/32to0De, then, answer the
activities that follows.

Activity 7. Short answer.

What makes a good life according to Mr. Waldinger?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Do you agree with what Mr. Waldinger said?

Why yes, or why not? Explain your side clearly.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Great Job! You are done with Unit 2. You are very ready now to proceed to Unit 3 in GE
8.

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1.3. References:
Atlantic, T. (2020, September 3). Religion and Science. Retrieved from google.com:
https://bit.ly/351oBxK

Daniel Joseph McNamara, S., Valverde, V. M., & III, R. B. (2018). Science, Technology And
Society. Quezon City: C & E Publishing House.

Desmond, A. J. (2020, September 3). Encyclopedia Britannica- Charles Darwin. Retrieved

 from google.com: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Darwin

Editors, H. (2019, October 24). History. Retrieved from google.com:

https://bit.ly/353N59p

Fant, P. (2011, December 1). Business Insider. Retrieved from google.com:

https://bit.ly/3hxozjq

Joy, B. (2000, April). Wired Magazine. Retrieved from google.com: https://bit.ly/3ivqkze

Nikutowski, N. (2019, December). HOW TO BE HAPPY IF YOU ARE POOR OR DON’T

HAVE ENOUGH MONEY: 15 EASY TIPS. Retrieved from google.com:
https://bit.ly/3khONbB

Project, D. C. (2020, September 3). University of Cambridge. Retrieved from google.com:

https://bit.ly/3hVohUy

Spencer, N. (2009, September 17). Darwin's Loss of Faith. Retrieved from google.com:
https://bit.ly/350GP28

Waldinger, R. (2015, December 1). TEdEx Beacon Street. Retrieved from Youtube.Com:
https://bit.ly/32to0De

1.4. Acknowledgment
The images, tables, figures and information contained in this module were
taken from the references cited above.

Disclaimer:
This module is for educational purposes only. Some vocabularies and uses were
remained as is, however, the author/s was/were cited accordingly as respect to their
intellectual property. Photos, figures, images, and tables included in here that were
gathered from internet and websites and books belongs to their respective owners and
their copyrights.