SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, & SOCIETY

HISTORICAL ANTECEDENT IN THE COURSE OF SCIENCE

KEY POINTS:
Science - is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations
and predictions about the universe. The earliest roots of science can be traced to Ancient Egypt and
Mesopotamia in around 3000 to 1200 BCE.
Divisions of Science

 Natural - a branch of science that deals with the physical world.

o Biological - is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several
unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field.
o Physical - the sciences concerned with the study of inanimate natural objects, including physics,
chemistry, astronomy, and related subjects.
 Social - the scientific study of human society and social relationships.
 Formal - is a branch of science studying formal language disciplines concerned with formal systems,
such as logic, mathematics, statistics, theoretical computer science, artificial intelligence, information
theory, game theory, systems theory, decision theory, and theoretical linguistics.
Social Science - the scientific study of human society and social relationships.
Branches:
 Economics
 Anthropology
 Sociology
 Psychology
 History
Society - is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the
same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural
expectations.
Why is transportation important?

 Trying to go places and discover new horizons.

 Search for food and find better locations for their settlement.
 To trade their surplus goods in exchange for things that they lacked.
Why is communication important?

 To communicate with the natives of the areas they visited.

 To facilitate trade and prevent possible conflicts.
 To discover and occupy new places.
What is mass production?
The aim of mass production is to ensures that the whole process of manufacturing remains at the
lowest cost possible while turning out the highest volumes possible. Producing products in bulk results in their
individual cost being decreased.
Why is armors and weapons important?
 Establishments of new alliances with other tribes.
 To avoid conflict when people met others with different culture and orientations.
 For protection and security from possible invaders
Why is science technology and society important for civil engineering students?
- technology, knowledge and science are fundamental in modern contemporary society. The
understanding of how social, cultural and material elements influence the production of new practices,
new ways of understanding and new institutions is vital in our understanding of contemporary
postmodern society.

Historical Development of Science and Technology

A. Ancient Times
 Sumerian Civilization
 Babylonian Civilization
 Egyptian Civilization
 Greek Civilization
 Roman Civilization
 Chinese Civilization
B. Medieval Ages
C. Modern Times
D. Philippine Inventions

ANCIENT TIMES
Sumerian Civilization
It is the earliest known civilization in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia, emerging during the
Chalcolithic and early Bronze Ages between the sixth and fifth millennium BC. Also known as “cradle of
civilization”.
The ancient Sumerians created one of humanity's first great civilizations. Their homeland in
Mesopotamia, called Sumer, emerged roughly 6,000 years ago along the floodplains between the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers in present-day Iraq and Syria.
Contributions:
Cuneiform – first cuneiform writings were pictographs created by making wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets
with blunt reeds used as a stylus. This allowed them to keep records of things with great historical value or
their everyday life.
Uruk City – it is the great wonder not only because it is considered to be the first true city in the world but also
for the way it was erected.
The Great Ziggurat of Ur – also known as the mountain of God. This served as the sacred place of their chief
God, where only their priests were allowed to enter.
Irrigation and Dikes - it brings water from one place to another for agricultural purposes (farming).
Sailboats – they were used to carry large quantities of products, and were able to cover large distances.
Wheels – they are not made for transportation but for farm work and food processes.
Plows – was invented to dig the earth in faster pace.
Roads – in order to facilitate faster and easier travel.

Babylonian Civilization
Babylonia was a state in ancient Mesopotamia. The city of Babylon, whose ruins are located in present-
day Iraq, was founded more than 4,000 years ago as a small port town on the Euphrates River. It grew into
one of the largest cities of the ancient world under the rule of Hammurabi.
Contribution:
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon - were the fabled gardens which beautified the capital of the Neo-
Babylonian Empire, built by its greatest king Nebuchadnezzar II (r. 605-562 BCE). One of the Seven Wonders
of the Ancient World, they are the only wonder whose existence is disputed amongst historians.

Egyptian Civilization
It was a civilization of ancient North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River,
situated in the place that is now the country Egypt. The success of ancient Egyptian civilization came partly
from its ability to adapt to the conditions of the Nile River valley for agriculture.

Contributions:
Papyrus - is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface.
Ink – they invented ink by combining soot with different chemicals to produce inks of different colors.
Hieroglyphics - were the formal writing system used in Ancient Egypt. Hieroglyphs combined logographic,
syllabic and alphabetic elements, with a total of some 1,000 distinct characters.
Cosmetics - the ancient Egyptians regarded beauty as a sign of holiness. Everything they used had a spiritual
aspect to it, including cosmetics. Both men and women wore makeup. Traders traded makeup often, especially
in the upper classes.
Wig – worn for health and wellness and not for aesthetic purposes.
Clepsydra - also called water clock, ancient device for measuring time by the gradual flow of water.

Greek Civilization
The Greeks made important contributions to philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. The
Greeks were known for their sophisticated sculpture and architecture. Greek culture influenced the Roman
Empire and many other civilizations, and it continues to influence modern cultures today.
The Greeks are also known as the most influential civilizations to have ever existed in the world.

Contributions:
Alarm Clock – used large complicated mechanisms to time the alarm, they also used water, sand, or small
stones that drooped into drums which sounded the alarm.
Water Mills - an important piece of mechanical equipment first built in the ancient Greek hilly areas around the
3rd century B.C. It helped in the process of milling and graining whole grains in a larger-scale supply model,
replacing the human force to accomplish such a task.

Roman Civilization
A people known for their military, political, and social institutions, the ancient Romans conquered vast
amounts of land in Europe and northern Africa, and spread Latin, their language, far and wide.
Ancient Rome describes Roman civilization from the founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th
century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, in turn encompassing the
Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and Roman Empire until the fall of the western empire.
Contribution:
Roman Numerals - numerals developed out of a need for a common method of counting, essential to
communications and trade.

Chinese Civilization
Ancient China is responsible for a rich culture, still evident in modern China. From small farming
communities rose dynasties such as the Zhou (1046-256 B.C.E), Qin (221-206 B.C.E), and Ming (1368-1644
C.E.). Each had its own contribution to the region. During the Zhou Dynasty, for example, writing was
standardized, iron working refined, and famous thinkers like Confucius and Sun-Tzu lived and shared their
philosophies. During the Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang commissioned the Terracotta Army, and the Ming
Dynasty refurbished the Great Wall to protect the nation from Mongol attacks.
Contributions:
Silk - is a fabric first produced in Neolithic China from the filaments of the cocoon of the silk worm.
Tea Production - was originally consumed for its medicinal properties. Used as an herbal medicine the
Chinese added the leaves to their food to provide nutrients or as an antidote for poison.
The Great Wall of China - is a series of fortifications that were built across the historical northern borders of
ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against enemies.
Gunpowder - is a mixture of charcoal, saltpeter and sulfur. This mixture was invented and gradually improved
by Chinese alchemists in the Tang Empire (618–907). It is thought that the alchemists discovered gunpowder’s
explosive properties while trying to concoct life extending substances.

MEDIEVAL AGES
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the
late 15th centuries. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and transitioned into the Renaissance
and the Age of Discovery.
Contributions:
Printing Press - use ink to transfer text and images to paper.
Microscope – people were able to observe organisms that were normally unseen by the naked eye.
Telescope – an optical instrument that helps in the observation of remote objects, was a great help for
navigators.
War Weapons - It was the time of the crossbow and catapult, halberd and mace, battering ram, siege tower,
sword and dagger, and increasingly more formidable armored protection. It was the Middle Ages, when
weapons were of such infinite variety that hardly any two soldiers faced off using the same weaponry.

MODERN TIMES
The booming world population during the 19th century onwards demanded that more goods be
produced at a faster rate. Massive industrialization started, thus modern times again faced more complicated
problem.
Contributions:
Pasteurization - In the modern era, pasteurization refers to any process used to disinfect food and inactivate
spoilage enzymes without significantly diminishing nutrient levels. These include non-thermal as well as
thermal processes.
Petroleum Refinery – Samuel M. Kier was able to invent kerosene also known as the “illuminating oil” and it
was applied to provide lighting and heating purposes. These refineries are marvels of modern engineering.
Within them a maze of pipes, distillation columns, and chemical reactors turn crude oil into valuable products.
These refineries turn out the gasoline and chemical feedstocks that keep the country running.
Telephone - modern telephone is the result of work of many people. Alexander Graham Bell was, however,
the first to patent the telephone, as an "apparatus for transmitting vocal or other sounds telegraphically".
Calculator - machine for automatically performing arithmetical operations and certain mathematical functions.
Philippine Inventions
the country is also known to be the one of the most vulnerable countries in terms of natural disasters however,
they invented things built from indigenous materials.

- Salamander Amphibious Tricycle - is an amphibious tricycle which can carry six passengers,
including the driver, that can drive over land and water, directly. The tricycle is built on a
compartmentalized, double-hull, fiberglass body that would not sink even if a section sustains damage.
- SALt Lamp - In 2012 Aisa Mijeno, a young professor and researcher at the La Salle University
(Philippines), designed the first prototype of the SALTt Lamp - Sustainable Alternative Lighting powered
by water and salt.
- Medical Incubator – Fe Del Mundo revolutionized Philippine medicine, making major breakthroughs in
immunization and in the treatment of jaundice, and providing healthcare to thousands of poor families.
She is credited with studies that led to the invention of the incubator and a jaundice relieving device.
- Mosquito Ovicidal - an OL trap is a device used to control the Aedes mosquito population. It can
monitor, control and detect Aedes mosquito population which preempts any impending dengue
outbreaks.
- Ejeepney - The Electric Jeepney (E-Jeepney) is a recent development in the Philippines that provides
a sustainable, clean form of public transportation.

Prepared by: John Heart Quiambao