Abellanosa, Venesse Aulga L.

March 13, 2021

Science 10-Physics
ACTIVITY 1.4

Science’s quest for answers to existential questions has produced many technologies that we are
currently benefitting from.

1. Visit the NASA site at https://homeandcity.nasa.gov.

2. Explore and identify the technologies that we are currently using in our everyday lives.
3. Pick five (5) of the technologies you identified that you most frequently use, and trace
their original uses in the scientific study of our physical world.
 Cloud computing platform- in this technology, different services are being delivered via the
internet. Applications and tools like software, servers, data storage, networking, and
databases are only some of the services that cloud computing offers and all information
wished to be accessed can be found in a virtual space or “cloud”. Way back 1950s,
organizations who have enough financial resources started using mainframe computers
which was a complex and constantly changing system to process all of their data.
Organizations before bough around one to two machines and in order to maintain their
return on investment, a “time-sharing’ schedule was implemented. Through “time-sharing”,
a lot of users were able to access the mainframe via connected stations and this also allowed
small companies to be able to make computing time available for them although they could
not buy their own mainframe. In 1960s, a computer scientist named as J.C.R. Licklider was
able to come up with an idea for an interconnected system of computers. This idea has
helped both Larry Roberts and Bob Taylor to developed ARPANET (Advanced Research
Projects Agency Network) which is considered to be the first network that allowed digital
sources to be accessed and shared among computers from different locations. Around 1972,
IBM was able to release the Virtual Machine which is an operating system and this was when
advancement in cloud computing started growing which then led to opportunities for both
businesses and people nowadays (A brief history of cloud computing, n.d.).
 Water purification- in this technology, it makes water more suitable for industrial utilization,
medical use, drinking, and so on. Water contaminants that are present in water are reduced
or removed to make it fit for use especially for those people living remotely or are part of
developing areas where water scarcity and water contamination are rampant. Around 2000
BCE, both crude filters that were made of charcoal or sand as well as boiling were the two
methods of water filtration around this time. Moreover, enhancing taste through filters was
more focused than health-related purposes because they believed that better tasting water
 equates to healthier water. In 1590 BCE, the microscope was invented and this enables them
a better magnification and in 1673 CE, a 270x magnification for the microscope was created
which made them discover that every single drop of water is swarmed with things that can’t
be seen by the naked eye. In 1804 CE, a water treatment plant was installed which utilized a
filter made by sand. During 1905 CE, chlorination into water systems was introduced to
purify the water and this was used as the primary filtration process up to the 19 th century.
With all these stated, it only shows how our ancestors tried to learn things about the
physical world as far as water is concerned (The history of water filtration, n.d.).
 Environmental cleansing- this refers to certain actions or processes that are done
and taken in order to clean or disinfect substances or surfaces which are likely to
cause risk that can affect both humans and the environment. Going back,
environmental issues posed health problems to our ancestors and this has urged
them to slowly care for the environment. Pollution on air, water, and other
environmental issues were rampant and there is no denying that this still exists
today. However, unlike them, they still did not know what thin gs were composed of
especially that science and technology did not exists before so they still did not know
how to counter these problems. Today, we now have different regulations in order
to preserve our environment and now we know better on how we can ke ep
everything clean to keep ourselves safe and away from any health problems.
 Digital cameras- in this technology, photographs are being captured and are being
stored through digital memory instead of a film. Through this, photos or videos that
were being captured can be shown or displayed on the screen right after they were
taken and they can also be immediately deleted. Around 1000 AD, an inverted image
can be projected by the pinhole camera when light passes through a small hole. In
1837, the first permanent image was captured by the Daguerreotype invented by
Louis Daguerre. The first Kodak Roll Film Camera was then patented by George
Eastman in 1889 and in 1861, color innovation started when the first ever permanent
colored photograph was taken by James Clerk Maxwell. In 1844, the first panoramic
camera was invented by Friedrich von Martens and then Polaroid photography was
invented in 1947 by Edwin Herbert Land which created the possibility for instant
photography. The first underwater camera called the OceanEye was then invented by
a photographer named Bates Littlehales in 1960. In 1975, Steven Sasson, a Kodak
engineer, invented the first digital camera while Fuji introduced the Quicksnap, the
very first disposable camera that uses 35 mm film around 198 6. When 1992 entered,
 Kodak made available the first professional digital cameras and photo sharing sited
began to appear in 1995. In 2000s, the first camera phone was developed by Sharp
and then Kodak started to stop the production of their film camera ar ound 2004 when
digital cameras demand began to increase. Nowadays, smartphones are more
commonly used to take photos and videos and these have all helped us to create
memories and have documentations with everything in the physical world (The history
of the camera, n.d.).
 Air purifiers- this is a device which removes contaminants in air like volatile organic
compounds, dust, pollen, bacteria and others. Through this, toxins in air are
eradicated which allows us to breathe a much healthier and cleaner qual ity of air,
especially indoors. During the early 18 th century, coal-based industrial revolution has
been one of the main sources of air pollution and this has insisted inventors to start
making a purification system for a clearer air to breathe. In 1983, s moke helmets for
firefighters were created and patented by Charles Anthony Deane and then a
charcoal-based respirator was then developed by John Stenhouse around 1854 to
prevent them from inhaling polluted air. In 1940, the HEPA filter was then
developed to keep scientists safe from all the various radioactive particles brought
about by their nuclear research inside the laboratory during World War II. In 1963, a
home air filtration system was introduced and a more portable air purifier which
guarantees better performance was then marketed around 1998. Nowadays, air
purifiers are now integrated with air quality sensor and a high quality filter which is
more smart and efficient (A brief history of air purifiers, 2019).
4. Discuss how these five (5) technologies you identified affected your life.

All these five technologies have affected my life in a very positive way. I can highly say that they
all have helped have a better and more convenient life. The use of cloud computing has greatly
helped me especially in my studies. This is because through this, I can access different data that can
help me with all my requirements and tasks a well as store data and files via the internet. Water
purification has also greatly helped me and everyone so that we are able to drink a cleaner and
healthier quality of water. Environmental cleansing has also positively affected my life because aside
from my love for plants, it also helps me surround myself with a clearer and greener environment.
Digital cameras also affected my life positively because as someone who lives in the modern era,
devices like this is essential for us to capture moments and even document things that are very
eventful. Lastly, air purifiers also positively affected my life because through this, I am able to inhale
a much better quality of air wherein different contaminants are not present.
References:

A brief history of cloud computing. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2021, from
https://www.ecpi.edu/blog/a-brief-history-of-cloud-computing

A brief history of air purifiers (2019, October 03). Retrieved March 14, 2021, from
https://reviewsofairpurifiers.com/history-of-air-purifiers/

The history of the camera. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2021, from
https://visual.ly/community/Infographics/technology/history-camera

The history of water filtration. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2021, from
https://visual.ly/community/Infographics/history/history-water-filtration