MODULE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY SOCIETY PAGE 1 CHAPTER III: Science, Technology, and Society and the

Human Condition Directions: Answer the questions and Activities based on the topic discussed and
understanding.

1. Is our reverence of science justified? Explain.

- Yes. Our reverence of science is justified. People believe, make us and rely on science. Also, we Filipino
evolve from listening to superstition belief to modern day when we believe most of the things explained
by science. Science is a well-known respected truth-seeking way of knowing things.

2. Were we successful so far in trying to tie down technology with what we conceive as human
flourishing?

- Yes. Many labor-saving inventions that are by product of science and technology have been greatly
added to human flourishing. Though human flourishing may be subjective to different opinions, we can
all say that even fire which is technology makes betterment in our lives. From sterilizing things to
cooking our food, fire has been the root of technology and has been very important to humans for
survival purposes.

3. What do you think constitutes human flourishing?

- A human being’s flourishing requires the rational use of his individual abilities, and virtues in the
pursuit of his freely and rationally chosen values and goals. I personally think that, when we experience
different situations and we take action upon it, and if that action is proper we are flourishing. Human
flourishing encompassed the uniqueness, dignity, diversity, freedom, happiness, and holistic well-being
of the individual within the larger family, community and the population. Most of us have this goal of
making a better life for our children or the youth. The eagerness to make things that will make life easier
and convenient for next generation must be the key to human flouring.

4. What would have happened to humankind if technology did not exist?

- Probably human may have very small scale population and worst case scenario is extinction. Human
race is delicate due to our short lifespan. We may adapt to some changes in our nature but that doesn’t
guarantee survival. Animals have stronger survival instinct specifically in the wild. I am watching one of
the anime which greatly affects my answer regarding this question. The title of the Anime is Doctor
Stone, where science and technology has been erased due to unknown occurrence that made all people
in Earth a stone. In that anime, where astronaut who survived the said occurrence and came back here
in Planet Earth can’t even live longer due to a simple sickness because they can’t produce a medicine.
They struggle to live and most the things they do are what we imagine to primitive people.

5. Do you agree with Martin Heidegger in his idea that technology should only be seen as one of the
approaches in perceiving truth?

- I don’t agree with Martin Heidegger. I may respect the man for his perseverance in making that idea
and publishing it, but technology was never one of the approaches in perceiving the truth. Technology is
neutral in the sense that it merely provides options and it does not compel anyone to take up options.
We choose whether or not to use every new technology and how. We have potential for the good and ill
in how we choose to use it and how it will affect us.
6. What are other possible approaches we should consider?

- As I’ve mentioned in my answer in number 5, we must approach technology as neutral. We humans,

have choices on how we use and see technology. We rely and use it the way we like. Not the other way
around. In instance, a technology: dynamite. It was created and then use for blasting rocks and drilling
tunnels in 1866 for faster building of canals. But later on, it was used for civil wars and today used by
illegal man to get fishes in bodies of water.

7. Have you ever measured using science, the truth and the good?

- It is true that technology offered us one compelling notion of the truth and the good, we should be
staunch in our resolve if we want to know the real one.

8. What is Falsification Theory?

- Falsification theory asserts that as long as an ideology is not proven to be false and can best explain a
phenomenon over alternative theories, we should accept the said ideology. Due to its hospitable
character, the shift to this theory allowed emergence of theories otherwise rejected by verification
theory. It does not promote ultimate adoption of one theory but instead encourages research in order
to determine which among the theories can stand the test of falsification. The strongest one is that
which is able to remain upheld amidst various tests, while being able to make particularly risky
predictions about the world. Karl Popper is the known proponent of this view. He was notorious for
stating that up-and-coming theories of the time, such as Marx's Theory of Social History and Sigmund
Freud's Psychoanalysis, are not testable and thus not falsifiable, and subsequently questioning their
status as scientific. Albeit majority of scientists nowadays are more inclined to be Popperian in their
beliefs, this theory, similar to the theory above, presents certain dangers by interpreting otherwise
independent evidence in light of their pet theory.

9. What it is like to have technology in before a common era?

- According to research, stone tools are the first known technological invention made by human. And
so, we can say that technology before a common era is used already to make life easier. It said that
through observation and endless experiment by human that occurs thousands of years ago.

10. Is technology really matters to you?

- Absolutely. We are in the era where technology is not just used to make life convenient and easier but
also to discover and study species and events that is beyond understanding. Technology has profoundly
shaped society, the economy and the environment. Technology has caused many environmental and
social problems, but it is also keys to addressing environmental degradation, climate change, food
scarcity, waste management, and other pressing global changes.

Do the Activities below.

1. State a brief history or discovery that brought about the invention or discovery of the things stated
below. State their contributions in our scientific development

a. Gravity - Sir Isaac Newton, an English mathematician and physicist who lived from 1642-1727,
discovered gravity when he saw a falling apple while thinking about the forces of nature. Newton
realized that some force must be acting on falling objects like apples because otherwise they would not
start moving from the rest. He also realized that the moon would fly off away from Earth in a straight
line tangent to its orbit if some force was not causing it to fall toward the Earth. The moon is only a
projectile circling around the Earth under attraction of Gravity. He then called this force, “gravity” and
determined that gravitational forces exist between all objects.

- The discovery of gravity led to law of universal gravitation, which holds that those forces are
proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance
between them. Thus, the said law of universal gravitation is still used in Physics and Astronomy.

b. Telescope

- In 1608, a patent was submitted by eyeglass maker Hans Lippershey. Later in 1609, Galileo improved
design and applied astronomy. Development after these two scientists is racketing. Different types of
telescope were developed for wide range wavelengths from radio to gamma rays. The development of
space observatories after 1960 allowed access to several bands impossible to observe from the ground,
including X-rays and longer wavelength infrared bands

C. Processed Food

- dates back to prehistoric ages when crude processing incorporated fermenting such as drying,
preserving with salt, and various types of cooking such as smoking, steaming and more. Processed food
is commercially prepared for ease of consumption. Main purpose of these foods in modern days is to
save time in such preparation. In Agriculture, processed food takes a major role specifically in increasing
shelf life of food product and thereby ensures food safety.

d. Microscope

- Grinding glass to use or spectacles and magnifying glasses was commonplace during the 13th century.
In the late 16th century several Dutch lens maker designed devices that magnified objects, but in 1609
Galileo Galilei perfected the first device known as the microscope. The invention of the microscope
allowed scientist and scholars to study the microscopic creatures around them. The microscope allowed
human beings to step out of the world controlled by things unseen and into the world where the agents
that caused disease where visible, named and, over time, prevented.

e. Radio

- is a decade of experimental investigation of radio waves and adaption to signaling. Works of many
scientists culminated in the building of an engineering complete and commercially successful wireless
communication system by Guglielmo Marconi. Many argue that it is Popov is the first inventor of radio
but he didn’t patent his invention or commercialized them.

- The discovery of radio helps to establish the broadcast to provide real-time information and can
update the listener to latest event. Thus, radio has the ability to reach across borders and can become a
valuable source of information where reliable news is scarce.

f. Benzene Ring

- Benzene was discovered by three great men, first was in illuminating gas by Micheal Faraday in 1825,
then in heated benzoic acid with lime by Eilhardt Mitscherlich in 1834, and isolated benzene from coal
tar by A.W von Hofmann in 1845. Although August Kekule was the one who visualized the ring structure
of benzene in 1865, the above scientist who discovered benzene greatly helped Kekule.

- Benzene Ring discovery greatly contributed in industries that make use of plastic, resins, nylon and
synthetic fiber. Benzene also used to make some type of lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drug and
pesticide.

g. Large Hadron Collider

- Peter Higgs in 1960 postulated a particle that had interacted with other particles at the beginning of
the time to provide them with their mass

- Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world’s largest and highest-energy particle collider and the largest
machine in the world. It can conduct and possible new facilities that could collides particles at energies
far beyond what the current LHC can achieve according to scientist.

h. Guns

- The first successful rapid-fire firearm is the Gatling Gun invented by Richard Gatling and fielded by
Union forces during American Civil War in 1860s. But as for our history, Chinese fire lances in 10th
century was recognize the first gun.

- The contribution of guns specifically during war to defend and protect has been known. Though many
says that the creation or invention of gun resolve to violence and crime, technology like gun is always
upon how the users of the specific technology use it.

i. Internet

- started with Nikola Tesla with the idea of world wireless system to the first workable prototype of
Internet came in the late 1960s with the creation of APARNET that used packet switching to allow
multiple computers to communicate on a single network.

- Internet is used regularly by one-third of the world 6.8 billion people. Thus, internet has played an
active role in users’ access to information and community involvement. Mass media is a major route of
science communication, Internet; due to spread of the unique strengths and strong communication
ability is more prominent in mass media.

j. Cell phones

- Motorola was the first company to produce a handheld mobile phone. On April 3, 1973, Martin
Cooper, researcher and executive made the first mobile telephone call from handheld subscriber
equipment. In that same day, Cooper placing a call to his rival, Joel S. Engel of Bell Labs..

- Cellphone is widely used by society and it makes easier to telecommunicate and live and work where
they want. Over 90% of current users say it makes them more efficient worker.

2. Brainstorming. Try to determine the possible alternatives to growth and development. List down
several ways to promote sustainable living and start a mini-campaign advocating the method of your
choice.
- Sustainability is a not a choice but a necessity. Here is a list we can do to promote sustainable living:

 Grow your own garden – this campaign it is not always for people to be Plantito or Plantita. I believe
that one house must have either a succulent or any plant. This will help in purifying the air you breathe.
 Minimize using of single-used Plastics – I’ve done my personal research regarding this topic last
semester in Filipino Essay. Though 7 out of 10 Filipinos are in favor of banning single-use plastic, we still
ranked number 4 in the world’s most plastic consumer. I believe that the implementation of the
government is the problem. They focus more on public community rather than to those companies who
still promotes using single use plastic in their products. Thus, the effects of this will be burden in the
start, specifically to the poorest countrymen who always buy Tinge. But in the long run, it will give a
whole nation a fresh new start of minimizing plastic that will prevent flood and global warming.

 Conserving energy – this will help us financially and environmentally. It will help us in reducing our
utility bills. It doesn’t require an upfront investment, rather it just require you to find if there is a faulty
wiring, leaking pipes or faucets, and also checking old appliances. Simple turning off light or unplugging
appliances when not in use would be a great help.

3. Create a comic . Try to imagine the world without technology, How do you think your day-to-day life
would be like? Do this by illustrating a scenario where a certain technological innovation does not exist.
Below are examples you could use:

a. Watch

b. Phone

C. Light bulbs

d. Cars

e. Printing Press

f. Electricity