Historical Antecedents in the course

of Science and Technology

1
Title of the lesson: Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society
Time frame: 3 hours

INTRODUCTION

What is Science?

Science is intertwined with our everyday lives. It affects us all, 24/7, from the moment
we wake up, all day long and through the night. Your cellphone, laptop, earthquake
report, the medicine that treat your fever, be it in tablet form or syrup, have all been
brought to you courtesy of science. Today, the modern world would not be called
"Modern" if it is not for technology enabled by science.

As people's scientific knowledge increased, more complicated machines became a

reality. The impact of new technology in our daily lives is to give less work and jobs
that can be done faster.

OBJECTIVES

After studying this module, you should be able to:

1. Define and identify the difference and interrelatedness of Science and

Technology;
2. Relate Science, Technology, and Society;

3. Give examples of the latest developments in Science and Technology;

4. Infer how Science and Technology can be utilized for the advantage of
humanity.

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 The Kite Experiment

photo from google images

Franklin made a simple kite and attached a wire to its top (this act as a lightning rod).
To the bottom of the kite, he secured an act hemp string, where he then connected a
silk string. The hemp, wet from the rain, would conduct an electrical charge quickly.
The silk string, kept dry as Franklin held it in the doorway of a shed, wouldn't.

The metal key was the last piece of the puzzle. Together with his son's help, Franklin
attached it to the hemp string and got the kite aloft. At the moment when he’s starting
to lose hope, he realized that loose fibers of the hemp string erected; it was as if the
string was deferred by some type of a typical conductor."

Franklin adjusted the proximity of his finger to the key, doing so the metal piece’s
negative charges were attracted to his hand’s positive charge, he then felt a spark.

"Struck with this promising appearance, he immediately presented his knuckle to the
key, and the discovery was complete. He perceived a very evident electric spark,"

With the utilization of the Leyden jar, Franklin "collected electric fire very copiously,
that "electric fire"—or electricity—could then be discharged later.

(Franklin 1752) states that " To demonstrate, in the thorough manner possible, the
sameness of the electric fluid with the matter of lightning, Dr. Franklin, astonishing as
it must have appeared, contrived actually to bring lightning from the heavens, using
an electrical kite, which he raised when a storm of thunder was perceived to be coming
on."

copied from: Benjamin Franklin and the Kite Experiment

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DISCUSSION

What is Science? Science is a systematized body of knowledge. It is an organized

and dynamic inquiry (following scientific method). It is knowledge gained through
observation and experimentation. Science is a human activity; scientists. It is a social
enterprise; people, knowledge, skills, facilities, apparatuses, and technologies.
Science leads to the formation of concepts, methods, principles, theories, law, and
procedures that seek to describe and explain nature and its phenomena.

The major branches of science include:

♦ Chemistry- the science of the chemical composition and the changes accompanied.

♦ Biology- the study of living things. It has three main branches:

1) Botany is the study of plants where most of the medicines that we have were
derived from these plants.
2) Zoology is the science of animals;
3) Microbiology is the science of microorganisms.

♦ Physics- is the science of energy and its transformation.

Some of the notable products of physics are jets and LASER.

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DISCUSSION

The Computer
The computer has many uses, and one of those
is to make our lives easier to deal with. This
module was aided with the help of a computer.

A calculator is one of the blessings of a

computer. Computers are many times faster
than calculators! One of the remarkable wonders
of computers is that it can be used in the field of
medicine, like the use of ultrasound projection.

DISCUSSION

Can you still recall what science is?

Derived from the Greek word technologia, Technology means the "systematic
treatment of art." Technology as materials products; results of scientific inquiry;
hardware produced by a scientist. Technology is applying knowledge in solving
scientific and practical problems that will help humans survive and improve their
lives—technology as human cultural activities or endeavors. Technology as a social
enterprise – Technology is a complex system of knowledge, skills, people, methods,
tools, materials, and resources applied and allocated to the development, operation,
and production of a new or improved product, process, or services—technology as
modern technology based on the advances of science since the end of WWII to the
present.

What are the uses of technology? It is enumerated as follows:

1) Technology helps in the discovery and production of medicine,

2) Technology helps to preserve food, and
3) Technology helps us to develop new sources of energy.

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The laptop is one of the products of technology. Below are the products of technology.
Many lives have been saved, thanks to modern technology. Today, a blocked artery’s
blood flow can be restored through the process of angioplasty.

Science was the philosophy domain, while technology was the domain of tanners,
millers, and goldsmiths.

Now, let us proceed to what Science, Technology, and Society (STS) mean.
Science, technology, and society (STS), also referred to as science and technology
studies, study how social, political, and cultural values affect scientific research and
technological innovation and how they affect society. STS scholars are interested in
various problems, including the relationships between scientific and technological
innovations and culture and the directions and risks of science and technology. The
field of STS is related to science's history and philosophy, although with a much
broader emphasis on the social aspects of science and technology.

Science, technology, and society refer to the interaction between science and
technology and social, cultural, political, and economic contexts which shape and are
shaped by them, specific examples throughout human history of scientific and
technological developments.

SUMMARY

In a nutshell,
Science, the systematized body of knowledge that it is, has been gathered for a long
period of time.
Major branches of science are:
1. Chemistry - the study of the composition of substances and their changes.
2. Biology - the study of living things. It has two main components:
a. Botany is the study of plants from the active substances found in
plants.
b. Zoology is the study of animals
3. Physics - the study of matter, energy, motion, and forces.
Technology is applied to science.
It is developed as a result of scientific discoveries.
Science, technology, and society (STS) study how social, political, and cultural
values affect scientific research and technological innovation and affect the
community. It also refers to the interaction between science and technology and
cultural, social, political, and economic contexts which shape and are shaped by them,
specific examples throughout human history of scientific and technological
developments.

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Cradles of Early Science

Title of the lesson: Ancient, Middle and Modern Ages

Time frame: 3 hours

INTRODUCTION

A number of technological innovations begun at the rise of intelligent human beings.

As they continue to advance and encounter problems down their path, they began
inventing solutions to make their life easier. They are responsible for how our world
has changed and evolved throughout the years; they are responsible for our
civilization; they are responsible for how people live and the known structure of our
society.

Our five senses are vital for early humans to find their bearing and understand how
things work around them. The Egyptians were the pioneers that have explained the
existence of our universe. The earliest civilization known to recorded history started
with the Egyptians and Sumerians five millenniums ago. Have you wondered how
these early civilizations pushed beyond their known realities and explored the
possibility of a universe, a concept that is alien to them? Here we shall embark on a
journey through time as we discuss the STS of the ancient, middle, and modern ages.

OBJECTIVES

After studying this module, you should be able to:

1. Describe the development of Science and Technology during Ancient,

Middle, Modern Ages;
2. Identify inventions and discoveries that changed the world over the course
of history.

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DISCUSSION

Ancient Times
Sumerian Civilization

photo from google image

Sumeria, found on the southernmost tip of the ancient Mesopotamia, 3500 BCE, is a
great city with a civilization known as Sumer. The concept of inventing the wheel came
during 3500 B.C. the Sumerian people are perplexed about the limitations on just how
much weight humans can carry over land. The idea came about to connect a non-
moving platform to a rolling cylinder—the sail and plow, which improved trade and
farming.

The Sumerians introduced the 360-day calendar, and they devised the Sexagesimal
number system, it is a number system through which counting is in units and intervals
of sixty (60). This has become the basis for graduating the circumference of a circle to
360 degrees and the sixty-minute equal graduations to an hour duration in time.

Sumerians developed the first writing system known as cuneiform. It utilizes word
pictures and triangular symbols that are carved on clay using wedge instruments and
then left to dry. This was used to keep records of things with great historical value or
their everyday life.

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DISCUSSION

Babylonian Civilization

Photo from Google Images

Babylonian civilization emerged from about 3,500 until 500 BC. They were located on
the border of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in Iraq. The Babylonians dig canals and
developed earthen dikes to irrigate their crops and provide water to their livestock.
They innovate upon the Sumerian sexagesimal system. Astronomers of Babylon
compiled lists of planets and stars which somewhat accurately pictured the positions
of the celestial bodies of our solar system in terms of 12 equally-spaced signs, each
one associated with a zodiacal constellation.

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DISCUSSION

Egyptian Civilization
Ancient Egypt began between 5,000-3,100BC
and is found in the northeast area of continental
Africa. The River Nile has sustained the
Egyptians with the necessary water
requirements to support agricultural activities.
Egyptians produced a variety of earthenware
and pottery items. They also worked on metals
to produce tools, weapons, and agricultural
implements. They constructed dwellings made
of reeds and air-dried mud bricks. They built the
famous pyramids, and they devised a 365-day
calendar. This solar calendar has 365-day per
cycle. The year is made up of three seasons that
have a hundred and twenty days each; this
includes an intercalary month consisting of
epagomenal days of five; this is treated
separately from the year proper. Another
contribution is the papyrus. They were able to
process the Papyrus plant in order to produce
thin sheets on which one could write down things. Egyptians developed a system of
writing using symbols, known as hieroglyphs.

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DISCUSSION

Greek Civilization
This civilization shaped the modern intellectual world we
know today. It emerged at around 1,100 BC; the Greek
civilization focused on scientific works of great Greek
philosophers in the likes of Socrates, Thales, Hippocrates,
Archimedes, Aristotle, Archimedes, and Ptolemy. Their
contributions became the foundation and pillars of western
ideals and civilization.

The alarm clock was invented by the ancient Greeks. They

made use of water that dropped into drums, which sounded
the alarm. Another contribution of Greek civilization is windmills, which were used in
agricultural processing like milling of grains.

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DISCUSSION

Roman Civilization

Roman's great contribution is the

Gazette, the first newspaper which
contains announcements of the
Roman Empire to the people. These
were engraved in metal or stone
tablets and then publicly displayed.
Record-keeping was easier when the
paper was invented; the Roman
Empire was able to produce the first
book or codex, which was composed
of papyrus pages bound together
with an animal skin as its cover.

The Romans devised their own number system specifically to address the need for a
standard counting method that would meet their increasing communication and trade
concerns.

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DISCUSSION

The Chinese Civilization

The oldest civilization in Asia is Chinese civilization. Silk is one of the things that
connect Far East China to the world. Another was the use of acupuncture, which uses
needles in which Chinese doctors used this to treat diseases. Tea, which is made of
crushed dried tea leaves, was developed, and the first tea was drunk by a Chinese
emperor.

Gun powder was developed by Chinese alchemists. It is made up of charcoal, sulfur,

and potassium nitrate, which can generate large amounts of heat and gas in an instant.

China is also famous for its largest and most extensive infrastructure, the great wall of
china. It is made of stone, brick, wood, earth, and other materials.

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DISCUSSION

Medieval/ Middle Ages

There’s a point in time between ancient times and the modern times that we live in
today. This time period is reflected to be one of the most creative times in mankind’s
history. It is believed that it’s here that sparked the beginning of the first industrial
revolution.

Johan Gutenberg and the Printing Press

Johan Gutenberg was able to invent the first printing

press which is a more reliable way of printing using a
cast type. He utilized wooden machines that extracted
juices from fruits, attached to them a metal impression
of the letters, and pressed firmly the cast metal into a
piece of paper, which then made an exact impression
on paper.

The printing press was invented to address the need

for publishing books that would spread information to
many people at a faster rate.

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Zacharias Janssen and the Compound Microscope

Guided by the principles used for the

invention of eyeglasses in earlier years, the
compound microscope was developed by
Zacharias Janssen. The microscope was key
in discovering new means in preventing and
curing various illnesses. It is a device that
magnify things invisible to the naked eye.

Galileo Galilei and the Telescope

Galileo Galilei improved the telescope. He
used that telescope to discovered new
celestial bodies such as four of the moons
circling Jupiter, to study Saturn, the
observation of the phases of Venus, and the
study sunspots on the Sun and found
support for a heliocentric solar system,
Copernicus’ theory.

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DISCUSSION

Modern Times

The rise of the modern industry was witnessed in the 19th century. The effects of
scientific and technological developments are evident in the areas of communication,
transportation, and electricity. Food processing and medicine posed some of the
bigger challenges since health was of great concern.

Louis Pasteur and Pasteurization

A French Biologist, Microbiologist, and

Chemist by the name of Louis Pasteur found
a way to solve the problem of food
deterioration for dairy products due to
spoiling. These goods need to be consumed
immediately after production, or they would
cause illnesses like diphtheria, food
poisoning, and typhoid fever. The answer is
pasteurization, wherein it is a process of
heating dairy products to kill the harmful bacteria that cause them to spoil faster.

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Alexander Graham Bell and the telephone

Alexander Graham Bell was the first to be

awarded a patent for the electric telephone in
1876. Though several inventors did pioneering
work on electronic voice transmission, the
invention quickly took off and revolutionized
global business and communication.

Alexander Fleming and the Penicillin

In 1928, the Scottish scientist Alexander

Fleming noticed a bacteria-filled Petri dish in
his laboratory, the sample had become
contaminated with mold, and everywhere the
mold was, the bacteria were dead. That
antibiotic mold turned out to be the fungus
Penicillium, and over the next two decades,
chemists purified it and developed the drug
Penicillin, which fights a huge number of
bacterial infections in humans without
harming the humans themselves. Penicillin
was being mass-produced and advertised in
1944.

Samuel M. Kier and the Kerosene

Samuel M. Kier was able to invent kerosene

by refining petroleum. Illuminating oil was
the other name of kerosene because it was
used to provide lighting to homes and later
was applied for heating purposes.

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SUMMARY

This module tells us that:

. Ancient Times

• Sumeria is located on the southernmost tip of ancient Mesopotamia. The

concept of inventing the wheel came during 3500 B.C. The idea came to
connect a non- moving platform to a rolling cylinder. The sail and plow which
improved trade and farming. Sumerians developed the first writing system
known as cuneiform

• Babylonian civilization emerged from about 3,500 until 500 BC and is located
in the border of the famous Euphrates and Tigris rivers in Iraq. Dig canals and
developed earthen dikes to irrigate their crops and provide water to their
livestock. They adopted the Sumerian sexagesimal system. Babylonians
astronomers compiled lists of planets and stars which describe the positions of
the Sun, Moon, and planets in terms of 12 equally-spaced signs, each one
associated with a zodiacal constellation.

• Ancient Egypt began between 5,000-3,100BC and is situated in the

Northeastern part of Africa. They built the famous pyramids, and they devised
a 365-day calendar. This calendar was a solar calendar with a 365-day year.
Another contribution is the papyrus. They were able to process the Papyrus
plant in order to produce thin sheets on which one could write down things.
Egyptians developed a system of writing using symbols, known as
hieroglyphics.

• Greek civilization emerged at around 1,100 BC. Scientific works of wise and
gifted Greeks such as Thales, Socrates, Hippocrates, Aristotle, Archimedes,
and Ptolemy served as the foundation and pillars of western civilization. The
alarm clock was invented by the ancient Greeks. Another contribution of Greek
civilization is the creation of windmills that were used in agricultural processing
like milling of grains.

• One of the major contributions of the Romans is the Gazette, the first
newspaper which contains announcements of the Roman Empire to the people.
The Roman Empire was able to produce the first book or codex, which was
composed of papyrus pages bound together with an animal skin as its cover.
The Romans devised their own number system specifically to address the need
for a standard counting method that would meet their increasing communication
and trade concerns.

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30
 • The oldest civilization in Asia is the Chinese civilization. One of the things that
connected Far East China to the world is silk. Another was the use of
acupuncture, which uses needles in which Chinese doctors used this to treat
diseases. Tea, which is made of crushed dried tea leaves, was developed, and
the first tea was drunk by a Chinese emperor. Gun powder was developed by
Chinese alchemists; the great wall of china is made with stone, brick, wood,
earth, and other materials.

Medieval/ Middle Ages

• The period of history between the Ancient and Modern times is the Medieval or
Middle Ages, also known as the Dark ages. It is considered to be one of the
creative periods in the history of humans and said to be the start of the first
industrial revolution.

• Johan Gutenberg and the Printing Press Johan Gutenberg was able to invent
the first printing press, which is a more reliable way of printing using a cast type.
The printing press was invented to address the need for publishing books that
would spread information to many people at a faster rate.

• Zacharias Janssen and the Compound Microscope. Guided by the principles

used for the invention of eyeglasses in earlier years, the compound microscope
was developed by Zacharias Janssen. The microscope was key in discovering
new means in preventing and curing various illnesses. It is a device that
magnifies things invisible to the naked eye.

• Galileo Galilei and the Telescope Galileo Galilei improved the telescope. He
used that telescope to discovered new celestial bodies such as discover four of
the moons circling Jupiter, to study Saturn, to observe the phases of Venus,
and to study sunspots on the Sun and found support for a heliocentric solar
system, a Copernicus’ theory.

Modern Times

• The rise of the modern industry was witnessed in the 19 th century. The effects
of scientific and technological developments are evident in the areas of
communication, transportation, and electricity. Food processing and medicine
posed some of the bigger challenges since health was of great concern.

• Louis Pasteur and Pasteurization, a French Biologist, Microbiologist, and

Chemist by the name of Louis Pasteur, found a way to solve the problem of
food deterioration for dairy products due to spoiling. These goods need to be
consumed immediately after production, or they would cause illnesses like
diphtheria, food poisoning, and typhoid fever. The answer is pasteurization,

Science, Technology and Society | STS 101

31
 wherein it is a process of heating dairy products to kill the harmful bacteria that
cause them to spoil faster.

• Alexander Graham Bell and the telephone Alexander Graham Bell was the first
to be awarded a patent for the electric telephone in 1876. Though several
inventors did pioneering work on electronic voice transmission, the invention
quickly took off and revolutionized global business and communication.

• Alexander Fleming and the Penicillin in 1928, the Scottish scientist Alexander
Fleming noticed a bacteria-filled Petri dish in his laboratory, the sample had
become contaminated with mold, and everywhere the mold was, the bacteria
were dead. Penicillin was being mass-produced and advertised in 1944.

• Samuel M. Kier and the kerosene Samuel M. Kier was able to invent kerosene
by refining petroleum. Illuminating oil was the other name of kerosene because
it was used to provide lighting to homes and later was applied for heating
purposes.

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32
GLOSSARY
Acupuncture an ancient Chinese medical technique for relieving pain, curing disease,
and improving general health.

Biology the study of living things and their vital processes.

Botany the branch of biology that deals with the study of plants, including their
structure, properties, and biochemical processes.

Chemistry the branch of science that deals with the properties, composition, and
structure of substances (defined as elements and compounds), the
transformations they undergo, and the energy that is released or
absorbed during these processes.

Computer a device for processing, storing, and displaying information.

Heliocentrism a cosmological model in which the Sun is assumed to lie at or near a

central point (e.g., of the solar system or of the universe) while the Earth
and other bodies revolve around it.

Intercalation method of inserting days or months into a calendar to bring it into line
with the solar year.

Laser light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation

Leyden Jar an old glass device for storing static electricity.

Microbiology the study of simple life-forms that include bacteria, archaea, algae, fungi,
protozoa, and viruses.

Physics the branch of science that deals with the structure of matter and the
interactions between the fundamental constituents of the observable
universe.

Sexagesimal a number system with a place-value system with the base of 60.
Number
System
Zoology the branch of biology that studies the members of the animal kingdom
and animal life in general.

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REFERENCES:

A. (2009, October 22). internet vs. printing press. Art85||nicki’s Blog.

https://nickipeterson.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/internet-vs-printing-press/

Bautista, B. E. A. (2018). Science technology and society. MaxCor Publishing House.

Discover how Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press increased the literacy and education of

the public. (N.D). [Video]. Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/video/171689/history-printing-press-work-discussion-

Johannes-Gutenberg

Larabee, L. W. (1961). The Papers of Benjamin Franklin Volume 4; July 1750- June 1753

(4th ed.). Yale University Press. pp. 360–369

Novak, M. C. (n.d.). A Brief History of Communication and Innovations that Changed the

Game. Learn G2. https://learn.g2.com/history-of-communication

Rader, A. (1997–2001). The Scientific Method for Kids. Andrew Rader Studios.

The Scientific Method. (n.d.). Kapili. https://www.kapili.com/s/scimethod.html

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