Historical Antecedents in the Course of Science and Technology

Science and Technology in Ancient

Times In the ancient times, people were concerned with transportation and navigation, communication and record keeping, massproduction, security
and protection, as well as health, aesthetics and architecture. Science and Technology keeps on advancinginorderto meet the growing needs of people
along these areas. Due to the constant innovation introduced by Science and 4 Technology, whichhas the end goal of improving lives and making the
work easier, faster and efficient, our society respond by changing as well. Thesechanges are evident as each ancient civilization keep on creating
technology that has been modified and that is being usedtoday. To name a few, Sumerian are known for their contribution with the first writing system
called as cuneiform. Challengetomassproduce food, they invented plowing, irrigation and dikes and wheel for farming. Throughout the existence of
this civilization, theirmain mode of transportation was through waterways such as rivers and seas. They are also known to develop the first road.

Figure 1.1 Sumerian Cuneiform ("Redirect Notice", 2019)

On the other hand, Babylonian civilization, which emerged near Tigris and Euphrates River were famous for being great builders,engineers and
architects. One of major contributions is the hanging garden of Babylon which one of the seven wonders of theworld.

Figure 1.2 Hanging Garden of Babylon

Another civilization that is known for its renowned archaeological artifact like the death mask of Tutankhamen and Pyramidof Gizaisthe Egyptian
Civilization. Also, ancient Egyptians are known for their earlier contributions like water clock or clypsedra, paperorpapyrus, ink and a system of
writing known as hieroglyphics. They have also invented cosmetics for aesthetic reason. Meanwhile,during this time, wigs were worn by wealthy
Egyptians to protect the shave of the heads from the harmful rays of the sun.

Figure 1.4 Pyramid of Giza

Figure 1.3 Death Mask
 Figure

1.5 Papyrus Figure 1.6 Hieroglyphics

Apart from being the birthplace of western philosophy, some of the major achievements of Greeks include in-depthworksonPhilosophy and
Mathematics. They are also celebrated for their contribution to the world like coliseum, Olympics, alarmclockandwater mill.

Figure 1.7 The Olympic Games Figure 1.8

Greek Coliseum

Perceived to be the strongest political and social entity in the west, Roman Empire was considered to be the cradle of politicsandgovernance. Other
civilizations looked up to it as a model in terms of codified laws and legislation. They are also celebratedfortheinvention of newspaper, bound books
or codex. In terms of architecture and engineering, Romans are known for building elaborate churches, basilicas, aqueducts, coliseums, amphitheaters
and residential houses. They have also devised their own number systemwhich is the Roman Numeral System.

Figure 1.9 The Roman Numeral System Figure 1.10 The Roman aqueduct

Considered to be the oldest civilization in Asia, China is known for the silk trade, tea production, gun powder and the livinglegendgreat wall of
China

Figure 1.11 The

Silk Road Figure 1.12 The Great Wall of China

Science and Technology in Middle Ages

The start of the middle ages was marred by massive invasions and migrations. Wars are prevalent during this time. As such, greattechnology was
needed in the fields of weaponry, navigation, food and farm production and health. The wars haveresultedtopopulation decline. However, in the later
part of this period, there was significant increase in population. Trade and commerceamongnations increased, which resulted in greater demands for
transportation technology. Some of the most innovative minds camefromthisperiod.
To facilitate record keeping, wood lock printing developed by Chinese was improved by the time of Johann Gutenbergwithacasttype printing press.
This general invention soon evolved to be the mechanical printing press which was eventually usedall overtheworld. The printing press was
invented to address the need for publishing books that would spread information to manypeopleatafaster rate. This invention also made works
accessible to individuals who could not even write (Streissguth, 1997).
 Figure 1.13 Johann Gutenberg Printing Press

Another invention in the Middle Age is the microscope. Growing populations caused massive migration and urbanizationduringtheperiod. More and
more people transferred to polluted and populated urban areas which resulted in more people getting sick. Withthis,experts needed to a device to study
microorganisms in order to develop proper medicines for illnesses. Guided by the principlesusedfor the invention of eyeglasses in earlier years,

Zacharias Janssen was able to develop the first compound microscope(Davidson,2015).

Figure 1.14 Zacharias Janssen’s Microscope

Since the Middle Age was also known as the Age of Exploration, the need for nautical inventions was high. The inventionofthetelescope, an optical
instrument that helps in the observation of remote objects, was a great help for navigators during this time. Great development in the weaponry
technology also occurred in this era. This include cross bows and long bows. Additionally,inclose range hand-to-hand combat, soldiers should wear
something to protect themselves, a need addressed by the creationof ironbodyarmors. However, body armors were heavy and limited the
movements of the soldiers, chain mail was invented to solve theproblem.

Science and Technology in Modern Times

The booming world population during the nineteenth century onwards demanded that more goods be produced at faster rate. Peopleneeded efficient
means of transportation to trade more goods and cover a larger distance. Machines that required animals tooperatemust thus be upgraded. Faster and
easier means to communicate and compute should be developed to establish connectionsbetweenand among nations. All these needs resulted in the
development of industries. However, due to massive industrialization, themoderntimes again faced more complicated problems. Food processing and
medicine posed some of the bigger challenges since healthwasofgreat concern.

As people were able to develop better means of production to meet the needs of the population, food preservation andfoodsafetybecame an issue.
Louis Pasteur, a French biologist, microbiologist and chemist found a way to solve the problem. Heinvented
pasteurization, the process of heating dairy products to kill the harmful bacteria that allow them to spoil faster. Throughthisprocess,milk could be
stored and consumed for a longer period. It also prevented illnesses caused by harmful bacteria (Macalester College,2010). Other contributions of
Pasteur to Science and Technology and Medicine included his works on molecular asymmetry,fermentation and vaccination.
The modern times demanded better means of powering homes and transportation. This led to the development of keroseneandthepetroleum refinery
industry (Skrabec, 2010). At present, petroleum is widely used in powering automobiles, factories andpowerplants, among others.
The more people got connected by trade and exploration, the more they needed a way to easily maintain these connectionsandcommunicate with
each other in real time. Governments likewise needed some kind of communication systemwhichwouldallowthem to administer their states well.
Important day to-day decisions must be discussed and addressed at the fastest time possible. Thus,the invention of telephone by Alexander Graham
 Bell was one of the most important inventions at that time.

Figure 1.15 Alexander Graham Bell’s Telephone

Although an earlier version of the calculator had already been developed, circumstances in the modern times required a faster waytocompute more
complicated equations. Computing devices must also be easy to carry since they would be utilized onaday-to-daybasis. The creation of modern
calculators did not only pave the way for easier arithmetic calculations, but also resultedinthedevelopment of more complex processing machines like
computer.

Image Sources:

Image: Hanging Gardens of Babylon - Wikipedia", 2019

The Great Pyramid at Giza: A Marvel of Ancient Egyptian Engineering (thegreatcoursesdaily.com)

Papyrus in Ancient Egypt | Essay | The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History (metmuseum.org)

hieroglyph | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica

The Olympic Games [ushistory.org]

Secrets of Roman Architectural Concrete Uncovered | Materials Science | Sci-News.com

Google Image Result for http://historylearning.com/fileadmin/ user_upload/roman-numerals.jpg

Ancient Marvels in Engineering – KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (kcepc.com)

Silk Road - HISTORY

5 Famous Border Walls | Britannica

Image: Johannes Gutenberg Printing Press Stock Photos & Johannes ...", 2019

The first microscope designed by Hans and Zacharias Janssen. | Download Scientific Diagram (researchgate.net)