COLEGIO SAN AGUSTIN – BACOLOD

COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND ALLIED PROFESSIONS

GEC 107 – Science, Technology & Society

LESSON 1: NATURE OF SCIENCE

Definition of Science
• originally came from the Latin word “scientia” which meant “knowledge”, “a knowing”,
“expertness”, or “experience”.
• knowledge about the structure and behaviour of the natural and physical world, based
on facts that you can prove, for example by experiments (Oxford Learner’s Dictionary)
• knowledge covering general truths of the operation of general laws, esp. as obtained
and tested through scientific method [and] concerned with the physical world (Webster's
New Collegiate Dictionary)
• science, any system of knowledge that is concerned with the physical world and its
phenomena and that entails unbiased observations and systematic experimentation
(Britannica Dictionary)
• Science refers to a system of acquiring knowledge. This system uses observation and
experimentation to describe and explain natural phenomena.
• Science can also be defined as:
o Science as an idea. It includes ideas, theories, and all available systematic
explanations and observations about the natural and physical world.
o Science as an intellectual activity. It encompasses a systematic and practical
study of the natural and physical world. This process of study involves systematic
observation and experimentation.
o Science as a body of knowledge. It is a subject or a discipline, a field of study,
or a body of knowledge that deals with the process of learning about the natural
and physical world. This is what we refer to as school science.
o Science as a personal and social activity. This explains that science is both
knowledge and activities done by human beings to develop better understanding
of the world around them. It is a means to improve life and to survive in life.

Characteristics of Science
1. Objectivity
Objectivity simply means the ability to see and accept facts as they are, not as one might
wish them to be. To be objective, one must guard against his own biases, beliefs,
wishes, values, and preferences. Objectivity demands that one must set aside all sorts
of the subjective considerations and prejudices.
2. Verifiability
Science rests upon sense data, i.e., data gathered through our senses—eye, ear, nose,
tongue, and touch. Scientific knowledge is based on verifiable evidence (concrete factual
observations) so that other observers can observe, weigh, or measure the same
phenomena and check out observation for accuracy.
3. Ethical Neutrality
Science is ethically neutral. It only seeks knowledge. How this knowledge is to be used,
is determined by societal values. Knowledge can be put to differing uses. Knowledge
about atomic energy can be used to cure diseases or to wage atomic warfare.
Ethical neutrality does not mean that the scientist has no values. It here only means that
he must not allow his values to distort the design and conduct of his research. Thus,
scientific knowledge is value-neutral or value- free.
4. Systematic Exploration
Scientific research adopts a certain sequential procedure, an organized plan or design of
research for collecting and analysis of facts about the problem under study. Generally,
this plan includes a few scientific steps—formulation of hypothesis, collection of facts,
analysis of facts (classification, coding, and tabulation) and scientific generalization and
predication.

Lesson 1 and 2: Nature of Science, and Science & Technology 1

 5. Reliability
Scientific knowledge must occur under the prescribed circumstances not once but
repeatedly. It is reproducible under the circumstances stated anywhere and anytime.
Conclusions based on casual recollec-tions are not very reliable.
6. Precision
Scientific knowledge is precise. It is not vague like some literary writing. Tennyson wrote,
“Every moment dies a man; every moment one is born”, is good literature but not
science. To be a good science, it should be written as: “In India, according to the 2001
census, every 10th second, on the average, dies a man; every 4th second, on the
average, an infant is born.” Precision requires giving exact number or measurement.
7. Accuracy
Scientific knowledge is accurate. A physician, like a common man, will not say that the
patient has slight temperature or having very high temperature but after measuring with
the help of thermometer, he will pronounce that the patient is having 101.2 F
temperature. Accuracy simply means truth or correctness of a statement or describing
things in exact words as they are without jumping to unwarranted conclusions.
8. Abstractness
Science proceeds on a plane of abstraction. A general scientific principle is highly
abstract. It is not interested in giving a realistic picture.
9. Predictability
Scientists do not merely describe the phenomena being studied, but also attempt to
explain and predict as well. It is typical of social sciences that they have a far lower
predictability compared to natural sciences. The most obvious reasons are the
complexity of the subject matter and inadequacy at control etc.

The Scientific Method

The development of the scientific method was attended by the emergence of a scientific
worldview that replaced the pre-scientific one. This worldview possessed four characteristics:
a. Mathematical
➢ Argues that all relationships that exists in the natural world can be presented and
abstracted through a mathematical equation or model.
b. Analytical
➢ “wholes” can be understood by studying its components and interrelated parts.
c. Experimental
➢ Knowledge, as well as answers to questions, are derived through practical
experiments, where observations can be made, and not through reflection and
discussions alone.
d. Totalitarian
➢ Science has no limits in its scope in the sense that its coverage continues to
enlarge in the course of its development.

Scientific method is a systematic process of inquiry that is comprised of the following

component activities:
1. Identification and definition of the problem. A problem is usually a disturbance in our
lives that disrupts our normal routine, or that compromises the achievement of a
desirable state of affairs. It could also be an unexplained development or an unanswered
question, or an unexplained discrepancy or gap in knowledge.
2. Formulation of a hypothesis, which is an educated guess about a solution to or an
explanation of the cause of or answer to the problem identified. A hypothesis can also be
stated as a prediction of a specific result or outcome that is expected to occur.
3. Testing of the hypothesis vis-a-vis empirical reality or experience. It is in this phase
that data is collected, organized, and evaluated, and where deductions and conclusions
are made on whether the data gathered fit the formulated hypothesis.

Lesson 1 and 2: Nature of Science, and Science & Technology 2

LESSON 2: SCIENCE VS. TECHNOLOGY
• Posadas (1982) defines Science as:
“Science refers to that dynamic, cumulative system of verifiable concepts, principles,
methods, laws, theories and processes Which seek to describe, understand, and predict
natural phenomena.”
• On the other hand, technology refers to the translation of scientific knowledge into
machines, tools, designs, methods, and processes that are used by human beings in
their practical endeavors. Posadas (1982) defines technology as:
“...that dynamic cumulative system of reproducible methods, techniques, and processes
which may be derived from empirical know-how or scientific knowledge, and which are
used by human societies for the production, improvement, and distribution of goods and
services as well as the satisfaction of other material needs.”
• Technology is a product of invention, in the form of new and improved tools, or what we
call “hardware,” and better ways of doing things, or what we call “software.”

Contribution of Science and Technology in Society

The fundamental way that science and technology benefit society is through the
generation of new information and the subsequent use of that knowledge to advance human
prosperity and address societal problems.

Science in the developing world and the industrialized world differ in three ways:
1. Budget
2. Research Agenda
3. Level of public access to scientific information and technology

Scientists are human beings who respond to problems that exist in their environment.
Agricultural scientists, for example, confront the issue of how to better improve agricultural
production in our country to be able to meet the food needs of its citizens.
Industrial engineers develop technologies that meet the challenge of modernization and
the development of industries.
Social scientists, or those who study social and cultural phenomena, conduct research to
understand the actions and behavior of people so that we can design programs and projects that
would be appropriate to their needs or respond to the social issues that may spring forth from
their interactions.
It is clear that social and natural scientists and inventors operate in the context of a society
that has problems. The scientific knowledge and technologies that they produce are influenced
by the way they perceive these problems, as well as the way they respond to these problems.
It is true that some scientists engage only in basic research, or fundamental research,
which is a kind of research wherein the goal is to discover knowledge for its own sake, without
considering its application to societal problems.
However, a substantial number of scientists are involved in applied research, wherein
the main task is to discover knowledge that is relevant to the achievement of some specific and
socially relevant objective. In fact, many scientists are involved in an integrated effort composed
of both basic and applied researches focused on the development of technologies that would
address a specific set of well-defined social, economic, political, or strategic goals. This type of
research is otherwise known as mission-oriented research.

References:
Contreras, Antonio P., Erasga, Dennis S., Javier, Jr., Roberto E. (2018). Science, Technology
and Society: A Critical Approach. Intramuros, Mla. Mindshapers
Ariola, M. (2018). Science, Technology and Society. Unlimited Books Library Services &
Publishing Inc.
Bradford, A. & Hamer, A. (2022). Science and the scientific method: Definitions and examples
retrieved from [Link]
[Link]
explained/35060
[Link]

Lesson 1 and 2: Nature of Science, and Science & Technology 3