GENERAL CONCEPTS AND HISTORICAL EVENTS IN SCIENCE,

TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

In the Ancient Times, people were concerned with the following:

Transportation –---- they travelled to search for food and find better locations
for their settlements; navigation allowed them to trade with another group of
people.

Communication –-----to facilitate trade and prevent possible conflicts.

Recordkeeping was also vital to keep records of history and culture to establish
their identities as they relate to other cultures and civilizations.

Weapons and armors –- were developed for security and protection. These
were used in the discovery of places or the establishment of new alliances with
other tribes.

Conservation of life –-- people harnessed the rich resources for survival.
Hence, the discovery of cures to, if not the prevention of, illnesses.

Engineering –------ for better transportation, establishment of structures for

protection from human attacks and natural disasters, and construction of bigger
and stronger infrastructures.
Architecture – ------were signs of technological advancement

A. Sumerian Civilization
Cuneiform – to keep records of things with great historical value, they developed
a writing system that utilizes word pictures and triangular symbols which were
carved in clay.

Uruk City – a city built in mud or clay from the river, mixed with reeds producing
sun-baked bricks – a true engineering feat.

The Great Ziggurat of Ur- also called the mountain of god. Without much
building materials, the structure was constructed using sun-baked bricks.

Irrigation and dikes – to increase agricultural production to address the demand

for food due to increasing population. Irrigation canals and dikes were created to
bring water to farmlands and at the same time control the flooding of the rivers.
Sailboats – essential in transportation and trading and in fostering culture,
information and technology.

Wheel – were not made for transportation but for farm work and food processes.
The wheel and the axle made mass production possible, with less effort and time.
The plow – to dig the earth faster for cultivation of larger parcels of land.

Roads – for faster and more organized travels, they lain down sun-baked bricks on
the ground. They later poured bitumen, a black sticky substance similar to asphalt
to smoothen the roads.

B. Babylonian Civilization
>They were great builders, engineers and architects. Their major contribution is the Hanging
Gardens of Babylon. However, no physical evidence has been found to prove its existence.

C. Egyptian Civilization
Paper or papyrus – made writing easier for the world with the invention of
thinner, lighter sheets on which they could write down things.

Ink – combined sots with different chemicals to produce ink with different colors.

Hieroglyphics – a system of writing which became the language that tells the
modern world of their history and culture.

Cosmetics – for health and aesthetics reasons. They believed that a person
wearing make-up was protected from evil and that beauty was a sign of holiness.

Wig – to enhance the appearance of people, to protect the shaved heads of the
wealthy from the harmful rays of the sun. 6. Water clock – to measure time

D. Greek Civilization
Alarm clock – for time-keeping
Water mill – used in agricultural processes like milling of grains and other ways
of food processing.

E. Roman Civilization
Newspaper – gazettes were the first newspapers containing announcements of
the Roman empire to the people.

Bound books or Codex – they started the tradition of stacking up papyrus to

form pages of a book.

Roman architecture – Romans architects, inspired by the Greeks, were able to

adapt new building and engineering technology on architectural designs.

Roman numerals – a number system that met their increasing communication

and trade concerns.
F. Chinese Civilization
Silk – the technology to harvest silk was developed to produce paper and clothing.
The silk trade opened China to the world.

Tea production – the technology using a wheel-based mechanism was invented

to increase tea production.

Great Wall of China – made of stone, brick, wood, earth and other materials, it
showcased the extent of Chinese engineering technology that time, as well as
protected China from foreign invaders.

Gunpowder – mixed charcoal, sulfur, and potassium nitrate. Originally developed

to create an elixir of life to achieve immortality and prolonging of life, they
accidentally invented a black power which is ironically used to propel bullets from
guns and cannons which cause countless deaths.

G. The medieval/middle ages

The start of this period was marred by massive invasions

and migrations. Technology was needed in the fields of weaponry,
navigation, mass food and farm production, and health. Thus, some
most of the most innovative minds came from this period.

1. Printing press – after the Chinese developed woodblock

printing, Johann Guttenberg was able to invent the printing press,
using a cast type (wooden machine that extracted juices from
fruits, with attached meta impression of the letters that pressed
firmly the cast metal into a piece of paper which made an exact
impression on paper. This evolved to a mechanical printing press.

2. Microscope – this device made people able to observe organisms

normally
invisible to the naked eye. It became a key in discovering new
means in preventing and curing various illnesses.

3. Telescope – this device made travelling and navigation easier and

safer.

4. War weapons – wars resulted to the development of weapons to

attack enemies at long ranges, keeping themselves safe with the
protection of wall and fortresses. In close-range hand-to-hand
combat, protective body armors were created and made lighter.
 H. Modern times

The booming world population during the 19th century onwards

demanded that more goods be produced at a faster rate and be transported
and traded through more efficient means.
Food processing and medicine became a bigger challenge.

1. Pasteurization – Louis Pasteur invented this process of heating

dairy products to kill the harmful bacteria that allow them to spoil
faster. This kept manufactured food, particularly milk and other
dairy products from deteriorating immediately.

2. Petroleum Refinery – kerosene, the illuminating oil was

invented by Samuel M. Kier. Its development established the
petroleum refinery industry. At present, petroleum is widely used
in powering automobiles, factories and power plants, among
others.

3. Telephone – Alexander Graham Bell developed this

communication system which allows people to connect and
communicate with each other in real time.

4. Calculator – paved the way for easier arithmetic calculations and

resulted to the development of more complex processing
machines like the computer.

Philippine inventions

Salamander Amphibious Tricycle - Atoy Llave the

man behind AToy Bodykits and the company's aftermarket
exterior designs is quite popular among Filipino car lovers. It’s
Llave's latest creation. Because it is amphibious, the
Salamander can travel both on land and in water. It stemmed
from Llave's desire to do something really useful for the benefit
of his countrymen.

INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTION
Claudius Ptolemy-------- thought that all celestial objects — including the planets,
Sun, Moon, and stars — orbited Earth. Earth, in the center of the universe, did not
move at all.
Nicolaus Copernicus--- thought that the planets orbited the Sun, and that the Moon
orbited Earth. He is a Polish mathematician and astronomer, who challenged the
Ptolemic model
Charles Darwin, an English naturalist, biologist and geologist, introduced the
Theory of Evolution in his book “On the Origin of Species”. presumes the
development of life from non-life and stresses a purely naturalistic (undirected)
"descent with modification.” That, complex creatures evolve from more simplistic
ancestors naturally over time.
Sigmund Freud was able to change people’s perception of psychology with his
revolutionary theory of psychoanalysis.
Psychoanalysis is the study that explains human behavior

Scientific Revolution

1. Is a golden age in the history of science

2. Birth of science as a discipline and as a field of inquiry

3. Gave birth to the development of scientific method

4. Ideas and discoveries were considered innovative and useful
5. Changed how people study science and do scientific activities
6. Inspired human creativity and critical thinking

Science Technology and Nation- Building

PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD
o Filipinos used plants and herbs as medicines o They
implemented farming and animal-raising systems o They
developed different modes of transportation (terrestrial or
maritime) o Cordillera natives-built rice terraces incorporating
complicated irrigation
systems
o They developed tools for planting, hunting, cooking and
fishing. o Developed technologies in creating musical
instruments
o Archaeological artefacts discovered in different parts of the
country proved that
the metal age has a significant influence on the lives of early Filipinos
like the designs of gold and silver jewelry, ceramics, and metal tools
o These ancient practices in science and technology are now
called indigenous
science or folk science

B. COLONIAL PERIOD
o Spaniards built roads, bridges, and other large infrastructures
o the Spanish era opened galleon trade that brought additional
technology and development in the Philippines
  some Filipino students who were able to study in Europe
also contributed to the advancement of medicine,
engineering, arts, music and literature in the country
o Medicine and advanced science were introduced in formal colleges
and universities established by the catholic orders
o They developed health and education systems enjoyed by the o
principalia class
o Americans established Bureau of Science to nurture development in
science and technology
o American established the public education system; o In basic
education, the “science” as a subject was formally introduced which
focused on nature studies and science and sanitation.
Improved the engineering works and health conditions of the people o
Established a modern research university (UP) o created more public
hospitals o mineral resources were explored and exploited.

POST COLONIAL PERIOD

After gaining independence from the colonizers, the Philippines under

different leaders continued to pursue programs in Science and Technology.
One of the presidents who led the advancement of science and technology in
the country is the former President Ferdinand Marcos. He established the ff.:

Philippine Geophysical and Astronomical Services

PAGASA Administration. NSTA – National Academy of Science and

Technology

NSTA – National Science and Technology Authority, now the

Department of Science and Technology (DOST)

Government Policies on Science and Technology

To be able to prepare the whole country and the Filipino people to meet the technological
demands of the world, the Philippine government introduced and implemented several programs,
projects, and policies to boost the area of science and technology
National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) clustered these
policies into four.
1. Social Sciences, Humanities, Education, International Policies and
Governance
a. Integrating ASEAN awareness in basic education without adding to the
curriculum
b. Emphasizing teaching in the mother tongue
c. Developing school infrastructure and providing for ICT broadband
d. Local food security
2. Physics, engineering and industrial research, earth and space science, and
mathematics
a. Emphasizing degrees, licenses, and employment opportunities
b. Outright grants of peer monitoring
c. Review of R.A 9184
d. Harnessing science and technology as an independent mover of
development
3. Medical, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
a. Ensuring compliance of drug-manufacturing firms with ASEAN-
harmonized standards by full implementation of Food and Drug
Administration
b. Creating an education council dedicated to standardization of
pharmaceutical services and care
c. Empowering food and drug agencies to conduct evidence-based
research as pool of information
d. Allocating two percent of the GDP to research
e. Legislating a law supporting human genome projects

4. Biological Sciences, Agriculture, and Forestry

a. Protecting and conserving biodiversity by full implementation of
existing laws
b. Use biosafety and standard model by ASEAN countries
 c. Promoting indigenous knowledge systems and indigenous people’s
conservation
d. Formulation of common food and safety standards

The Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering (PAASE,

2008) identified several capacity-building programs such as:
1. Establishment of National centers of Excellence
2. Manpower and institutional development programs, such as the
Engineering and Science Education Program (ESEP) to produce more
PHD graduates in science and engineering.
3. Establishment of Science and Technology business centers to assist,
advise and incubate Technopreneurship ventures
4. Strengthen science education at an early stage through the Philippine
Science High School System.
In education sector, science related program and projects were created to
develop the scientific literacy of the country.
1. Special science classes for elementary and high school
2. K to 12 education programs: Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM)
3. Philippine-California Advanced Research Institutes (PICARI) of the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) was launched to allow several
higher education institutions in the Philippines

Other areas and fields that the country is looking forward to embark various
research and projects:
1. Use of alternative and safe energy
2. Harnessing mineral resources
3. Finding cure for various diseases and illnesses
4. Climate change and global warming
5. Increasing food production
6. Preservation of natural resources
7. Coping with natural disasters and calamities
 8. Infrastructure development
9.
Ten outstanding Filipinos scientists who have made significant contributions
in Philippine Science (Le-Chua, 2000).
1. Ramon Cabanos Barba - understanding research on tissue culture in
Philippine mangoes
2. Josefino Cacas Comiso - observing the characteristics of Antarctica
by
using satellite images
3. Jose Bejar Jr. - known internationally in the field of electrical
engineering; was elected as officer of the famous Institute of Electrical and
Electronic
Engineering
4. Lourdes jansuy Cruz - notable for research on sea snail venom
5. Fabian Millar Dayrit - for research on herbal medicine
6. Rafael Dineros Guerrero III - for the research on tilapia culture
7. Enrique Mapua Ostrea Jr. - for inventing the meconium drug
testing
8. Lilian Formalejo Patena - for doing research on plant biotechnology
9. Mari – Jo Pangniban Ruiz - for being an outstanding educator and graph
theorist
10. Gregory Ligot Tangonan - for doing research in the field of
communication technology
Other outstanding Filipino scientists recognized here and abroad for their
outstanding contributions in science:
1. Cesar A. Saloma - internationally renowned physicist
2. Edgardo Gomez -famous scientist in marine science
3. William Padolina - chemist and president of National Academy of Science
William Padolina and Technology (NAST) -Philippines
4.Angel Alcala - ----------------------marine science
 HUMAN FLOURISHING IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Technology as a Mode of Revealing

In the seminal work of Martin Heidegger urges to question the technology and
see beyond people’s common understanding of it. According to ancient doctrine,
the essence of thing is considered to be what the thing is. Two statements can
answer this question; that technology is a means to an end; and technology is a
human activity

Technology as Poiesis
Poiesis is an ancient Greek concept discussed by Heidegger defined as bringing
forth. Aristotle defined it as means of making or producing something for a
purpose