Science, Technology and Society

1. The Study of Science, Technology and

Society
• Defining the components:
– What is Science?
A systematic body of knowledge that is gained by observation,
verified by experimentation and arranged by logical thinking

– What is Technology?
The application of scientific knowledge

– What is society
A group of people living in a definite area with their
Own customs, beliefs, etc
 The Study of Science, Technology and
Society
• Therefore, Science, Technology and Society is
a discipline that..

- Seeks to understand the importance,

value, application and impacts
of science and technology in the society.
 The Study of Science, Technology and
Society
• Therefore, Science, Technology and Society is
a discipline that..
– It also analyses the
• past, present and future of science and technology in
society (including their nature, scope, role and
function) and the social, cultural, political,
economic and environmental factors affecting
the development of science and technology,
with emphasis on the Philippine setting
 Science and Technology
• Are they IMPORTANT? Why?
 Science and Technology
• What are the VARIOUS APPLICATIONS of
science and technology?
 Science and Technology
• Do you see any positive and negative IMPACTS
of science and technology:
– Health and medicine;
– Politics and government;
– Education;
– Environment; and
– Food and sustainability?
Science and technology have had both a positive and
negative impact on society, especially in the following
areas:
Community Life
Health
Communication

Work

Copyright © 2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The shift from nomadic life to farming led to the
development of the city.
• Networks of transportation,
communication, and trade systems
• Specialized labor
• Government and religion
• Social class

Jerusalem, one of the world’s first

cities, is still in existence today.

Copyright © 2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

 (Continued)

The nineteenth century witnessed the Industrial

Revolution.
• Invention of textile manufacturing machines
• Division of labor
• Increase in production
• Crowded cities
• Unsafe and unhealthy working conditions

Some of the negative aspects of the

Industrial Revolution included poor
working conditions and long hours.

Copyright © 2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

 (Continued)

The twentieth century saw the birth of suburbs.

• Invention of the trolley car and

automobile
• Status symbol
• Alternative to harsh, crowded city
conditions

Many planned communities, such as

this one outside Cincinnati, OH,
sprang up around cities during the
first half of the twentieth century.

Copyright © 2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Technical innovations saved physical energy and
lessened people’s workload.

The tractor The vacuum cleaner

The washing machine

The refrigerator
Copyright © 2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
 (Continued)

The concept of leisure developed from labor-saving

technology. People use the money they earn to take
advantage of leisure time.

Sporting Events
Television

Movies
Social Activities
Copyright © 2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The greatest innovation of technology was longevity.
Estimated Life Expectancy of People in the
United States, 1900 - 2000

90
80
Life Expectancy (in years)

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Year
Copyright © 2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
 (Continued)

A large part of technology has been dedicated to the

advancement of medical science.

Sir Alexander Fleming

discovered penicillin, the
first antibiotic, in 1928.

In 1796, Edward Jenner Dr. William Thomas Green

paved the way for modern Morton (c. 1846) was one of the
immunology by discovering first medical practitioners to use
a vaccine for smallpox. anesthesia on a patient before
performing surgery.

Copyright © 2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

 (Continued)

Some current innovations could have a drastic impact

on society.

In 1997, scientists at the Roslin Institute in
Edinburgh, Scotland, introduced Dolly the
sheep, the first mammal ever to have been
cloned. Dolly quickly became the symbol of
the controversy over the ethics of cloning.
Embryonic stem cell research is another area
that is at the center of controversy. While
stem cells might be able to be used to
generate new organs for transplant, the use
of them has many ethical considerations.

Copyright © 2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Inventions and innovations in communication have had
a major influence on society.
• Egypt: papyrus and hieroglyphics
• Ancient Babylonia: cuneiform
• Ancient Greece: public speaking, persuasive rhetoric, drama, and philosophy
• Ancient Rome: Roman alphabet
• Modern Europe: printing press
• World today: World Wide Web

Copyright © 2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Progress is a series of improvements in human life
marked by inventions and discoveries.
• Positive attributes of technology must be greater
than negative attributes
• Negative consequences: destruction of
environment and loss of what it means to be
human

The Exxon Valdez oil spill off the

coast of Alaska in 1989 impacted
1,300 miles of shoreline and killed
an enormous amount of wildlife.

Copyright © 2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

3.Historical Science
a n d Te c h n o l o g y
Early Evidence for
Human Reliance Upon a
Natural Perspective
When did the study of science begin?

1. Prehistoric Period
• Learning by trial and error
• Rich natural history knowledge
• Information not written down
Crops Domesticated
Paleolithic paintings on cave walls and
recordings on bones- observations
32,000 years ago
Mesopotamian

7,000 B.C. to 6th century B.C.

Medical text

Astronomy
Bronze surgical knives
Ancient Greece

Hippocrates (460 – 370? B.C.)

• Greek physician
• Diseases have natural causes
• Rejected view that disease caused by evil
spirits
• Believed that the brain was area of higher
thought and emotion, not heart
• Program for good health: rest, good
nutrition, and exercise.
• Started “Western Medicine”
Roman Times

Galen (130 - 200 A.D.)

• Anatomy & Physiology
• disease resulted from an internal
imbalance of the four humors
• Mistakes in understanding circulation
• Research based on ape dissection
• Textbook used for 1000 years
2. Dark Ages- 200 to 1200 A.D.

• Sad time
• Little new knowledge
• Taboo against dissecting human
cadavers continued
• Avoided actual involvement
• Authority prevails
3. Renaissance
da Vinci(1452-1515)

• Anatomy & Physiology

Vesalius (1514-1564)
• Anatomy & Physiology
• Followed Galen’s
writings

Vesalius dissects a female

cadaver in his anatomy lab
Medieval Human Anatomy Before Vesalius
Vesalius’ Images
Vesalius’ Images

The female pelvic anatomy. From

Vesalius's De Corporis Humani Fabrica,
1543.
Microscope
 Anton van Leeuwenhoek

1632 - 1723

Invented a simple microscope

Discovered bacteria, protists, sperm cells,
blood cells…
Leeuwenhoek’s Microscope
Leeuwenhoek’s
“Animalcules”
Robert Hooke

1635 - 1703
Cells in Cork
 William Harvey
1578-1657
Discoveries
• Disproved Galen that blood not
made from the liver
• Heart is a pump not a suction
device
• Showed closed circuit circulation
• Showed existence of valves in
veins
Arteries & Veins
Circulation
 Leeches and Maggots make a comeback

1600’s Medicine: Leeches

A prescription leech at the
Harborview Medical Center
pharmacy.
 4. Modern Period

Ultrasound
X Ray
Ct Scan

3D reconstruction of CT Scan.
Objects are packets of cocaine.
MRI
PET Scan
 Modern Technology
Pill cam Smartphone apps
Down the Memory Lane..
LOOKING BACK at THE PAST

Contributions of Civilizations in
Science and Technology Through the
Centuries...
The Ancient Time
Agriculture and Irrigation
Agriculture and Irrigation
Agriculture and Irrigation
 Writing and Trading
The Sumerians invented the world’s
first writing system.

• The cuneiform system involved the use of sharp tools called styluses.
• The Sumerians first used cuneiform to keep business records.
• The Sumerians also used their writing skills to write books about history,
poems, and math.
 Invention of Writing

Cuneiform Scribes Other Uses

• World’s first • Writers • Wrote works of
system of writing • Kept track of literature, stories,
• Cuneiform proverbs, and
items people
songs
symbols could traded and
represent wrote down • Wrote poems
syllables. Earlier government about the gods
pictographs had records and military
represented only • Scribes could victories.
objects. • Created epics,
move up in
• The Sumerians social class. long poems that
wrote on clay tell the stories of
tablets with a heroes.
stylus.
Development of Writing
Writing and Trading

They invented the

sail.

This allowed them to

trade up and down
the Tigris and
Euphrates
 Clothing and Transport
• Development of the wheel
– Used for carts and wagons
– Potter’s wheel
• The plow increased farm
production.
• Sewers under city streets
• Math and science
– Number system based on 60
– Names of animals, plants,
and minerals
• Used medicines for healing and
The first wheeled vehicle. catalogued medical knowledge
Sumerian Achievements
More Inventions
• The Sumerians invented
the wheel.

• They developed the plow

• They established the city-

state as a way to govern
people.

• They invented irrigation.

 The Number Six

• The Sumerians had a

counting system based on
the number six, and they
made a system of tracking
time based on this system.
This is why our modern
system of time uses
numbers that are divisible
by six: 60 seconds, 60
minutes, 24 hours.
 “Egypt is the gift of
the Nile” -Herodotus
The Nile
The Nile
The Nile
Egyptian Innovations, Science and Technology

The Pyramids
• The pyramids of Giza
are one of the 7
wonders of the
world.
• Consisted of over 2.6
million blocks.
 The Clock
• Egyptians had 2 methods of telling time.

• Water Clock.

• Sundial.
Farmers in Egypt
 Shaduf

• To lift water from the canal

Egyptians used a shaduf, a large
pole balanced on a crossbeam
with a rope and bucket on one
end and a heavy counter weight
at the other.
• When the rope was pulled, the
bucket would be lowered into
the canal.
• The counterweight would raise
the bucket.
• The farmer would then carry
the bucket to the field and
water it.
 The Calendar

Calendar Ancient Egypt Modern

• Egyptians made the Day
first 365 day
Calendar. Days per week 10 7

Weeks per 3 4 or 5
• Slightly different month

from our calendar Months per 4 3

season
today.
Seasons per 3 4
year
 Horus Eye Fraction System
• This is an ancient Egyptian
way of doing math.
• They used this system to
measure fractions of
Grain. = 1 / 32 =1/8

• Math was used to solve

=1/2
problems, like how many = 1 / 64

bricks were used in a

=1/4
house or the heights of
pyramid buildings.
= 1 / 16
 Hieroglyphics
• This is an Ancient form
of writing created by
the Egyptians
• They use symbols to
represent words
• The Rosetta Stone is
an ancient artifact that
helps us decode these
meanings and
understand about the
Hieroglyphics
Hieroglyphics
 Science
• The ancient Egyptians were amazing Scientists
• They created many Inventions using alchemy,
metallurgy and astronomy or even glass
making
 Metallurgy
• Metallurgy for Egyptian trade and economy
• Extract copper, iron, bronze from mines and
many others but their greatest was gold
• Mines supplied thousands of jobs for the people
and gods were created based on the metals
• Metals were then melted down and put into
casts to create the many figurines and
extravagant gold creations that they are known
for
• Glass making
 Astronomy
• Astronomy was also huge for Egypt based on
their religion as many of their gods were seen
through constellations and many others
through astronomical bodies
• The horizon had a large significance with
many Deities like Horus, Osiris and Re
 Alchemy
• The great king Hermes is
thought to be the founder
of alchemy, and his famous
“emerald tablet” is said to
be the primary document
of Alchemy and was found
buried with him
• This is a scientific
technology which
questions reality mentally,
physically, and spiritually
 Alchemy
• Famous alchemists
include Newton,
Plato, and Thebes
which have all
theorized about the
Emerald Tablet
Geography
• Greece is a peninsula
about the size of
Louisiana in the
Mediterranean Sea.
• It’s very close to
Egypt, the Persian
empire (includes
Turkey) and Rome.
 Greek geography
• Greece is mountainous
• Greek communities
often times developed
independently because
of the mountains, thus
they were diverse
• As a result, they fought
each other a lot.
Technology results from necessity

• Since Greek coastal

cities were
sandwiched
between the ocean
and the sea, they
developed an
awesome navy for
trading and fighting.
 Technology results from scarcity
• All cities need fresh
water. This is a
Greek aqueduct,
basically a brick
water pipe.
• The first aqueduct
was Assyrian, but
most ancient
societies had them.
Terracing saves water and soil in
mountainous environments
Greek Inventions
• The Greeks
invented dice.
The Greeks were the original
Olympiads.
Their scientists studied the
best way to
perform sports
 Greek Invention
• The Greeks
invented the crane.
 Greek Architecture
• Greeks invented
arches and
columns.
• This obviously took
advanced
mathematics.
More Greek Architecture
 Greek Military
• This is a catapult, a
Greek invention.
• It could throw 300
pound stones at
walls and buildings
 Greek Military
• This is a hoplite, a
Greek infantry
soldier.
• Hoplites were
middle-class
freemen who had
to pay for their own
weapon and shield.
 Greek Military
• This is a phalanx.
• Soldiers get in a
tight box. They
each have a large
shield and a 9 foot
long spear.
Flamethrower
 Greek Contributions
Modern Medicine
• A Greek man named
Hippocrates changed the
way people thought about
health and medicine.
– Hippocrates brought a
scientific way of thinking to
his work as a doctor.
• He believed that diseases had
natural causes.
• He taught his students to
carefully observe their
patients and write down
what they saw.
 Greek Contributions
Modern Understanding of the Body
• As you know, the Greeks loved sports.
– Their interest in athletics gave them some knowledge
about the way people’s bodies move.
– But their understanding of
the body was limited.
– Partly because they couldn’t
see what’s inside the body
and how it works.
– As these beliefs changed over
time, the Greeks made new discoveries.
 Greek Contributions
Modern Mathematics
• The Greeks loved reasoning and looked for answers
to nature’s mysteries in mathematics.
• Pythagoras, believed that numbers were the key to
understanding nature.
– He started a school where students developed
mathematical theories.
– Like many Greeks,
Pythagoras was
especially fascinated
by geometry.
• geometry: the branch of
mathematics involving
 Greek Contributions
Modern Astronomy
• How far away are the sun
and moon?
• How do planets move in
space?
– These are the kinds of
questions asked by
astronomers.
– The word, Astronomy comes
from the Greek word
astronomia meaning “star.”
– Astronomy means the study
of stars, planets, and other
objects in space.
• Once again, the Greeks were
 Greek Contributions
Modern Astronomy
• People in all
civilizations
observed the
sun, moon, and
stars.
– But a Greek scientist named Aristarchus
was the first person to suggest that Earth
moves around the sun.
• This idea upset many Greeks who believed that Earth was the
center of the universe.
 Greek Contributions
Modern Geography
• The work of Greek astronomers also contributed to
geography, the study of the Earth’s surfaces.
• The word, geography, comes
from the Greek word
geographia which means “writing
about the Earth.”
To describe where places were, they
developed a system of longitude and
latitude.
 Greek Contributions
Modern Understanding of Plants and Animal
• The Greeks identified many types of plants
and named their
parts.
– They learned how
plants reproduce by
spreading seeds.
– They also discovered that some
plants are useful as medicines.
– Greek doctors used many plants,
especially herbs, to reduce pain
and help people heal.
 Greek Contributions
Modern Understanding of Plants and Ani
• The philosopher
Aristotle was fascinated
by living things.
– He collected information
about many types of
animals and plants.
– Then he organized animals
into groups such as “those with
backbones” and “those
without backbones.”
– He also divided plants into groups
such as herbs, shrubs, and trees.
• The way we classify, or group,
animals and plants today
reflects Aristotle’s work.
 Greek Contributions
Modern Architecture
• The word architecture comes from the Greek word,
arkhitekton which means "master builder," from arkhi-
"chief" + tekton "builder, carpenter."
• The Greeks used:
– columns to make their temples
balanced and stately
– pediments, the triangular shapes
where roof lines come together
–decorative bands called friezes
 Greek Contributions
Modern Architecture
• Greek styles are still used in many buildings today.
churches
- First Presbyterian Church
of Cranbury, New Jersey -

government buildings -
The White House -

museums
libraries - Carnegie Art
- New York Public Library Museum, Oxnard, CA -

schools
- Johnson Hall at the
University of Oregon -
 Greek Contributions
Modern Sports
• The first Olympics were held in
776 B.C.E. to honor the Greek
god Zeus.
• Today’s Olympics reflect
ancient Greek customs.

-During the opening ceremony, an

athlete lights the Olympic flame.
-This custom comes from the time
when the first Olympic athletes
lit a fire on the altar of Zeus.
 Greek Contributions
Modern Sports
• Many modern Olympic events grew out of Greek contests.
– One example is the pentathlon.
– The word, pentathlon, which means “five contests,” comes from the Greek
words pente meaning "five" and athlon meaning "prize, contest.“
– The Greek pentathlon included:
long jump

wrestling

footraces

discus throw
javelin throw
 Greek Contributions
Modern Sports
• The Greeks invented the pentathlon as a test of all-around athletic
skill.
• Although the five contests are different today, the pentathlon is still
an Olympic event. swimming running

shooting

fencing
riding
 Thales of Miletus
625 BC
• First Philosopher
– Used organized, formal arguments
• First Mathematician
– Used formal proof method
– Learned from Mesopotamians and Egyptians (who kept
records only)
• First Scientist
– “All events, even extraordinary ones, can be explained in
natural terms which can be understood by humans.”
– Asked why things happened and then tried to find a rational
answer
– “What is fundamental and does not change?”
• Assumed that an order existed
• Underlying principle or basic material is called arché in Greek
 "In its early days philosophy included
science – which became known as
'natural philosophy'. Thales' thinking
was scientific because it could
provide evidence for its conclusions.
And it was philosophy because it
used reason to reach these
conclusions."
– Strathern, Paul, Mendeleyev's Dream, New York:
Berkley Books, 2000, p.11.
 Pythagoras
580-500 BC

• Invented mathematical notation

– Developed system to express equations
– Established quantitative calculations
• Believed geometry and math could
describe all truth and beauty
– Truth is described by small whole
numbers
– Symmetry of the "perfect" body
– Example today: Quantum chemistry
• Developed a school and "ideal"
society
• Key geometric relationships
– Pythagorean law
– Golden mean
• Principles of music
Golden Spiral
 Pythagoras

• Music rules discovered and quantified

– Hammers had different tones according to weight
– String length relationships (octaves, fifths, etc.)
– Principle of harmonic vibration
– Music's relationship to mathematics became basis
of the study of nature
• Music applied to medicine and astronomy
– Good health resulted from harmony in the body
– Motions of the planets were harmonic multiples
 Pythagoras
Golden Mean, Rectangles and Triangles
The legacy of the Persian (Achaemenid) Empire

550-330 BCE
Military
• Well regarded in
illustrations, monuments
and various descriptions
 Training
• Trained and skilled in
arts of the chase
(both afoot and on
horseback), archery,
throwing the spear
and javelin, and of
sustaining forced
marches in unfriendly
climate
 Armor and tactics
• Battle axes and advanced armor
were common in a Persian army
and Northern Iranians
• Using ditches and ramps became
common in the face of an enemy
 Art and Architecture : Pottery

• Pottery is one of the

oldest Persian art
forms
• The “Animal Style,”
which was big in the
Persian culture first
appeared in their
pottery.
 METAL
• Persian’s found metal
was a more admiring
and appreciative way
to enjoy art, as well as
its use. Some examples
of metal-ware art were
gilded silver cups and
dishes decorated with
royal hunting scenes
 Architecture
• Persian architecture has made the
greatest contribution to the world’s
culture.
• Although Persian architecture styles
differ from any Islamic styles today,
they have influenced many building
work through much of the Islamic
world.
• Persian style of architecture also has
influenced Islam, Central Asia,
Afghanistan, Pakistan and India as
well in structures all over their history.
Qanat
ROMAN CIVILIZATION
 Colosseum or Coliseum
• Held gladiator fights
 Colosseum or Coliseum
• Sometimes used for navy battles
 Gladiators
• Slaves, criminals, prisoners, poor people
• Fought to the death battles with each other or
animals
• If Emperor gives a thumbs up, gladiator lives, a
thumbs down, gladiator dies
 Science and Art
• Rome was influenced by Greeks
• Romans copied Greeks in many ways but
changed it to match their own needs
 Science
• Galen
– Greek doctor
– Introduced medical ideas to Rome
– Studied anatomy
 Ptolemy
• Scientist
• Lived in Alexandria, Egypt
• Studied the sky
 Roman Roads
• Connected Rome to every part of the Empire
• “All Roads lead to Rome”
– 50,000 miles of roads
– Enough to circle the world 10 times
 Appian Way
• Linked Rome to Southeastern Italy
• Roads allowed Roman soldiers to quickly
travel to different regions
• Merchants used roads to trade
 Aqueducts
• A way to bring water to cities
• Used arches
 Roman Numerals
• Still used today for
dates on buildings,
outlines, and Super
Bowl games
 Art and Architecture
• Copied Greek art and architecture
– Greek Statues showed perfect-looking people
– Roman Statues were more realistic
 Roman Arch
• Used arches in bridges, aqueducts, and
buildings
Vault or curved ceiling
 Concrete
• Mixture of volcanic ash, lime, and water
• Mix was as hard as a rock
• Made Roman structures last
 Colosseum
• Colosseum made from concrete
 Pantheon
• Temple built to honor Roman gods
• Domed roof was largest of its time
• Oldest undamaged building in the world
 ARABIAN
CIVILIZATION
 The crossbow
• The crossbow was
created by Chinese
blacksmiths in 450 B.C.
This weapon is very
strong.
• The crossbow helped
the Chinese to defend
themselves from their
enemies and attack their
enemies. I think the
crossbow was a very
innovative invention.
 Gunpowder
• The Chinese accidentally
invented gunpowder when
Medicine men were trying to
invent new cures for a disease in
the 8th century. It is believed
that gunpowder and firecrackers
scare away evil spirits/ghosts.
• Gunpowder is used in
weapons. Gunpowder helped
the Chinese defend themselves.
Gunpowder is an important
invention that helped the
Chinese protect themselves.
 Paper
• The Chinese invented
paper in 100 A.D. They
invented paper because
it was hard for them to
write and hard to store
written notes.
 Silk
• Silk was a soft and light material much desired
by the wealthy throughout the world. It
became such a valuable export that the trade
route running from Europe to China became
known as the Silk Road. The Chinese managed
to keep the process for making silk a secret for
hundreds of years .
• Silk is an important material because silk can
be used make clothes.
INDUS-HINDU CIVILIZATION
Glover, 2012
Glover, 2012
Glover, 2012
 American Occupation
• Sanitation
• Scientific treatment of diseases, a shift from superstitious
• Trades with US
• Technology importation such as engines, vehicles,
telephones, electricity, etc
• Improvement of infrastructure like roads, bridges
• Native Filipinos’ public access to education and different
courses
• Science during the American period was inclined towards
agriculture, food processing, forestry, medicine and
pharmacy.
 Japanese Occupation
• Era is more on war, death march
• Improvements on weaponries due to battles
 Marcos Era and Martial Law
• During Ferdinand Marcos' presidency, the
importance given to science grew. In the
amended 1973 Philippine Constitution, Article
XV, Section 9 (1), he declared that the
"advancement of science and technology shall
have priority in the national development.“
• Agricultural revolution, strains of rice for self-
sufficiency, start of exportation
• Oil