Module 1 General Concepts and Historical Developments PDF

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MODULE 1: GENERAL CONCEPTS and HISTORICALDEVELOPMENTSIntroduction/OverviewThis module aims to discuss the following topics - Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society; Historical antecedents of Science and Technology. There are varied activities and assessments to be accomplished that will en...

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MODULE 1: GENERAL CONCEPTS and HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS Introduction/Overview This module aims to discuss the following topics - Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society; Historical antecedents of Science and Technology. There are varied activities and assessments to be accomplished that will enhance your knowledge and understanding on the general concepts and historical developments of science and technology up to the present times.

Lesson 1 – Introduction to Science, Technology and Society This lesson intends to introduce Science, Technology, and Society (STS) as a field of study. Further, this traces the historical roots of STS as an academic field following the description of Science and Technology and discussion of the same. The significance to study STS in an age of scientific progress and technological development was brought about by the existence of ethical dilemmas as enumerated herein and discussed.

Science-refers to a system and accurate activity of pattern and plan of knowledge about how the universe act through observation, experimentation or both. According to the famous American science historian, John Heilbron (2003, p. vii), Modern Science is a discovery as well as invention. He also explained that Science required invention to devise techniques, abstractions, apparatuses, and organizations to describe this natural regularities and their law-like descriptions. Technology-application of theoretical knowledge of industry and the industrial arts to produce services, materials, tools and machines aimed at solving real-world problems. It comes from the Greek root word techne, meaning art, skill or cunning of hand. As what Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, explained in December 2014 during a live public question and answer event: “A technological tool is something that takes a human’s sense or ability and augments it and makes it more powerful.” He gave as example that the wearing of contact lenses or glasses is a technology that enhances human ability of vision and makes it better.

Wolpert (2005)- made an interesting comparison between science and technology that is helpful in the study of their interaction with society. He explained the possible uses and applications of such scientific knowledge. He clearly emphasized that science is not the same as technology. He further explained that the very nature of science, not to predict scientific discoveries. Scientists are responsible for the reliable conduct and honest interpretation and dissemination, technological application of science. Advancements in science and technology became pervasive. It shows in the activities that humans proceed the use of tools every day. The elegance of this is to bring things forward Humans today live more productive and full of eagerness than before. With these, it is expected that the generations of children and the children of their children have the chance to lead even better lives than of the past generation. The introduction of machines tremendously cut the need for human workforce. The invention of drugs, the rise of social media the way to communicate, interact and share information. Carl Sagan, American popular scientist quoted in Tom Head’s (2006) book: “We live in a society absolutely dependent on science and technology and yet have cleverly arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology”. That’s a clear prescription of disaster. STS seeks to bridge the gap between two traditionally exclusive cultures— humanities (interpretive) and natural sciences (rational)—so that humans will be able to

better confront the moral, ethical, and existencial dilemmas brought by the continued developments in science and technology. The John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values of the University of Notre Dame is responsible for listing the ten emerging ethical dilemmas and policy issues in science and technology every year. Below is the list of 2018: However, if some numbers given as enumerated seem unpopular to many they can be utilized in the study of Science and Technology. The enumeration is geared towards the dynamic challenges, questions, and issues that require to be satisfied and settled in the event science and technology and humanity become interrelated. Nevertheless, methods of critiquing these surfacing ethical dilemmas may come from the same methods adopted in previous critics of science and technology issues. For example, one can utilize methods applied in critiquing the rise of clinical trials of gene therapy in the 1990’s. Today’s approach in critiquing emerging science and technology issues, such as the ones listed above, may be influenced by how scientists and non-scientists evaluated the positive and negative implications of clinical trials of gene therapy in the 1990’s. For this intension one can go along to specifically draw from the concepts of history, philosophy and sociology in formulating informed and critical judgements of the ethical and moral values of this innovations of science and technology. 3.1. Ethical Dilemmas in STS

John J. Reilly Center for Science Technology and values of the University of Notre Dame is responsible for listing the ten emerging ethical dilemmas and policy issues in science and technology. Below is the list for 2018: 1. Helix. A digital app store designed to help you read your genome. 2. The Robot Priest. BlessU-2 and Pepper are the first robot priest and monk, respectively. 3. Emotion Sensing Facial Recognition — Optimizing retail experiences by assessing your reactions. 4. Ransomware. Holding data hostage until you pay up, whether you’re an individual or a large corporation. 5. The Textalyzer. A new tool in the battle against texting and driving that tells police if you were on your phone before an accident. 6. Social Credit Systems. A system of scoring people through their actions by monitoring them under a surveillance camera. 7. Google Clips. This little camera will watch you all day and capture your most picturesque moments. 8. Sentencing Software. There are already Americans being sentenced with the help of a mysterious algorithm. 9. The Rise of Robot Friendship. An app that stores the deceased’s footprint. Can we create a chat bot out of our loved ones’ old texts and social media posts?

10. The Citizen App. An app that notifies users of existing events in a particular area. (E.g. heavy traffic, ongoing crimes) References: www.ucl.ac.uk/sts. Science and Technology Studies [email protected] Natural Sciences BSc (stream options) [email protected] The pathological and the normal: Mapping the brain in medieval medicine. Edward Jay Mansarate Quinto and Aileen Domondon Nieva (2019). SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY: Outcome-Based Module. C&E publishing

Lesson 2 – Historical Antecedents of STS This lesson aims to discuss how society was affected and influenced by Science and Technology ranging for three Historical Periods namely; Ancient Period, Middle Ages, and Modern Ages. This lesson also deals with important Philippine Inventions and Innovations with emphasis on various social, cultural, economic and political effects of scientific and technological invention in history. One of the key interests of STS as an academic field is the history of science and technology. As a strand of STS, the history of science and technology focuses on how science and technology have changed across time. Also, it explores the impacts of scientific and technological innovations on the prevailing social, cultural, political and economic contexts throughout history.

An antecedent is a thing that comes before something else. Buy understanding how previous generations influenced by developments in science and technology now come up with proper application of science and technology in our daily life. 4.1. Ancient Period

The beginning of ancient civilizations prepared the direction for advances in science and technology which advances permitted said civilizations to blossom by introducing better ways of communication, transportation, self-organization and of living in general. Inventions and innovations introduced during this period are the following: 1. Ancient wheel – begun by Sumerians by using a mechanical device using potter’s wheel —a heavy flat disk made of hardened clay which was spun on an axis. It was until 10001500 years later that the wheel was first used on carts. 2. Paper - introduced by ancient Egyptians at around 3000 BC by writing on Papyrus, a material similar to thick paper. Papyrus is made from the pith of the papyrus plant cyperus papyrus

3. Shadoof – was an early tool invented and used by ancient Egyptians to irrigate land. Also spelled as Shaduf which was a hand operated device utilized for lifting water. 4. Antikythera mechanism – invented by the Greeks which was discovered in 1902 and was retrieved from the waters of Antikythera, Greece. This mechanism was implemented to predict astronomical positions and eclipses for calendar and astrological considerations. The same was invented by Greek scientist between 150- 100 BC. The Antikythera mechanism is one of the most amazing mechanical devices discovered from the ancient world. 5. Aeolipile – also known as Hero’s engine believed as ancient precursor of the steam engine. The Aeolipile is a steam powered engine which spun when the water container was heated. 4.2. Middle Ages

II. Middle Ages Increase of new inventions, introduction of innovations in traditional production, and emergence of scientific thinking and method. The Middle Ages was not as a stagnant as alternate terms such as the ‘Medieval Period’ or ‘Dark Ages’ suggest. In fact, many medieval universities at the same time stirred scientific thinking and built infrastructures for scientific communities to flourish. 1. Heavy Plough – One of the most important technological innovations during the middle ages. Clay soil despite being more fertile than lighter types of soil, was not cultivated because of its heavy weight. Professor Thomas Bernebeck Andersen of the University of Southern Denmark succinctly describes the impact of the invention of heavy plough. The heavy plough stirred an agricultural revolution in Northern Europe marked by higher and healthier agricultural yields and more efficient agricultural practices. 2. Gun Powder – Around 850 AD, Chinese alchemists accidentally invented black powder or gunpowder. Since its invention, the gunpowder has allowed for more advanced warfare. From fiery arrows to cannons and grenades, the gunpowder has prompted foundation for the functionality of almost every new weapon used in war since its invention. Its ushered in an unprecedented advancement in warfare and combat throughout the Middle Ages. 3. Paper Money – the first known versions of paper money could be traced back to the Chinese in 17thcentury AD as an offshoot of the invention of block printing, which is similar to stamping. Before the introduction of paper money, precious metals, such as gold and silver were used as currency. The idea of assigning value to a marked piece of paper did not immediately become popular. When the Mongol’s attempted to introduce paper money into the Middle East market in the 13 th century, it did not gain immediate success. Traders and Merchants eventually realized the huge advantage of using paper money because it was easier to transport around compared to the previous forms of currencies. 4. Mechanical Clock – The development of mechanical clocks paved the way for accurately keeping track of time. The sophistication of clockwork technology of the

mechanical track drastically changed the way days were spent and work patterns were established, particularly in the more advanced Middle Age cities. 5. Spinning Wheel – a machine used for transforming fiber into thread or yarn and eventually woven into cloth on a loom. Although no consensus could be made regarding the origin of the spinning wheel, it is theorized that the Indians invented the spinning wheel between 6th and 11th century AD. According to White (1974), the invention of the spinning wheel sped up the rate at which fiber could be spun by a factor of 10 to 100 times. Thus, White argued that this invention ushered in a breakthrough in linen production when it was introduced in Europe in 13th century AD. They would quickly replace the more traditional method of hand spinning and were a prerequisite to the later innovations made during the Industrial Revolution like the Spinning Jenny and spinning frame. Spinning wheels appear to have their origin in India sometime between the 5th and 10th Century AD. They would eventually reach Europe later in the Middle Ages thanks to the silk road. They would quickly replace the more traditional method of hand spinning and were a pre-requisite to the later innovations made during the Industrial Revolution like the Spinning Jenny and spinning frame. The spinning wheel can, therefore, be argued to have helped lay the foundations for the modern world - as unlikely as that might seem at first. 4.3. Modern Ages

A period of increased efficiency in transportation, communication and production brought about by a steady increase in world population. This is also the time when industrialization took place. 1. Compound Microscope – A Dutch spectacle maker named Zacharias Jansen is credited for the invention of the first compound microscope in 1590. Together with his father Hans, Zacharias began experimenting with lenses by putting together several lenses on a tube. This led to an amazing discovery that an object, when placed near the end of the tube, can be magnified far larger than what a simple magnifying lens can do. Today, the compound microscope is an important instrument in many scientific studies, such as in the areas of medicine, forensic studies, tissue analysis, atomic studies and genetics. 2. Telescope – It was Galileo Galilei who invented the telescope, the single, most important technological invention in the study of astronomy during Modern Ages. It could magnify objects 20 times larger than the Dutch perspective glasses. It was Galileo who first used the telescope skyward and made important astronomical discoveries, and identified the presence of craters and mountains on the moon. For the first time, it became clear that the universe is far larger than previously imagined and the earth far smaller compared to the entire universe. 3. Jacquard Loom – one of the most critical drivers of the revolution. Built by French weaver Joseph Marie Jacquard, the Jacquard loom simplifies textile manufacturing. Prior to the invention of the Jacquard loom, a drawloom was used which required two individuals to

operate—the weaver and a “drawboy”—if figured designs on textile were needed. The Jacquard loom is also important antecedent of modern computer technology as it demonstrated the use of punched cards to instruct a machine to carry out complex tasks, i.e., making different textile patterns. 4. Engine – Powered Airplane – invented by the Wright Brothers, Orville and Wilbur, with an original flying machine patent (US patent NO. 821393) and referred to as airoplanes. The Wright Brothers were brilliant scientist who prepared the path for modern aircraft technology. 5. Television – was invented by the Scottish Engineer John Loggy Beird paving the way to the invention of the modern television.

Filipino Scientists Inventions Filipinos are responsible for developing many scientific and technological innovations focused on navigation, traditional shipbuilding, textiles, food processing, indigenous arts and techniques, and even cultural inventions. The following are some of the most important inventions by Filipino scientists: 1. Electronic Jeepney (e- jeepney) – The e- jeepney is the inventive response to criticisms to the traditional jeepney that belched smoke, directly causing air pollution which made it unsustainable and uneconomical. E – jeepney are designed to be environment- friendly, eliminating noise and air pollution as they run on electricity They are also more economical for electricity is far cheaper than ordinary diesel, allowing jeepney drivers to earn more profit. 2. Erythromycin- an antibiotic out of a strain of bacterium called Streptomycin erythreus, invented by the Ilonggo Scientist Abelardo Aguilar. Probably, this is one of the most important inventions in field of medicine. 3. Medical Incubator- invented by world renown Filipino pediatrician and national scientist Fe Delmundo. This device is intended to regulate body temperature of new born babies in the rural areas. 4. Mole Remover- a local invention in 2000 that had the ability to easily remove mole and wart of the skin without any surgical procedure was invented by Rolando dela Cruz. This was made out of the extracts of cashew nuts (Annacardium occidentale), very common in the Philippines. 5. Banana Catsup- invented by a Filipino food technologist , Maria Orosa. This catsup made use of mashed banana and combined with sugar, vinegar and spices....