GE Soc Sci 6: Science, Technology and Society

Unit I: General Concept and Historical Accounts in Science, Technology, and

Society

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this unit, the students will be able to:

1. explain the impacts of science & technology in the society;

2. intellectually knowledgeable about the historical background of STS; and
3. articulately relate to the scientific and technological developments globally and
locally.

Chapter 1: Historical Background of Science & Technology

Science is defined as the systematic body of knowledge, an idea, an intellectual

activity, and as personal and social activity. It was originally called the “philosophy of the
natural world” as introduced by the ancient Greek philosophers with the ultimate desire
to know about nature. They sought to discover the truth behind material natural things
which led them to observe the world and beyond. It is believed that science is as old as
the world itself. There is no study that exactly identify when and where science began
however, biblical scholars accepted the notion that it started at the beginning of the
creation of the world. (Genesis 1: 1)

The term technology comes from the Greek word “tekhne” meaning the “art or
craft” and “logia”, meaning a “subject or interest”. The term “technology” became
popular in the 20th century during the 2nd Industrial Revolution. Thorstein Veblen a
German social scientist changed the concept of “technic” to “technology” Read Bain an
American sociologist expounded the meaning of technology which includes all tools,
machines, utensils, weapons, instruments, communication and transportation devices
including the skills produce, and the use of by these art or craft. The Webster
Dictionary defines technology as the use of science in industry, engineering, machines,
piece of equipment, methods, etc., to invent useful things to solve problems. Ursula
Franklin also defines the concept as a practice the way things are done. Bernard
Stiegler defines technology as a pursuit of life or the means other than life, and an
organized tool from inorganic matter.

A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a

large social group sharing the same geographical or social territory, typically subject to
the same political authority and having the same dominant cultural expectations. It is
characterized by patterns of relationship between individuals who share a distinctive
culture and institution. It may also be described as the sum total of such relationships
among its constituents of members. In the social sciences, it is a larger society that
often exhibits stratification or dominant patterns in the subgroups.

Science and technology play a crucial role in everyday life and transform the
society of what it has become now. They make difficult tasks easier and allow people to
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do more with little effort and time. They are the driving forces behind globalization, and
technological progress and advancement to improve the quality of life among the
people.

Human beings embarked in scientific endeavors and researches to know and

understand everything around them. They persistently observed and studied the natural
and physical world to find meanings and answers to many questions. They developed
philosophy and religion to provide possible explanations to the realities of life back to
antiquity.

A. Ancient Times

The ancient civilization started from the hunting and gathering societies that
relied primarily or exclusively on hunting wild animals, fishing, and gathering wild fruits,
berries, nuts, and vegetables to support human life. Presumably, it was the subsistence
strategy employed by human societies beginning sometime 1.8 million years ago by
“homo-sapiens” from its appearance sometime 0.2 million years ago. Sometime later
more than ten thousand years ago, they began to domesticate plants and animals
adopted indigenous tools and became agricultural societies following the invention of
agriculture, pastoralism, or horticulture. Domestication led to specialization of work that
involves the creation of specialized tools such as fishing nets, hooks, sharp or pointed
stones, and animal bones. As the number and size of agricultural societies increased,
they expanded, and they became mobile leading to the development of the communal-
tribal communities.

Sumerian Civilization

One of these communities is the Sumerian (ancient Mesopotamia) who

developed the first writing system known as “cuneiform”, a system that utilizes word
pictures and triangular symbols which are carved on clay using wedge instruments and
left to dry. Cuneiform allowed the Sumerians to keep records of the things with great
historical value. The Sumerians were also able to build the “The Great Ziggurat of Ur”
called the mountain of God and the City of Uruk using only mud or clay mixed with
reeds, producing sunbaked bricks. They also made houses out of bricks to protect them
from harsh weather conditions and built a wall around the city to prevent wild animals
and traders from entering. The Sumerians also created dikes and irrigation canals to
bring water to farmlands and at the same time control the flooding of the rivers. They
also invented the boats to carry large quantities of products transported to the nearest
places and sometime later invented sailboats as a means of transportation and trading
to foster culture, information, and technology. In the latter part of their history, they
invented the wheel, plow, and roads.
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Egyptian Civilization

Egyptian Civilization is famous for its legacy especially in infrastructures and

engineering technology. The Egyptians contributed scientific-technological
monumental artifacts that became essential to this contemporary world. One of these is
the pyramids which were built by pharaohs of the ancient times. Although, Egypt was
not the first to introduce a system of writing, it was the one who first invented the paper
or “papyrus” and the ink. Papyrus is a plant abundantly available along the Nile River in
Egypt. The Egyptians processed it long time ago to produce thin sheets to write down
letters, thus introducing correspondence all over the world. The ink was invented by
combining soot with chemicals. Eventually different colors of inks were produced.

The Egyptians also developed a system of writing using symbols known as

“hieroglyphics”. They believed that this writing system was provided to them by the
gods. This writing is seen today, remains famous, and is found in the pyramids.
Hieroglyphics is the language that tells the present world of the history and culture of
the ancient Egyptian civilization. The records of the past are preserved because they
are carved at the walls of the pyramids and at all significant structures in Egypt. The
Egyptians also invented the use of cosmetics for both health and aesthetics reasons,
and wigs for health and wellness. Another invention is the water clock, a device that
utilizes gravity from one jar to another jar, and was used as timekeeping device during
the ancient times.

Greek Civilization

Greece is known as the birthplace of western philosophy and mathematics.

The Greek civilization contributed much to the present world especially in the fields of
science and technology. Greece is famous for its coliseums and the Olympics. The
Greeks invented the alarm clock to tell the person when to start and when to stop with
a whistling noise. They also invented the water mill which is commonly used till this
time in agricultural process like milling, and is considered better than mills powered by
farm animals.

Roman Civilization

The Roman Empire is so huge and other civilizations looked to them as a model
in terms of legislations and codified laws. In fact, it is considered the cradle of
politics and governance at that time. There are numerous contributions and significant
inventions of the Roman Empire that are still relevant today such as; newspapers,
bound books, codes, Roman architecture, and Roman numerals.

When paper was invented, it became easier for the Romans to write, publish,
and record information needed by the citizens. Record keeping became easier for them.
Documents on historical events, politics, and literature were bound to become books
GE Soc Sci 6: Science, Technology and Society

and codes. Roman architecture is one of the most visual contributions of the Roman
Empire to the world today. It includes cathedral and basilica churches, aqueducts,
amphitheaters, and Roman residential buildings. Today, these structures are
evidences of ancient Roman science and technology. Although, the Roman numeral
system is no longer widely used, it is still popular among Hindu-Arabic system due to its
aesthetic and historical value.

Chinese Civilization

The Chinese civilization is considered universally as the oldest living civilization

of the World. It was famous because of its silk trade, tea production, Great Wall of
China, and gunpowder. Silk is one of the things that connected China to the rest of the
World. Silk is naturally produced by silk worms. The Chinese were the first who
developed the technology to harvest the silk and process it to produce paper and
clothing. The silk trade opened China to the rest of the world, making a way for cultural,
economic, and philosophical exchanges. It bridged the gap between the western world
and China- the middle kingdom. Aside from silk the Chinese are producers and
exporters of tea. The tea production was believed discovered and developed by an
unknown Chinese inventor who created a machine that was able to shred tea leaves
into strips. Today, tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world.

The Great Wall of China is the only man made structure that can be seen from
the outer space. It is believed the greatest and the most extensive infrastructure built in
China to keep invaders and protect the borders of China. It displayed the extent of the
Chinese engineering technology at that time. The structure is so huge and resilient
that it separated China from the rest of the world. The Great Wall is the crowning glory
of Chinese civilization. Today, it is one of the wonders of the world and remains the
most visited tourist destination and attraction due to its historical significance and
architectural splendor.

The gunpowder is one of the deadliest and fascinating inventions in China. It is

widely used to propel bullets from guns and cannons which caused countless deaths.
Today, it is widely use in fireworks especially during significant occasions, and
celebrations.

B. Middle Ages/Medieval Period

In the history of Europe, the middle or medieval period (5 th-15th Century) which is
between the fall of Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance is sometimes
referred to as the Dark Ages. During the High Middle Ages, the population of Europe
increased greatly as technological and agricultural innovation allowed trade to flourish,
and the climate change allowed crop yields to increase. The Late Middle Ages was
marked by difficulties, calamities, famine, and the plague. War significantly diminished
GE Soc Sci 6: Science, Technology and Society

the population of Europe as one third of Europeans were killed. But sometime later,
there was a significant rise in population which led to the increase in trade and
commerce resulting to greater demands of transportation technology.

During this period there were innovations introduced which led to the invention of
the printing press, microscope, telescope, and war weapons. Out of the woodblock
printing developed by Chinese, Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press which
evolved and became the mechanical printing press. Zacharias Janssen was guided by
the principles used for the invention of eyeglasses developed the first compound
microscope to observe organisms that were normally unseen by the naked eye.

The Late Middle Ages was also known as the Age of Exploration, the invention
of the telescope an optical instrument along with the invention of compass, oars, and
rudders became useful tools for navigation. During the wartime, all kinds of weapons
were invented purposely for defense and offensive encounters. Among others invented
were the crow bows and long bows, iron body armors, and chainmail.

C. Modern Times

According to Chris Howell, modern times began from the Industrial Revolution
in 1900’s and continuous to the contemporary period. All forms of warfare during this
time are based on technological advances. Western civilization global expansion and
integration of regions positively advanced through sea, air, and land technologies
invented during the period. The rapid rate of change led to unprecedented access to
high technology weapons such as; biological weapons, rocketry, travel jets, nuclear
weapons-weapons of mass destruction, jet bombers, computers, radar, sonar, machine
guns, and Global Positioning System (GPS).

The population boom in the 19th Century demanded more consumption

goods to produce at a faster rate. People needed efficient means of transportation to
trade more goods locally and globally. Machines in production had to be upgraded to
increase production output. Faster and direct access to information, technology, and
communication were developed to establish interconnectedness among nations of the
world. Food processing, food security, health, and medical advancement faced a
complicated challenge of the modern times. The massive industrialization of the period
addressed the multi-faceted challenges through the inventions of pasteurization,
petroleum refinery, telephone, and calculator among many others. (Macalester College,
2010).

Louise Pasteur, a French biologist, microbiologist, and a chemist invented

pasteurization, the process of preserving dairy products by heating the products to kill
the harmful bacteria for milk and other dairy products to be stored much longer and
consumed later without being spoilt. Alongside with the invention of pasteurization, he
also invented molecular asymmetry, fermentation, and vaccination. Samuel M. Kier
invented kerosene referred to “illuminating oil” to refine petroleum to provide lighting
GE Soc Sci 6: Science, Technology and Society

to homes, and later used for heating purposes. Currently, it is widely used in powering
automobiles, factories, manufacturing, and power plants among others. (Skrabec, 2010)

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, one of the exceptional

developments of the modern times. The interconnectedness needed for trading,
exploration, and communication became possible, fast, and easy due to the invention of
the telephone. The calculator was invented to compute more complicated equations. It
is a computing devise that is easy to carry which led to the development of computer.

D. Philippine Inventions

The Philippines is a developing country, but has a remarkable contribution to the

global advancement of science and technology. Despite the lack of resources, the
Philippines is known for the discoveries and inventions of Filipinos produced from
indigenous materials such as: the salamander amphibious tricycle, salt lamp, medical
incubator, mosquito ovicidal/larvicidal trap system, and jeepney.

Victor Llave and his team at H2O Technologies invented the “salamander”, an
amphibious tricycle that can cross not only flooded streets but also rivers and lakes
suitable for the Philippine setting as an archipelago. Aisa Mijeno invented the
Sustainable Alternative Lighting (SALT) lamp, a lighting system that utilizes material
abundant in the Philippines- the salt water. The salt lamp is safe to use, no risk of fire,
non-toxic, and environmental-friendly. Dr. Fe del Mundo, a Filipino pediatrician devised
a medical incubator made from indigenous materials to maintain conditions suitable
for new born babies usually premature one. Added to that, she also developed
immunization treatment for jaundice and the “brat diet” for curing diarrhea.

The Department of Science and Technology-Industrial Technology

Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) invented a mosquito trap system known as
Mosquito Ovicidal/Larvicidal Trap System or OL Trap for humans to be safe from
mosquito-borne viral illness which is endemic in tropical and subtropical climate like the
Philippines. The innovative skills and abilities of Filipinos converted the American
military jeeps used in WW II into something useful to accommodate more passengers
into jeepneys. The Filipino jeepney is the major means of public transportation in the
Philippines, a diesel powered jeepney that produces a large amount of carbon dioxide
from transportation emissions harmful for human health, contributory to noise pollution,
and global warming. The EJeepney was developed to address the pressing global
environmental problem. This new innovation is a modern type of transportation that
utilizes electricity is environmentally friendly, and does not discharge smoke and cause
noise.