Name of Invention: Beer

Year of Invention/Period: The primitive cultures of Mesopotamia are believed to have been the first
brewers of beer (circa 10,000 BC). Though no written accounts were recorded regarding said
phenomenon, malted barley scraps and bowls with beer like residue were uncovered. This residue was
probably remnants of naturally fermented grain porridge with wild yeast, thus giving it an intoxicating
effect to its consumers who therefore repeated the process.

Circa 5,000 BC, the ancient Egyptians documented the brewing process on papyrus scrolls. The
first recipe consisted of dates, pomegranates, and indigenous herbs and were quite stronger in today’s
standards. Beer was used for religious ceremonies, with the Pharaoh deciding the next brewing schedule
and the distribution of it to the masses.

Inventor: Beer has a long history, so long that it is almost difficult to trace. However, the ancient
Mesopotamians (modern-day Iran) are credited to have been the first brewers circa 10,000 BC due to
uncovered malted scraps and residues.

How it Works: Beer is produced through a five-step process: malting, mashing, boiling, fermentation,
and aging. This process consists of four vital ingredients: barley, water, hops, and yeast.

How it Affected Society: Almost every social gathering on Earth includes beer. Beer is used for leisure
and a vital part of social interaction. This may be seen as a foundation of good communal relations (as
seen in the ancient Egyptians’ use of it) and as a reward when one gets the job done. Different brands of
beer compete with each other in terms of taste yet in spite of that, this refreshing and intoxicating drink,
despite of whatever brand produces it, strikes the taste buds of its consumers thus gaining it the reputation
it holds since the very first brewery.

However, there are a lot of gray points in the consumption of alcoholic drinks such as beer, or
rather, overconsumption of it. In approximation, 14 million people in the United States meet the
credentials for several alcoholic use disorders and alcohol is involved in greater than 88,000 deaths per
year. An estimation of more than 75 per cent of the cost of excessive alcohol drinking in the United States
is due to binge drinking, and most binge drinkers are not alcohol-dependent. These statistics prove that
people with alcohol addiction are not necessarily the ones having the biggest effect on these figures.

The impact of alcohol is not limited to the consumer, but affects the family as well, extending
into the community, and thus affecting society as a whole, since the family is considered as “the basic unit
of society”. A conducted study regarding the effects of alcohol reveals that spousal abuse due to alcohol is
takes place not only when the partner is alcohol dependent, but when the partner is an infrequent drinker
yet occasionally drinks heavily. Growing up in a home where at least one parent is a heavy drinker takes
its toll on the children which could increase psychological and emotional problems in them.

Beer places a huge impact on society—both negatively and positively. Therefore, it is only
appropriate that consumers must control their consumption of it because of its adverse effects when
consumed greater than it should be.

NIGEL ROVICK F. PADEN

BSEDEN 1-2D

MS. ANALETTE M. GUINTO

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY