LESSON 10

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

IN THE 20th Century
There are heaps of developments of science and technology during this century and
it keeps on upgrading. The following are some of the remarkable invention that had major
impact on human being.

The Airplane or aeroplane invented by the Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville. It powered, fixed-wing
aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine or propeller. Their work leads them to make
the first controlled, sustained, powered flights on December 17, 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
The extensive uses of airplanes include recreation, transportation of goods and people, military (wars) and
research. Commercial aviation is massive industry involving the flying of tens of thousands of passengers
daily on airliners. Most airplanes are flown by a pilot but some are designed to be remotely or computer-
controlled.
Computers an electronic machine that accepts information, stores it, processes it according
to the instructions provided by a user and then returns the result. Today, computers have become part of
our everyday activities.

Charles Babbage- Father of Computers. Conceived an analytical engine in 1830 which could be
programmed with punched cards to carry out calculations.

Konrad Zuse built the very first electronic computers in Germany in the period 1935-1941.

Z3 was the first working, programmable and fully automatic digital computer. Zuse is often regarded as
the ‘inventor of computer’

In 1954, IBM introduced the first mass-produced computer.

Magnetic Reasoning Imaging

Magnetic Reasoning Imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive medical test that physicians use to
diagnose medical conditions. MRI of the body uses a powerful magnetic field, radio waves or pulses and
a computer to produce detailed pictures inside pictures of the inside of your body such as organs, soft
tissues, bone and virtually all other internal body structures.

MR examination to help diagnose or monitor treatment for conditions such as: Tumors of the chest,
abdomen or pelvis; disease of the liver, such as cirrhosis, and abnormalities of the bile ducts and
pancreas; inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis; heart problems, such
as congenital heart disease, malformations of the blood vessels; a fetus in the womb of a pregnant woman.
The Internet a work of dozens of pioneering scientists, programmers and engineers who each developed
new features and technologies that eventually merged to become the “information
superhighway”.
Nikola Tesla he toyed with idea of a “world wireless system in 1900.
Paul Otlet and Vannevar Bush conceived of mechanized searchable storage system
Optical Fiber
Alexander Graham Bell- In 1880 he created a very early precursor to fiber-optic communications, the
world’s first wireless telephone (Photophone). The device allowed the transmission of sound on a beam
of light. Due to its use of an atmospheric transmission medium, the photophone would not prove practical
until advances in laser and optical fiber technologies permitted the secure transport of light. The
Photophone’s first practical use came in military communication systems many decades later.
Optical fiber is used by many telecommunication companies to transmit telephone signals, Internet
Communication, and cable television signals. Fiber is present in virtually every nation on Earth, forming
the absolute strength of modern communications structure.
Air Conditioning system
Attempts to control indoor temperatures began in ancient Rome, where wealthy citizens
took advantage of the remarkable aqueduct system to circulate cool water through the walls
of their homes.

The Emperor Elagabalus in the 3rd century built a mountain of snow imported from the
Mountains via donkey trains and put in the garden next to his villa to keep cool during the
summer but this was so costly and inefficient.

In 1902, a 25 year old engineer from New York named Willis Carrier invented the first modern
air-conditioning system. The mechanical unit, which sent air through water-cooled coils, was
not aimed at human comfort, however, it was designed to control humidity in the printing plant
where he worked.

Gene Therapy
It attempts to treat genetic diseases at the molecular level by correcting what is wrong with
defective genes. Gene therapy relies on finding a dependable delivery system to carry the correct gene to
the affected cells.

3D Metal Printing
It provides instant metal fabrication. This innovation enables to create large intricate metal structures on
demand.
Artificial Embryos
Artificial Embryos are made from stem cells alone without using egg or sperm cells. No
egg. No sperm. Just cells plucked from another embryo. It is a breakthrough that will open
new possibilities for understanding how life comes into existence- but also raises vital
 ethical and even philosophical problems.

Cell Free Fetal DNA Testing

Pregnant women sometimes need to have cells of their fetus tested for chromosomal defects such as
Edwards Syndrome or Down Syndrome. With medical advances it is now possible for doctors to test cell-
free fetal DNA by using mother’s blood.
Cancer Nanotherapy
Nano devices and technology are now being use in pharmaceuticals and medicine. One of which is an
emerging cancer treatment technology that implements nanomaterials in a more aggressive method.
Ex. Nanobots (Israel’s Bar-Ilan University)were developed to deliver drugs to defective cells while
leaving the healthy one unharmed.
As the years pass, technology in Pharmaceuticals and medicine will continue improve. People are living
longer and fewer disease are deemed incurable. Jobs in the pharmaceutical industry are in higher demand
now than ever.
CURRENT ISSUES FROM THE APPLICATION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Climate Change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns when that change lasts for
an extended period of time
Natural Resources Management
Natural Resources- are all that exists naturally on earth.
Threats to Renewable Resources
1. Deforestation
2. Over exploitation/overfishing
3. Growing Human population
4. Climate change
5. Pollution
Food Insecurity a household is food insecure if it had the difficulty at some time during the year
providing enough food for all their members due to lack of resources.
Medical Ethics it is referred to a system of a moral principles that apply values to the practice of clinical
medicine in scientific research. It also allows for people, regardless of race, gender, or religion to be
guaranteed quality and principled care. This applies to both living and non-living such as medical
research of cadavers. It is also known as health care ethics or as biomedical ethics applied to the fields of
medicine and health care.
Doctrines
AUTONOMY it refers to rights of an individual to self-determination in a way that patient has right to
refuse or even to choose their treatment.
NON-MALEFICENCE “first do no harm” . The principle which is the primary consideration in medical
field not to harm your patients than to do them good (The treatment was success, but the patient died.”
BENEFICENCE actions that promote well-being of others and to serve to the best interest of patients
and their families.
JUSTICE the equality and fairness in treating patients. The practitioner should always treat his patient in
independence and in honest conscience in providing health care, deciding fairly of who gets what
treatment regardless of the status of the patient in life, whether highly privileged or the least privileged.