CHAPTER 2

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND

SOCIETY: WORLD HISTORY
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Science and Technology in Different Periods
1. Ancient Period (ca. 3,000 B.C. - 500A.D.)
2. Medieval Period (ca. 500 - 1,500)
3. Renaissance Period (14th - 17th Century)
4. Industrial Revolution (18th Century)
5. In 19th Century
6. In 20th Century Ancient Egyptian Architectural Technology.
Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=history+of+science/britanica

“Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done. One could write a history of

science in reverse by assembling the solemn pronouncements of highest authority
about what could not be done and could never happen.” – Robert Heinlein
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to:
1. explain the historical timeline of science and technology;
2. analyse the difference between the different periods involved in the development
of Science and Technology; and
3. synthesize and create their own definition of Science and Technology based on
the discussion on this unit.

SITUATION
Task (15 pts.) After reading the selection below, construct an acrostic (SCIENCE or
TECHNOLOGY) that will show your explanation on how important it is to comprehend
and connect the present and past development in Science and Technology especially
in the premise of human health. Send your work (pdf format) to your respective GEC
17 Google classrooms (Class A and B; deadline will be announced by your STS
instructor) following the format:
Name: _______________ Course/Year:_________________
Task 2

Your answer

For Class C, have your work be in a short-sized bond paper and to be submitted during
the schedule to be given by your STS instructor. Follow the format below:
Name: _______________ Course/Year:_________________
Date: _______________ Instructor: ___________________
Task 2

Your answer

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 Covid-19 Pandemic

-Prof. Dr. Mustafa Asim Safak

Some mutated species of the Coronavirus family, which is commonly accepted

as a disease agent in animals, can also cause diseases in humans. We have
witnessed examples of this as SARS in 2002 and MERS in 2011, both of them being
severe lower respiratory tract infections. The causative pathogen of the disease, which
has become a pandemic (a worldwide epidemic) today, is named the SARS-CoV2
virus, and the disease it causes is COVID-19. It causes serious lower respiratory
failure, as in previous examples, and may damage the central nervous system in the
early period, unlike the previous ones. Like other members of the Coronavirus family,
this virus has a sheath called the envelope in its fat structure, which has spiky
protrusions of its protein structure on its outer surface. Because it looks like a “crown”
due to these spiky protrusions, it is referred to as “corona”, meaning crown . The spiky
proteins of the SARS-CoV2 virus differ from the SARS virus by 2% and provide much
better adhesion to human cells. The virus is a non-living pathogen agent with its
nucleic acid chain (a kind of helical amino acid chain that carries genetic codes) in the
envelope. The virus can replicate itself, cause damage, and spread only when it
infiltrates into another cell. For the SARS-Cov2 virus to infiltrate into cells, its envelope
structure must be strong. The virus becomes harmless as oil solvents such as soap or
detergent damage the envelope structure. It can remain infectious for only a few days
if it cannot infiltrate into the cell provided that its envelope structure is strong. The
exposed virus is deformed over time and becomes ineffective. When a sufficient
number of SARS-CoV2 enters the human body, the infection begins once the virus
clings onto the surface epithelium (a skin-like but much thinner, a single layer of cell
covering the inner cavities of our body) and then infiltrates the cell.
This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan,
China, in December 2019. On 30 January 2020, the Philippine Department of Health
reported the first case of COVID-19 in the country with a 38-year-old female Chinese
national. On 7 March, the first local transmission of COVID-19 was confirmed. WHO is
working closely with the Department of Health in responding to the COVID-19
outbreak. As of 17th of August, 2020 Philippine COVID-19 case was already at 56, 620
and is still predicted to increase not unless scientific and timely action is taken.

Source:
 https://covid19.tabipacademy.com/2020/05/22/an-essay-on-covid-19-pandemic-by-
prof-dr-mustafa-asim-safak/
 https://www.who.int/philippines/emergencies/covid-19-in-the-philippines

INTRODUCTION
Science and technology is evident since the beginning of time. New knowledge
made it possible to create new things that would help people improve their everyday
living. Development in the field of science has helped humans to have a better life
while advancement in technology made the lives of the people much easier by
developing new machines that helped their way of living effortless.
In combination, science and technology transforms the lives of humans. It helps
provide growth in the field of medicine, transportation, engineering and even
entertainment that until today people are benefiting from.
The development of science and technology has gone so far, tracing how it all began
would give us a better idea on how it has developed since then and what are the
significant changes that has happened throughout time. By looking back at the history
of science and technology, we will be able to determine its progression

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CONTENT
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN DIFFERENT PERIODS
The next discussions will reveal the different evidences on how the development of
science and technology has been part of the early days of humankind.

Ancient Period (ca. 3,500 B.C. - 500 A.D.)

Accumulation of knowledge and passing it from generation to generation has begun
when the modern humans evolved from their hominid ancestors. They used stones as
tools, and then learned how to shape stones to make more efficient tools. As the tools
improved, so people were able to use them to fashion weapons and other artifacts
from bone, antler, and wood. They also learned how to capture fire from natural
sources such as wild fires, and later to make fire for themselves by using the heat
generated by friction or sparks from stones, or by concentrating the sun's heat.

Here are some of the development in science and technology during the ancient
period (Goddard, 2010):

EUROPE
ca 750,000 Fire is used by Homo erectus.
ca 45,000 Stone-headed spears are used in Europe.
ca 20,000 The wooden bow and arrow are used in Spain and Saharan Africa. People
in Southern Europe use sewing needles made from bone.
ca 2000 The Minoans build palaces in Crete.
ca 1000 Ironworking is introduced in Greece.
ca 1000 Etruscan craftsmen make false teeth from gold.

THE AMERICAS
ca 8,500 North Americans make stone arrowheads.
ca 8,000 The Folsom people living on eastern side of the Poe's Mountains develop
sophisticated tools.
ca 6000 Pottery is made in South America.
ca 2500 People in the Arctic makes flirt tools.
ca 1750 Peruvians build a long canal to irrigate their cops.
ca 1200 Fishermen in Peru makes rafts and boats from reeds
ca 1200 Olmec sculptors carve figurines and giant human heads.

ASIA AND OCEANIA

ca 11,000 The earliest-known day pots are made in Japan.
ca 5200 People in Iran make wine.
ca 4000 Bronze is first made in Thailand.
ca 3500 The plow is invented in both China and Mesopotamia.
ca 3000 Boats in China are equipped with anchors.
ca 2950 A lunar calendar is developed in China.
ca 2500 Clay pipes are used as drains in Pakistan.

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ca 2500 Chinese doctors begin using acupuncture.
ca 2296 Chinese astronomers record the sighting of a comet.
ca 1361 Chinese astronomers record a solar eclipse.
ca 1000 The Chinese begin writing on bamboo or paper made from bark.
ca 1000 The Hindu calendar of 360 days is introduced in India.
ca 850 The Chinese use natural gas for lighting.

AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

ca 1,000,000 Homo erectus uses stone tools.
ca 1,000,000 Homo erectus begins chipping flakes of stones to sharpen for tools.
ca 1,000,000 Homo erectus uses antlers to create tools for cutting and drilling.
ca 15,000 in Africa, bone harpoons (barbed spears) are used for fishing.
ca 10,000 people in Palestine build houses from sun-dried bricks.
ca 7500 Clay tokens are used for record keeping in Mesopotamia.
ca 6000 The world's first known city is built by the people of Catal Huyuk in Anatolia
(modern Turkey).
ca 4236 Ancient Egyptians devise a 365-day calendar.
ca 3500 The wheel is invented in Mesopotamia.
ca 3100 Egyptians begin using hieroglyphics.
ca 3000 The Sumerians introduce a 360-day calendar.
ca 3000 Egyptians dam the Garawi River.
ca 2630 Egyptians begin building pyramids.
ca 2600 Mesopotamians make glass.
ca 2300 Babylonian astronomers study comets.
ca 2300 The earliest known maps are produced in Mesopotamia.
ca 2000 Babylonian mathematicians introduce a positional number system.
ca 2000 Medicine becomes an important science in Syria and Babylon.
ca 1800 Mesopotamian mathematicians discover the "Pythagorean Theorem".
ca 1750 Babylonian astronomers compile lists of planets and stars.
ca 1550 Egyptians are using about 700 drugs and medications.
ca 1350 The symptoms of leprosy are described in Egyptian text.
ca 1200 The Egyptians dig a canal to join the Nile River to the Red Sea.
ca 1000 The Phoenicians develop an alphabet.
ca 900 Farmers in Mesopotamia use an irrigation system to water crops.

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Medieval Period (ca. 500-1500)
The Medieval Period also known as “Dark Ages” is considered to be one of the
creative periods in the history of humans and said to be the start of the first industrial
revolution. The term “Dark Ages” came up because there are few written records
remained from the said era. There are very little evidence that will support that there
was progress in the society during the periods 500 to 1500.
In the years immediately after the fall of Rome, there was a period of
readjustment, where medieval society was more concerned with keeping peace and
empire building than nurturing centers of learning. Despite this, Charlemagne (742-
814) a medieval emperor who ruled Western Europe in 800-814, tried to establish a
scholastic tradition. The later Middle Ages (around 1250-1500 A.D.) saw
advancements in the philosophy of science and the refinement of the scientific method.
Far from being a backwards-medieval society, overshadowed by Islam and Byzantium,
scholasticism acted as a nucleus for the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.
This was the time for discovering great new inventions in science and
technology. There were greater advancement in technology and adaptation of Eastern
technologies in the West, including the invention of vertical windmills, spectacles,
mechanical clocks, greatly improved water mills, building techniques like the Gothic
style, and three-field crop rotation.
One of the greatest inventions during the Middle Ages was the printing press of
Johannes Gutenberg (ca. 1395-1468) in the 15th century. It was Gutenberg who made
printing mechanized. The invention of the printing press itself obviously, owed much to
the medieval paper press, in turn modeled after the ancient wine-and-olive press of
the Mediterranean area. A long handle was used to turn a heavy wooden screw,
exerting downward pressure against the paper, which was laid over the type mounted
on a wooden platen. In its essentials, the wooden press reigned supreme for more
than 300 years, with a hardly varying rate of 250 sheets per hour printed on one side.
Note: A video clip on this topic (will be serving as enrichment item) is also
available in the Google classroom .

Renaissance Period (144h-17th Century)

The term Renaissance is used to refer to the period of rebirth as age of
preparation for the 17th century scientific development and achievements. One of the
greatest achievements in Western Europe during this period was the technology of
printing books and other documents which helped the rapid spread of knowledge and
information as well as the preservation of culture. The technology of the Chinese in
preparing printed materials was followed and used by the Muslims and later introduced
in Europe.
Renaissance connects the period of Middle Ages to modern history. It is closely
connected with Italy, where it began in the 14th century, although some European
countries also went into same cultural changes and phenomena.
Many historians prefer to think of the Renaissance as primarily an intellectual and
cultural movement rather than a historical period. Robert Wilde, U.K. based historian
born April 30, 1977 said that interpreting the Renaissance as a time period, though
convenient for historians, “masks the long roots of the Renaissance (para.2)” .
According to Wilde in his interview with livescience.com, the demand for perfect
reproductions of texts and the renewed focus on studying them helped trigger one of
the biggest discoveries in the whole of human history: printing with movable type. It
allowed Bibles, secular books, printed music and more to be made in larger amounts
and reach more people. On the other hand, people and a lot of steps were involved.
Wood printing first came to the West from China in 1250-1350, papermaking originated
from China has reached 12th century Spain, and the new printers' ink originated from
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Flemish oil painting. In Mainz, Germany, Gutenberg made final steps in wooden press
by casting a metal type and locking into it. The invention spread fast, reaching
European countries from 1467-1483. By 1500, Europe had already produced six
million copies of books. Without the printing press, communications revolution would
not happen and it would not transform the condition of life. The communications
revolution greatly made an impact in human opportunities for enlightenment and
pleasure and created unimaginable possibilities for manipulation and control on the
other. The consideration of these contradictory effects may shield us against a ready
acceptance of triumphalist conceptions of the Renaissance or historical change in
general.
Also, Polish mathematician and astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543)
made one of science's greatest achievement. He presented the theory of heliocentric
where he said that the sun is the center of the solar system instead of the earth. It was
a major breakthrough in the history of science, though the Catholic Church banned
Copernicus' book.
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was also a major Renaissance scientist persecuted
for his scientific experiments. Galileo improved the telescope, discovered new celestial
bodies, and found support for a heliocentric solar system. He conducted' motion
experiments on pendulums and falling objects that paved the way for Isaac Newton's
(1643-1727) discoveries about gravity.

Industrial Revolution (18th Century)

People rely on their hands in doing labor works even before the machines have
emerged after a century that significantly increases of production output. The
phenomenal process in the transfer of doing work by human hands and feet to the use
of machines was called The Industrial Revolution.
It began in Great Britain and spread across Europe, America, and even Asia
from 1760 to 1840. It was a fundamental change in the way goods were produced and
altered the way people lived. The Industrial Revolution was a time of scientific and
technological advancement which spanned the period during late 19th century to early
19th century. Partly through good fortune and partly through conscious effort, Britain
by the early 18th century came to possess the combination of social needs and social
resources that provided the necessary preconditions for a commercially successful
innovation and a social system capable of sustaining and institutionalizing the
processes of rapid technological change.
One of the major setbacks of the Industrial Revolution was skilled workers were
set aside because operation of new machines were used. The companies also hired
women and children increasingly which cost lower than of the skilled workers.
Manual/physical labor was changed into machine operated devices, even
tradesperson replaced the craftsrmen and the applied scientists replaced the amateur
inventors.
Aside from these, three important technologies formed the foundations of the
first Industrial Revolution namely, iron production, steam engine, and textiles.
The steam engine has been around but later on improved by Scottish James
Watt (1736-1819) and other investors after 1778. It was used to run machines and
made a major contribution to the first Industrial Revolution. The steam-powered
machine was improved gradually and was adapted for many uses and the use of more
complex machinery was made possible. The development and refinement of machine
tools by British engineers Henry Maudslay (1771-1831) and Joseph Whitworth (1803-
1887) played a key and crucial part in the later phase of the first Industrial Revolution
as machine tool technology enabled standardized manufacturing machines to be
fabricated.
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 Some of the greatest inventions were introduced by American scientist, such as
during this period was Robert Fulton's (1765-1815) steamboat that used one of Watt's
engines. Thomas Edison (1847-1931) who invented the light bulb. Alexander Graham
Bell (1847-1922) who invented the telephone. English engineer George Stephenson
(1781-1848) developed the first steam-powered locomotive.
Note: A video clip on this topic (will be serving as enrichment item) is also
available in the Google classroom .

In the 19th Century

In the 19th century, witnessed the rise of modern industry, from agriculture to
industrial manufacturing and technology-intensive services. An unending stream of
new products turned out by factories employing radically new technologies, skills, and
organization drove this emerging modern world.
Based on the Gregorian calendar, 19th century lasted from 1801 to 1900. The
invention of useable electricity, steel, and petroleum products led into a second
Industrial Revolution during the 19th century. This century was considered to be the
age of machine tools. Tools were made for tools; machines were made for other parts
of another machine.

During the 19th century, science also made great progress.

• John Dalton (1766-1844) published his atomic theory in 1803. Dalton also studied
color blindness.
• Dmitri Mendeleev (1834-1907) formulated the Periodic Table.
• Hermann von Helmholtz (1821-1894) formulated the law of the Conservation
of Energy in 1847. In 1851, he invented the ophthalmoscope. In the late 19th century,
physics made great strides.
• James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) showed that light is an electromagnetic wave in
1873 and was later on proved by Heinrich Hertz (1857-1894) in 1888.
• Henri Becquerel (1852-1908) discovered radioactivity in 1896.
• Marie Curie (1867-1934) and Pierre Curie (1859-1906) discovered radium in 1898.
• Joseph Thomson discovered the electron in 1897.

In the 19th century, people mastered electricity.

• Hans Christian Oersted (1777-1851) discovered that electric current is a wire caused
a nearby compass needle to move is 1819.
• Michael Faraday (1791-1867) showed that a magnet can produce electricity
and in 1831 he invented the dynamo.
• Samuel F.B. Morse (1791-1872) invested the electric telegraph is 1937.

In the 19th century, machines in factories were usually operated by steam engines. At
the end of the 19th century, they began to covert to electricity. In the mid-19* century,
railways revolutionized travelling and made travel much faster. Steam locomotives
pulled the carriages.
• Kari Benz (1844-1929) and Gottlieb Daimler (1834-1900) made the first cars in 1885
and 1836.

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Meanwhile, the steamship revolutionized travelling a sea. At 1815, steamships were
crossing the English Channel. Furthermore took several weeks to cross the Atlantic.
Then in 1838, a steamship called the Sirius made the jobs across the Atlantic in 19
days. However steam did not completely replace sail until the end of the 19 century
when the steam turbine was used on ships

In the 20- Century

It is not skeptical that the 20 century is one of the most noticeable in the history
of humans for its incomparable technological advances and scientific discoveries.
There were a lot of new technologies made and science discoveries.
Technology was rapidly developed in the 20 century. With the use of scientific
methods and funding for research, it helped achieve the advancement of modern
science and technology. With the ascension of new technology, it enhanced the
communication and transportation system of humans and brought it closer to people.
Military research and development brought about the rise of electronic computing and
jet engines. Radio and telephony enriched greatly and reached a wider population of
users, though near-universal access was impossible until mobile phones became
affordable for the people in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
The relationship between science and technology has become more
problematic on several levels in the 20 century. In the face of an ever-growing
complexity, technology has become more scientific and the natural sciences more
technological, as the social scientific concept of techno science indicates. At the same
time, many technological innovations since the 1970s have only slowly resulted in job-
creating new products.
Some of the greatest technological advancement during this period was the
creation of personal computer. In 1971, Intel developed a microprocessor that made
computer smaller, easier to use, and cheaper which replaced the early computers that
were bulky and had a tube-powered behemoths. Computer has become a dominant
tool in the global economy and as a necessity in many homes that until today we greatly
rely on them. Steve Jobs (1955-2011) and Steve Wozniak (1950) have redefined the
meaning of computer by introducing Apple in 1976. While in connection with the
invention of personal computers, the Internet was also created in 1969 for defense-
related research known as ARPANet or Advanced Research Projects Agency
Network. It helped us in terms of global communication, gathering information through
searching, conducting business matters and on our everyday affairs through the World
Wide Web which was created in 1989.
Another one is the automobiles or cars, which were considered to be one of the
most revolutionary technological advancements in the century. Exploitation of the said
technology was made possible because of Henry Ford (1863-1947) by devising a
system of mass production for the Model T in 1908. It made cars affordable to people
and also made a dramatic change in the society. Using automobiles as a form of
transportation has connected people together including those in the rural areas to
urban centers.
One of the breakthroughs during the century was the invention of Artificial
Intelligence that has the capacity for a computer to perform humanlike intellectual
processes and it was later on developed during the 1940's. Modern A.I. features
specially designed computers that can think" similarly to humans. A.I. is also being
used to assist doctors in making medical diagnoses. While there are no any program
or computer existing today that can match the man's full intellectual capacity.

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SUGGESTED READINGS / WEBSITE/ VIDEOS/ FILM CLIPS
i. Bautista, D.H., N.S. Burce, J.M. Dungo, C.S. Garcia, J.B. Imson, R.A.
Labog, F.J.B. Salazar and J.L. Santos (2018). Science Technology and
Society. MaxCor Pub. House, Inc. Quezon City, Philippines
ii. Goddard, J. (2010). Concise history of science and inventions: An
illustrated Timeline. Washington, D.C., USA: National Geographic Society
iii. 123 Help me. (n.d.). History of science and technology. Retrieved from
http://www.123helpme.com/history-of-science-and-technology-
view.asp?id=158842
iv. Moistero, A.P. (2006). Science, technology and society. Quezon City:
Educational Publishing House
v. The scientist-history of
science.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgp_Oh7eifA
vi. Progress in science and technology.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlwwZZeiz5o

ACTIVITY No. 2
Class A and B: Make a 3-5 min. video clip explaining your ideas about the following
problems.
1. In what period would you like to time travel to make your own invention?
2. Do you think religion will play a big role in the progression of science and
technology?
3. What do you think are the negative effects of science and technological
advancement?
Send your work to your respective STS Google classrooms. Deadlines will be given
by your instructors. For class B, inform your instructors if ever you still have to make
arrangements with regard to the internet connection which will affect the deadline.

Rubric for rating your work on Video

Subject
• provides insight into topic (5 pts max.)
• is discussed thoroughly (5 pts max.)
Subject Score ______ out of 10

Content
• Presents interesting information (5 pts max.)
• Language is used properly and effectively (5 pts max.)
• Student(s) behave professionally on camera (5 pts max.)
• Student(s) demonstrate thoughtful approach to subject (5 pts max.)
Content Score ______ out of 20

Technical Aspects
• Camera is stable, smooth movements and pans (5 pts max.)
• Subject is lit and clearly visible (5 pts max.)
• Sound is clear and understandable (5 pts max.)
• Titles are used effectively (5 pts max.)
• Project was completed in a timely manner (5 pts max.)
Technical aspects Score ______ out of 25

Total Score: _______ out of 55

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Class C: Choose one of the topics listed below and make a poster (using any art
materials of your choice) in a long-sized bond paper showing the development of
Science and technology. In another bond paper, write an explanation on the question
“Do you think religion will play a big role in the progression of science and technology?”
Topics:
i. Ancient ii. Medieval iii. Renaissance iv. Industrial Revolution
v. 19th Century vi. 2oth Century
Have your work be submitted during the schedule to be given by your STS instructor.
Rubric for rating your work on poster
Category 7-10 pts. 5-6 pts. 3-4 pts. 1-2 pts.
The poster All required All but 1 of the Several
includes all elements are required required
required included on the elements are elements were
Elements
elements as well poster. included on the missing.
as additional poster.
information.
All graphics are All graphics are All graphics Graphics do not
related to the related to the relate to the relate to the
Graphics topic and make topic and most topic. topic
it easier to make it easier to
understand. understand.
The poster is The poster is The poster is The poster is
exceptionally attractive in acceptably distractingly
attractive in terms of design, attractive messy or very
Attractiveness
terms of design, layout, and though it may poorly
layout, and neatness. be a bit messy. designed. It is
neatness. not attractive.
TOTAL SCORE : ______ out of 30

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