Historical antecedents in which social

considerations changed the course of science

and technology
CHAPTER 1
 Objectives
After studying this module, you should be
able to;
1. Explain how science and technology
affected the society and environment
and vice versa;
2. Identify inventions and discoveries that
changed the world over the course of
history and;
3. Discuss the scientific and technological
developments in the Philippines.
2/8/20XX 2
 Introduction

Science comes from the Latin word

scienctia, meaning 'knowledge.' It refers to
a systematic and methodical activity of
building and organizing knowledge about
how the universe behaves through
observation, experimentation or both.
Sample Footer Text 3
 Introduction

Technology, for its part, is the application

of scientific knowledge, laws, and
principles to produce services, materials,
tools, and machines aimed at solving
real-world problems. It comes from the
Greek root word techne, meaning 'art,
Sample Footer Text skill, or cunning of hand.' 4
 Introduction

According to Albert Einstein, "it is not

knowledge if you only derived it from
books but if you can derive it on numbers,
it is considered knowledge." Because
numbers are the application of
knowledge and technology is the
application of numbers and science.
Sample Footer Text 5
 Historical Antecedents in the Course
of Science and Technology
• In the ancient times, people were concerned with
transportation and navigation, communication, and
recordkeeping, mass production, security and protection, as
well as health, aesthetics, and architecture.

• Transportation was significant during that time because

people were trying to go places and discover new horizons.
They are travelling to search for food and find better
locations for their settlements. They also travelled to trade
their surplus goods in exchange for things that they lacked.
Historical Antecedents in the Course of Science and Technology 6
 Historical Antecedents in the Course
of Science and Technology
• Communication was also essential in their endeavors to discover and
occupy new places. They needed a way to communicate with the
natives of the areas they visited so as to facilitate trade and prevent
possible conflicts.

• The increase in size and number of nations connoted increased

demand for food and other basic necessities, this condition also
implied that the people must be able to produce food at a given time
and space since resources were getting scarcer as more people
struggled to share the basic necessities. The people thus needed a
form of technology that would enable them to increase food supplies
and other survival needs.
Historical Antecedents in the Course of Science and Technology 7
 SUMERIAN
CIVILIZATION

CHAPTER 1
 SUMERIAN

Sumer was an ancient civilization

founded in the Mesopotamia region of the
Fertile Crescent situated between the
Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Known for their
innovations in language, governance,
architecture and more, Sumerians are
considered the creators of civilization as
modern humans understand it

SUMERIAN 2/8/20XX 9
 CUNEIFORM

One of the major contributions of the

Sumerians is the development of the first
writing system known as cuneiform. It is a
system that utilizes word pictures and
triangular symbols which are carved on clay
using wedge instruments and then left to dry.
Cuneiform allowed the Sumerians to keep
records of things with great historical value or
their everyday life. It is also one way of passing
their traditions, cultures, and their legacy.
SUMERIAN 2/8/20XX 10
 URUK CITY
It is a great wonder not only because it is
considered to be the first true city in the world but also
for the way it was built. There were no building stones in
the location of this city and lumber was limited, making
the construction a big challenge. The Sumerians were
able to build the city using only mud or clay from the
river, which they mixed with reeds, producing
sunbaked bricks-a true engineering feat. They used the
bricks to make houses that protected them from the
harsh weather and to build a wall around the city that
prevented wild animals and neighboring raiders from
entering.

SUMERIAN 2/8/20XX 11
 THE GREAT ZIGGURAT OF UR
The Ziggurat, also called the
mountain of God, was built in the same
manner that they constructed the City
of Uruk. Without much building
materials, the structure was constructed
using sunbaked bricks. The Ziggurat
served as the sacred place of their chief
God, where only priest was allowed to
enter.
SUMERIAN 2/8/20XX 12
 IRRIGATION AND DIKES
As population increase, so did the demand
for food. The Sumerians were challenged to mass
produce items but the elements in the environment
seemed uncooperative. It was difficult to get water
form the river, thus they could not maintain
farmlands. Some groups had scarce water supply,
while others had problems with flooding caused by
the river. As a solution to this dilemma, the Sumerians
created dikes and irrigation canals to bring water to
farmlands and at the same time control the flooding
of the riven. This method was considered as one of
the world's most beneficial engineering works.
SUMERIAN 2/8/20XX 13
 SAIL BOATS
Another challenge to the Sumerians was
transportation. At that time, the wheel was not yet
invented; the main mode of transportation was
through waterways such as rivers and seas. Boats
were used to carry large quantities of products and
were able to cover large distances. However, they
wanted to discover faraway lands to settle since the
population was getting larger, and boats were not
enough to accommodate more people and
products. They needed a mode of transportation
that did not require much of human resource. It is
essential in transportation and trading as well as in
fostering culture, information, and technology.
SUMERIAN 2/8/20XX 14
 SAIL BOATS

In the latter part of their history,

the Sumerians were able to invent the
wheel since the specialized tools
needed to create it were already
available. The first wheels were not
made for transportation but for farm
work and food process. With the use of
the wheel and axel, mass production
was made easier. Farmers were able to
mill grains with less effort in less time.
SUMERIAN 2/8/20XX 15
 THE PLOW

Another farm technology

invented by the Mesopotamians is
the plow. The plow was invented to
dig in a faster pace. As the plow
beaks the ground, the fanner would
just drop the seeds and farm work
would already be done .

SUMERIAN 2/8/20XX 16
 ROADS
In order to facilitate faster and easier travel, the
Sumerians developed the first roads. With this
work, the flow of traffic became faster and
more organized. They made the roads with the
same technology used in making sunbaked
bricks that they laid down on the ground.

The Sumerian doesn’t have any degree

in engineering or architecture but they were
able to build buildings, road, etc. that are still
solid and stable until now.
SUMERIAN 2/8/20XX 17
BABYLONIAN
CIVILIZATION
 BABYLONIAN
CIVILIZATION
Babylonian civilization emerged near the
Tigris and Euphrates river. The Babylonians were
great builders, engineers, and architects.
Babylonia emergeD near the river because
water is one of their basic necessities. Water
brings food for them, brings energy and beauty,
and it also enable them to travel from one
place to another. With the use of river, they are
able to exchange their goods to other places
and they can also use it to conquer and also to
escape.
BABYLONIAN 2/8/20XX 19
 HANGING GARDEN

One of their major contributions is the

hanging garden of Babylon, one of the seven
wonders of the ancient world. Today, people can
only marvel at the beauty of the famous Hanging
Gardens of Babylon form the stories of historians and
paintings that portray the place. It was said to be a
structure made up of layers upon layers of gardens
that contained several species of plants, trees, and
vines. However, no physical evidence has been
found to prove the existence of the Hanging
Gardens of Babylon. Its exact location is unknown.
20
2/8/20XXBABYLONIAN
 EGYPTIAN
CIVILIZATION
 Another early civilization
famous for it legacy is the Egyptian
civilization located in North Africa.
Many stories tell about the
engineering feats of the Egyptian
especially regarding infrastructures
established by the Pharaohs.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
PAPER ON PAPYRUS

Aside from the Sumerians, Egyptians also

developed a system of writing, they were able
to make writing easier for the world. Before,
they are using tables made from clay tablets
but they find it fragile, heavy, and delicate to
handle. Hence, the Egyptian invention of paper
or papyrus was a welcome development. They
were able to process the plant in order to
produce thin sheets on which one could write
down things
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
PAPER ON PAPYRUS

When Egyptians invented

the papyrus or the paper,
engraving ceased to be used in
writing. As a result, the Egyptians
invented ink by combining
different chemicals to produce
inks of different colors.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 HIEROGLYPHICS

Like Sumerians, the Egyptians also

developed a system of writing using
symbols, known as hieroglyphics. Although
some say that hieroglyphics was adapted
from the early writing system established in
Mesopotamia as a result of trade between
civilizations the Egyptians believed that this
writing systems was provided to them by
their gods.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 HIEROGLYPHICS

Their way of writing is also the

root cause why many scientists are
confused about their history.
Hieroglyphics is not just an ordinary
writing of text, but it is also consisting
of many different symbols and
illustration that may lead scientist to
misinterpretation of data or meaning.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
COSMETIC AND WIG

Cosmetics nowadays are

essentials in building your self
confidence but did you know that the
cosmetics that we are using right now is
invented by the Egyptians? Although
cosmetics in the modem times are used
to improve and highlight the facial
features of a person, their function in
ancient Egypt was for both health and
aesthetic.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
COSMETIC AND WIG
For example, Egyptians wore kohl around the eyes to
prevent and even cure eye diseases.

Another cosmetic invention of ancient

Egyptian is the wig. Nowadays, wigs are used to
enhance the appearance of people who are
balding or those who want to try new hair
trends. Meanwhile, during the ancient Egyptian
times, they were used for health and wellness
rather than for aesthetic purposes. They used it
to cover their head from the harmful rays of the
sun.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 WATER
CLOCK/CLEPSYDRA
Another important ancient
Egyptian contribution is the water
clock. This device utilizes gravity that
affects the flow of water from on
vessel to another. This invention also
leads to our modern-day clock
through series of improvement done
by the succeeding civilization.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 GREEK
CIVILIZATION
 Many students are actually excited about
the Greek civilization because they think about the
Greek Gods and Goddesses but spoiler alert, they
are just myths. Greece is an archipelago in the
southeastern part of Europe. This makes their country
difficult to conquer since it is an archipelago, they
can hide or ambush the enemy from various island.
Europe is known as the birth place of western
philosophy, some of the major achievements of the
Greeks include in-depth works on philosophy and
mathematics. Greek civilization has contributed
much to the world especially in the fields of science
and technology.
BABYLONIAN 2/8/20XX 31
 The first proponents of an atomic
theory were the Greek philosophers
Leucippus and Democritus in the field of
science and on the field of math they
have Pythagoras who was perhaps the
first to realize that a complete system of
mathematics could be constructed and
later called Pythagorean Theorem.

BABYLONIAN 2/8/20XX 32
 ALARM CLOCK
One of the most utilized gadgets
today was invented by ancient Greeks is
the alarm clock. Although the alarm clock
during that time does not resembles the
present-thy clocks, the purpose was just the
same- to tell an individual when to stop or
when to start.
This invention according to the
scientist resembles that of the Egyptians but
this is more complex but more accurate.

BABYLONIAN 2/8/20XX 33
 WATERMILLS
Watermills were also considered as one
of the most important contributions of the
Greek civilization to the world. They were
commonly used in agricultural processes like
milling of grains which is necessary form of food
processing during that time. Mass production of
rice, cereals, flours and the like became
common with the help of watermills. Modern-
day watermills also help for converting
mechanical energy into electricity which also
leads to invention of windmill and turbine.

BABYLONIAN 2/8/20XX 34
 ROMAN
CIVILIZATION
 ROMAN
CIVILIZATION
The Roman Empire was perceived to be the
strongest political and social entity in the west.
Political because of its huge population and territory
and social because of religion. It was considered to
be the cradle of politics and governance during the
period. Because the Roman Empire was so large,
other civilizations looked up to it as their model in
terms of legislation and codified law. That is why
many other civilizations were conquered by the
Roman Empire because of its existing laws which
make it more complex and more stable compared
to the other civilizations or empire.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 ROMAN
CIVILIZATION
The following are the inventions and innovations of
the Roman Empire.
• Newspaper
• Bound Books or Codex
• Roman Architecture
• Roman numerals
All of the above-mentioned inventions are
still existing in this present-thy civilization and are
used in the entire world. The most famous is the
newspaper which is globally used by different races.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 CHINESE
CIVILIZATION
 CHINESE
CIVILIZATION
It is considered as the oldest
civilization in Asia. Also known as
middle kingdom, China is located on
the far east of Asia. It was very
famous among the other ancient
civilization because of its silk trade.

BABYLONIAN 2/8/20XX 39
 CHINESE
CIVILIZATION
The following are contributions
of Chinese civilization to the world:
• Silk industry
• Tea production
• Worlds Famous Great wall of
China
• Gun powder

BABYLONIAN 2/8/20XX 40
 CHINESE
CIVILIZATION
China even until know controls the
production of almost everything. Most of
the things like gadget, furniture,
weapon, medicine, basic necessities,
any many other are made in China.
That is why Chinese economy is getting
bigger and its control over the
international politics is indeed very
impressive.
BABYLONIAN 2/8/20XX 41
 MEDIEVAL/
MIDDLE AGES
 MEDIEVAL/
MIDDLE AGES
The start of the middle ages was
marred by massive invasions and
migrations. Wars were prevalent during this
time. As such, great technology was
needed in the field of weaponry,
navigation, mass food and farm
production, and health. Most innovative
minds came from this period to control the
increase of trade and commerce among
nations.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 PRINTING PRESS

Johann Gutenberg was able to

invent the printing press, a more reliable
way of printing using a cast type. This
general invention soon evolved to be the
mechanical printing press which was
eventually used all over the world. The
printing press was invented to address the
need for publishing books that would
spread information to many people at a
faster rate.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 MICROSCOPE

Growing population is caused massive

migration and urbanization during the period.
More and more people are transferred to
polluted and populated urban areas which
resulted in more people getting sick and
needing medical attention. To develop the
proper medicines for the illness, experts must
understand the sickness through investigation
that is why they invented this device to magnify
the small things that are invisible to the naked
eye.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 TELESCOPE

Since the Middle Ages was also

known as the age of exploration, the
need for nautical inventions was
high. Considering the vast and
empty oceans that separated lands,
ship captains needed to see far and
wide for them to navigate or avoid
dangers at sea.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 WAR WEAPON

Since wars were widespread

during the Middle Ages, great
development in the weaponry
technology also occurred. One of the
keys to gain victory during this time are
well crafted bows, spears, even armors
which are used in close range hand-to-
hand combat and for open-area
battles.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
MODERN
TIMES
 MODERN
CIVILIZATION
The booming world population during the
nineteenth century onwards demanded that more
goods be produced at a faster rate. People needed
efficient means of transportation to trade more
goods and cover a larger distance. Machines that
required animals to operate must thus be upgrade.
Faster and easier means to communicate and
compute should be developed to establish
connections between and among nations. Because
of these, the birth of various industries takes place.
However, due to massive industrialization, the
modern times again faced more complicated
problems.
BABYLONIAN 2/8/20XX 49
 PASTEURIZATION
As people were able to develop
better means of production to meet the
needs of the population, food preservation
and food safety became an issue. The
challenge to keep manufactured from
deteriorating was greater for (Inky
products, especially milk, since they usually
spoiled faster. If this food is not consumed
immediately after the production, it might
lead to food poisoning, diphtheria, and
typhoid fever.
BABYLONIAN 2/8/20XX 50
 PASTEURIZATION
Louise Pasture, a French biologist,
microbiologist, and chemist, found a
way to solve the problem. He invented
pasteurization, the process of heating
dairy products to kill the harmful
bacteria that allow the m so spoil faster.
Through this process, milk could be
stored and consumed for a longer
period.
BABYLONIAN 2/8/20XX 51
 PETROLEUM
REFINERY
Samuel M. Kier was able to invent
kerosene by refining petroleum.
Kerosene was later on referred to as the
"illuminating oil" because it was used at
first to provide lighting to homes. After
some time, it was applied for heat
mimosa Nowadays. kerosene is still
present as still used by many people for
powering automobiles, factories, and
power plants, among others.
BABYLONIAN 2/8/20XX 52
 Which country has the
largest oil refinery?
a.Philippines
b.Japan
c.India
d.US
e.Dubai
BABYLONIAN 2/8/20XX 53
 UNITED STATES
In 2020, oil refinery capacity in
the United States amounted to
approximately 18.1 million barrels per
day, while the actual refinery
throughput was 14.2 million barrels of
oil per day. They have consistently
maintained the largest oil refinery
capacity of any nation worldwide.
BABYLONIAN 2/8/20XX 54
 TELEPHONE
What do you think is the first word ever
spoken on the telephone? It is "Mr. Watson,
come here. I want to see you" Alexander
Graham Bell invented the telephone and it was
one of the most important inventions at that
time. But before, the connection is very limited,
the commoners cannot afford to buy one, and
it is not that reliable in terms of stability and
consistency. Nowadays, telephones are one of
the necessities in this fast-changing world.
Millennials can no longer live without it
according to time magazine.
BABYLONIAN 2/8/20XX 55
 CALCULATOR
Although an earlier version of the
calculator had already been
developed, circumstances in the
modern times required a faster way to
compute mire complicated equations.
The creation of modern-day calculator
did not only pave the way for easier
arithmetic calculations, but also resulted
in the development of more complex
processing machines like computer.
BABYLONIAN 2/8/20XX 56
PHILIPPINE
INVENTIONS
 PHILIPPINE
INVENTIONS
Despite being considered a
developing country, the Philippines also
contributes to the global advancement of
science and technology. We have a group
of inventors called the Filipino Inventors
Society which aims to remedy the needs of
the consumers by inventing useful
machines that could help us in our
everyday living. These inventors are
supported by the DOST or the Department
of Science and Technology.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 PHILIPPINE
INVENTIONS
These inventions are being
recognized and being used all over the
world. According to the Filipino
Inventors Society Secretary Fortunato de
la Pena, "we may lack of resources, but
our minds are filled with knowledge"
which is true. As a Filipino, we know how
to be patient and how to curl when the
blanket is short meaning, we find ways
in every problem that we face.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 PHILIPPINE
INVENTIONS
The items discussed in this
chapter are only some of the great
inventions and developments during
the different time periods. There are
still more innovations and discoveries
that were made in the course of
history that changed the world.

2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
ACTIVITY
PARADIGM
SHIFT
 PARADIGM
SHIFT
A scientific paradigm is a
framework containing all the
commonly accepted views
about a subject, conventions
about what direction research
should take and how it should
be performed.

2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 PARADIGM
SHIFT
The philosopher Thomas Kuhn
suggested that a paradigm includes
“the practices that define a
scientific discipline at a certain
point in time." Paradigms contain
all the distinct, established patterns,
theories, common methods and
standards that allow us to recognize
an experimental result as belonging
to a field or not.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 PARADIGM
SHIFT
Science proceeds by accumulating
support for hypotheses which in time
become models and theories. But those
models and theories themselves exist
within a larger theoretical framework. The
vocabulary and concepts in Newton’s three
laws or the central dogma in biology are
examples of scientific “open resources" that
scientists have adopted and which now
form part of the scientific paradigm.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 PARADIGM
SHIFT

Paradigms are historically and

culturally bound. For example, a
modern Chinese medical researcher
with a background in eastern
medicine, will operate within a
different paradigm than a western
doctor from the 1800s.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 PARADIGM
SHIFT
A paradigm dictates:
• what is observed and measured
• the questions we ask
about those observations
how the questions are
formulated how the
results are interpreted
how research is carried
out what equipment is
appropriate
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 PARADIGM
SHIFT
Many students who opt to study
science do so with the belief that
they are undertaking the most rational
path to learning about objective reality.

But science, much like any other

discipline, is subject to ideological
idiosyncrasies, preconceptions and
hidden assumptions.

2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 PARADIGM
SHIFT

In fact, Kuhn strongly suggested

that research in a deeply entrenched
paradigm invariably ends up
reinforcing that paradigm, since
anything that contradicts it is ignored
or else pressed through the preset
methods until it conforms to
already established dogma.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
 PARADIGM
SHIFT

The body of pre-existing

evidence in a field conditions and
shapes the collection and
interpretation of all subsequent
evidence. The certainty that the
current paradigm is reality itself is
precisely what makes it so difficult
to accept alternatives.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
2/8/20XX 71
 PARADIGM
SHIFT
The shift from one paradigm to another occurs when
enough anomalies to the current paradigm build up, causing
scientists to question the foundational principles upon which
their worldview rests. During “normal science,” when the
current paradigm is in place, these anomalies are discounted
as acceptable levels of error. However, during “revolutionary
science” or a paradigm shift, these anomalies become
the center of attention as scientists attempt to construct
a new world view that incorporates and explains them.
This period of intense focus on explaining anomalies and
developing a new paradigm is considered “revolutionary
science,” and it is sparked by a “crisis” where the old
paradigm fails explain key anomalies or outliers. Once a new
paradigm is developed, however, there is a return to “normal
science” under the new worldview.
2/8/20XXEGYPTIAN
2/8/20XX 73
 An Example of a
Paradigm Shift
Many physicists in the 19th century were
convinced that the Newtonian paradigm that had
reigned for 200 years was the pinnacle of discovery
and that scientific progress was more or less a
question of refinement. When Einstein published
his theories on General Relativity, it was not just
another idea that could fit comfortably into the
existing paradigm. Instead, Newtonian Physics itself
was relegated to being a special subclass of the
greater paradigm ushered in by General
Relativity. Newton’s three laws are still faithfully
taught in schools, however we now operate within a
paradigm that puts those laws into a much broader
context.
2/8/20XX
 An Example of a
Paradigm Shift
Interestingly, Kuhn’s theory itself was
something of a game changer at the time,
since scientists were not accustomed to
thinking of what they were doing in
such metaphysical terms. Kuhn’s theories
are today understood to be part of a
greater paradigm shift in the social
sciences, and have also been modified
since their original publication.

2/8/20XX
 An Example of a
Paradigm Shift
Kuhn later conceded that the
process of scientific advancement
might be more gradual. For
example, Relativity did not
completely prove Newton wrong,
but merely reframed his theory.
Even the Copernican revolution
was a little more gradual in
replacing Ptolemy's beliefs.
2/8/20XX
 An Example of a
Paradigm Shift

The concept of paradigm is closely related

to the Platonic and Aristotelian views of
knowledge. Aristotle believed that knowledge
could only be based upon what is already
known, the basis of the scientific method. Plato
believed that knowledge should be judged by
what something could become, the end result,
or final purpose. Plato's philosophy is more
like the intuitive leaps that cause scientific
revolution;; Aristotle's the patient gathering of
data. 2/8/20XX
ACTIVITY
 Necessity is
the mother
of invention
Proverb

79
 Thank You
Stay safe ☺

ARLYN U. MALABANAN
malabananarlyn948@gmail.com 80
 REFERENCES
• https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/bulacan-
state-university/science-technology-and-
society/module-1-historical-antecedents-in-the-
course-of-science-and-technology/9147102

• Video: Stephen Colbert’s interview with Neil Tyson

(https://www.youtube.com/watchv=YXh9RQCvxmg&
noredirect=1)
• Youtube: World’s Greatest Inventions (3 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VizAMSRooLc

SUMERIAN 2/8/20XX 81