STS FINALS REVIEWER PPT Questions

STS Final Reviewer
1. Jaron Lanier is concerned about forming emotional attachments to robots making them human-like primarily
because…
C. This will make humans feel machine-like and will make us lose our distinctiveness.
2. What is the main focus of a human rights-based approach to science, technology and society?
C. Protecting the well-being and the dignity of a person
3. This document states that all levels of government and the private sector should provide enhanced support
for building up an adequate and evenly distributed scientific and technological capacity through appropriate
education and research programs.
D. UNESCO Declaration on the Use of Scientific Knowledge – 1999 (Article 33)
4. This document affirms everyone’s right to participate in and benefit from scientific advances, and be
protected from scientific misuses.
B. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 27)
5. This document affirms that all advances in scientific and technological knowledge should be solely geared
towards securing well-being for global citizens, and calls upon member states to develop the necessary
protocol and policies to monitor and secure this objective.
A. UNESCO Recommendation on the Status of Scientific Researchers – 1974 (Article 4)
6. The gap between those who have ready access to computers and the Internet, and those who do not is
called ____.
B. Digital divide
7. He wrote the article entitled “Why the Future Does Not Need Us?”
A. William Nelson Joy
8. The writer of the article “Why the Future Does Not Need Us?” warned his reader against…
B. rapid rise of technologies
9. A neo-Luddite is…
C. Someone who rejects new technologies and shows technophobic learnings
10.The following are considered fields of 21st century technology EXCEPT

D. selective breeding
11. Who is the German goldsmith credited for the invention of a device that applies pressure to an inked
surface lying on a print medium, such as cloth or paper?
A. Johannes Gutenberg
12. As man evolved, information and its dissemination has also progressed in many ways. Which of the
following event signifies what happened in 500 BCE?
D. Papyrus roll was used
13. Which of the following originated from communication networks used by military and academic circles and
was expanded to worldwide coverage over the following years?
D. internet
14. Which of the following event happened first?

C. Lee DeForest invented the electronic amplifying tube
15. Teenagers can misuse social media platforms to spread rumors, share videos aimed at destroying
reputations and to blackmail others. This challenge on the use of social media can also be pertained to as…
A. Cyberbullying
16. This law protects individuals from unauthorized processing of personal information that is private, not
publicly available; and identifiable, where the identity of the individual is apparent either through direct
attribution or when put together with other available information.
B. Republic Act No. 10173
17. People more spend more and more time absorbing information without validating if it is correct and reliable
or not can result in…
C. Spreading of fake news
18.According to Castells, what was considered to be the decisive technology of the Information Age?
D. internet
19. This type of biodiversity refers to the individual variations among organisms of the same species, as well as
variations between populations due to local condition adaptations.
B. Genetic diversity
20. Foxglove, a plant which treats congestive heart failure (CHF) and heart rhythm problems, is scientifically
known as _______.
D. Digitalis purpurea
21. Which among the following is the contribution of Augustine Mouchot?

A. He developed the first solar powered system for industrial machinery.
22. Which of the following statement is CORRECT?

I. The cessation of the existence of a species increases biodiversity.
II. The more diverse the organisms are, the more the society will benefit.
C. only II is correct.
23. Which of the following is NOT considered a benefit of biodiversity?
D. It plays a crucial role in exploitation.
24. What type of energy was mainly used for survival of people who lived through Stone Age?
A. Heat energy
25. This protocol ensures the safe transport, handling, and use of living modified organisms resulting from
modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on biodiversity.
C. Cartagena Protocol
26. In 1953, the discovery of DNA structure opened the gates for the countless possibilities of genetic
engineering. Who discovered the structure of DNA?
D. James Watson and Francis Crick
27. Which of the following is NOT currently one of the uses of genetic engineering?
C. creation of products that will remove poisons from the human body
28. They proposed that people with genetic disorders can be treated by replacing defective DNA with good
DNA.
B. Theodore Friedman and Richard Roblin
29. Which of the following is the first commercial gene therapy product that was approved in China in 2003 for
the treatment of a certain type of cancer?
B. Gendicine
30. Which of the following is a naturally occurring soil-borne organism commonly used for insect control?
C. Bacillus thuringiensis
31. Arrange the following in proper chronological sequence with the most recent event as the last in the order.
I. Organic Agriculture Act was issued, encouraging organic agriculture rather than GMO-related agriculture
II. The Philippines became the first Asian country to approve the cultivation of GMOs
III. A Joint Department Circular was passed to regulate the research, development, movement, and use of GM
plants and plant products.
IV. Negros Organic Island bans entry of GMOs to their provinces.
C. II-IV-I-III
32. A type of gene therapy which alters the DNA of a gamete or fertilized ovum is called _____.
B. Germline gene therapy
33. A small circular DNA molecule that replicates independently from the bacterial chromosome is called
_______.
C. plasmid
34. Which of the following is/are potential risk/s of genetic engineering?
I. It promotes mutation with unknown long-term effects.
II. It reduces the use of fertilizer and pesticides.
III. It can cause new pest or weed resistance.
IV. It might change the balance of microorganisms in the digestive system.
D. I, III and IV only
35. Which of the following statement about carbon nanotubes is incorrect?

D. they consist of a linear arrangement of hybridized carbon atoms
36. Nanotechnology is said to be convergent because…

C. It brings together various fields of science like biology, physics, inorganic chemistry and medicine.
37. The prefix “nano” comes from a

B. Greek word meaning dwarf
38. These are silicon oxides and aluminum oxides that have specific nanoporous cage-like structures that are
used as molecular sieves.
C. zeolites
39. What is graphene?

B. A one-atom thick sheet of carbon
40. All are benefits of nanotechnology EXCEPT…

A. Lower recovery and recycling rates
41. Which of the following statement is TRUE about Ozone?

A. It serves as a protection from the ultraviolet rays
42. It refers to the range of global phenomena caused by burning of fossil fuels that add heat-trapping gases to
the Earth’s atmosphere.
D. Climate change
43. Which of the following is NOT an effect of climate change?

A. Greenhouse gas emissions
44. What event occurs when sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide are emitted into the atmosphere and react with
wet or dry matters?
B. Acid deposition
45. Which of the following is a greenhouse gas?

A. Carbon dioxide
B. Nitrous oxide
C. Methane
D. All of the above
46. Which country currently emits the most greenhouse gases?

B. China
47. An international agreement set to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and
consumption of ozone depleting substances.
A. Montreal Protocol
48. Which of the following statement is CORRECT?

I. El Nino describes the unusual warming of surface waters of the region.
II. La Nina describes the unusual cooling of surface waters of the region.
III. El Nino brings droughts that threaten the supply of water.
IV. La Nina brings unusual heavy rains and flooding in desert areas.
D. I, II, III and IV only
49. Why are forests important for mitigating climate change?

A. Forests serve as a sink in the carbon cycle
50. An international agreement that extends the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in
which Philippines is one of the signatories.
B. Kyoto Protocol
FM-AA-CIA-15 Rev. 0 10-July-2020
Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 8
STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. 8
WHEN TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY CROSS

MODULE OVERVIEW
Humans aiming for a good life should cautiously think while dealing with science and technology. This
Module discusses documents that are very important to ensure that human rights are being protected and the
well-being of the human person is being guaranteed in the advent of developments in science and technology.
This section focuses on S. Romi Mukherjee's article on human rights-based approach to science, development,
and technology, and the cited documents in the article that contain their key principles.
MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this Module, you should be able to:

1. Identify key documents and their principles that ensure the well-being of humans in the midst of scientific
progress and technological development
2. Examine human rights in order to uphold such rights in technological ethical dilemmas
LEARNING ACTIVITY 1
Diagnostics
Before continuing on this Module, let us have a short diagnostic test to determine your beliefs regarding
human rights and science and technology. Choose the statements below that you agree on.
1. Rights upheld in the context of science and technology should be the same for every human being.
2. To attain science and technological advancement, it is sometimes necessary to disregard human
rights.
3. It would be a violation of human rights if the scientific community does not include the public in its
decisions.
4. Human rights should be considered when making decisions and policies where science and
technology is concerned.
5. The foremost responsibility of the scientific community is to ensure that human rights are not
violated during scientific endeavors.
HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH TO SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND DEVELOPMENT
You cannot deny that most of the comfort you are experiencing wherever you are is because of science
and technology. At this moment, you can choose a comfortable way on reading this text maybe through your
phone or laptop or printed on a paper.
Indeed, scientific and technological advancement today is associated to having a good life, however, it
can be perilous in upholding human rights. Exponential technologies have truly amazing potential for humanity,
but we may squander it if we forget that the purpose of all technology should be to promote human flourishing.
Thus, it is important that in the developments in science and technology, human rights should always be kept
in mind. Such is the aim of a human rights-based approach to science, technology, and development.
S. Romi Mukherjee, a senior lecturer in Political Theory and the History of Religions at the Paris Institute
of Political Studies, explained this approach in his article Linking science and human rights: Facts and figures.
According to Mukherjee (2012), a human rights-based approach to science technology, and development:
“seeks to place a concern for human rights at the heart of how the international community
engages with urgent global challenges. The UN Development Programme characterizes
this approach as one that ‘leads to better and more sustainable outcomes by analyzing
and addressing the inequalities, discriminatory practices and unjust power relations which
are often at the heart of development problems. It puts the international human rights
entitlements and claims of the people (the 'right-holders) and the corresponding obligations
PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 1

of the state (the 'duty-bearer) in the center of the national development debate, and it
clarifies the purpose of capacity development.’”
To learn more about the human rights-based approach to science and technology, its aims, and its
assertions, you can read Murkhejee’s article by visiting this link: https://www.scidev.net/global/human-
rights/feature/linking-science-and-human-rights-facts-and-
figures.html#:~:text=A%20human%20rights%2Dbased%20approach%20to%20science%2C%20technology%
20and%20development,engages%20with%20urgent%20global%20challenges.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 2
Document Analysis
After reading the article, answer the following questions:

1. Why is it important to centralize human rights in science, technology, and development?
2. The article asserts that there is no universally accepted definition of a human-rights based approach
to science and technology. Why do you think so?
3. Not everyone agrees that in a human rights-based approach to science and technology. Why do you
think so?
4. Give at least two concrete examples on how a human-rights based approach to science and
technology lead to good policy-making and approach to development.
5. In your opinion, in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, do you think a human-rights based approach
to science and technology is being implemented? Why or why not?
KEY DOCUMENTS AND THEIR PRINCIPLES THAT ENSURE THE WELL-BEING OF HUMANS
In his article, Mukherjee also identified some international statutes, declarations, and decrees to ensure
human rights are protected in the pursuit of science and technology development. Among these are the
following:
1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) - 1948. The United Nations General Assembly
proclaimed the UDHR as the standard of human rights on December 10, 1948. The UDHR tells us that
one’s worth is because of being human at that human dignity is an ultimate core value of our existence.
2. UNESCO Recommendation on the Status of Scientific Researchers - 1979. The UNESCO
Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers sets the standards by which science should
operate and asserts that for science to progress, proper support should be given to it. This also
emphasizes the need to develop policies to ensure that developments are aimed towards to betterment
of society.
3. UNESCO Declaration on the Use of Scientific Knowledge -1999. This document touches on several
important issues that touches both humanity and science and technology.
Among other documents cited in his article include the following:
4. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966)
5. Declaration on Social Progress and Development (1969)
6. Declaration on the Use of Scientific and Technological Progress in the Interest of Peace and for the
Benefit of Mankind (1975)
7. Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (2005)
8. The Declaration of Dakar (2007)
9. The Cairo Declaration (2006)
The contents of the said documents and their implications, Mukherjee believed, should not be only written
on paper but practiced by the different nations that impose them. By applying a human rights-based approach,
the society will flourish as science and technology does.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 3
Document Analysis
After reading the article, answer the following questions:

1. Read the identified documents in the article and look for the articles that pertains specifically for science,
technology, and human rights. For the first three documents, the articles have been identified for you.

However, for other documents cited (documents 4 – 9), you will have to read the content of the
document to determine the particular section or article that science and technology and human rights
are concerned. You will be grouped in six and will be assigned the document to read and will be shared
to the class. In reading the documents, answer the following:
a. What is the document all about?
b. What section or article of the document focuses on science, technology, and human rights?
c. How does the document ensure that human rights are being protected in the context of science and
technology?
2. What do you think are the challenges in implementing the contents of these documents? How can we
overcome these challenges?
Now that you have seen the importance of a human rights-based approach to science and technology, we
will look at specific issues that concerns the intersection between humanity and technology. This includes issues
between humanity and robots and humanity, gadgets, and the Internet.
HUMANS AND ROBOTS
Automation, increasing sophistication of computers, and robots may be threatening the usefulness of
humans and threatening human employment. The development of artificial intelligence may make robots act
or decide like humans. This possibility needs reflection regarding ethical considerations concerning robots.
It is very difficult to actually define of what a robot is, and many people may disagree of what a robot really
is. Generally speaking, a robot is an “autonomous machine capable of sensing its environment, carrying out
computations to make decisions, and performing actions in the real world”. Autonomy in robots may vary, from
having some outside control to having virtually no external influence.
According to Dylan Evans in his article The ethical dilemma of robotics, some countries are drawing
ethical codes and legislation regarding human abuse to robots and vice versa. The development of emotional
robotics which allows robots to recognize human expressions of emotion and to engage in behavior that humans
readily perceive as emotional also contributes to the ethical dilemma regarding robots and humans.
In his article, Evans outlined some of the problems that humanity may face as robotics flourishes. To
learn more about these issues, read the article The ethical dilemmas of robotics through the link
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6432307.stm
LEARNING ACTIVITY 4
Reflection
After reading the article, reflect on the following questions:

1. What dilemmas are posed by robotics?
2. Using a human rights-based approach to science and technology, how can we solve these problems
or issues?
HUMANS, TECHNOLOGY, AND THE INTERNET
Almost every household contain television sets, mobile phones, and computers. There are hundreds of
millions of mobile phone subscription, millions of active Facebook accounts, and several hours of mobile phone
and computer interface. The Philippines has currently one of the highest digital populations in the world and is
the fastest-growing application market in Southeast Asia.
These devices are used as platforms for advertisements, propaganda, and advocacies for
communication, for information dissemination, as recreational activity and stress reliever, and as way to bond
with family members. Though there are uses, some argue that there are ethical dilemmas that these
advancements bring forth.
An interesting issue regarding this was written on the article Is Google making us stupid? by Nicolas Carr
regarding the effect of the internet on how we think. To learn more about the issues regarding the Internet, read
the article Is Google making us stupid? through the link
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 5
Reflection
After reading the article, reflect on the following questions:

1. What dilemmas are posed by technology?
2. Using a human rights-based approach to science and technology, how can we solve these problems
or issues?
3. Do you agree with the contents of Carr’s article? Why or why not?
4. What specific dilemma does Carr’s article present? How can we solve these problems?
All of your reflection tasks will use the following criteria for grading:
4 3 2 1
Depth of Content Demonstrates a Demonstrates a Demonstrates a Lacks
comprehensive comprehensive basic understanding of
understanding of understanding of understanding of the subject for
the subject for the subject for the subject for reflection.
reflection and work reflection. reflection.
can be used as an
example for others.
Originality and Work is insightful Work is insightful Work shows some Work is not original.
Insight and shows a high and shows insight and some
degree of imagination. degree of
imagination. imagination.
Style and Clarity Ideas are clearly Ideas are clearly Ideas show some Ideas are not
articulated and well articulated and well degree of clarity but communicated
developed. developed. are not well clearly nor are they
developed. well developed.
Organization and Writing is well- Writing is well- Writing has some Writing is
Grammar organized with no organized with few degree of unorganized and
spelling and spelling and organization with contains many
grammatical errors. grammatical errors. some spelling and spelling and
grammatical errors. grammatical errors.
Timeliness Completed work Completed work Completed work Completed work
was passed earlier was passed on the was passed the day was passed more
than the deadline deadline given. after the deadline than a day after the
given. given. deadline given.
SUMMARY
The following learning points summarize what you have learned in this section:
 Human rights are central to discussions on how science, technology, and development can promote
human well-being. Human rights are also rights to sustainability, serving to protect the poor and
vulnerable from the excesses of market-driven science and technology. Without a human rights
approach to science, technology, and development, the uneven distribution of goods — from services
and natural resources to intangible resources such as human dignity and autonomy — would only grow
exacerbated, resulting in further environmental degradation and, above all, heightened vulnerability.
 In other words, human rights-based approaches should not be treated as merely decorative moral
dimensions to policy or scientific and technological innovation. They can form the very heart of
sustainable futures.
 For science and technology, the approach requires scientists to go beyond knowing how their work
relates to human rights, and demands that they strive to secure and affirm human rights through the
knowledge they produce.
 A human rights perspective also affirms that access to scientific information is a human right. This
implies that the benefits of scientific advancement should be shared openly, free from restrictions by

social groups, corporate entities or states. Above all, a rights-based approach to science seeks to create
the conditions for equitable participation
 There are certain issues on humanity on robotics. Issues on safety, blame, rights, and value of
humanity are just some of the issues that can one can identify. He said that some are concerned
regarding robots that can show and perceive emotion, which might make us feel more machine-like.
He questioned on whether imposing the right of humans to robots might decrease our own specialness.
He was also worried on the use of robots in the military.
 The internet and other gadgets also impose some issues on humanity. These include issues on
communication, behavioral influence, information, and effects on intelligence.
REFERENCES
 Carr, N. (2008, July). Is Google Making Us Stupid?: What the Internet is doing to our brains. The
Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-
stupid/306868/
 Evans, D. (2007, March 9). The ethical dilemmas of robotics. BBC News. Retrieved from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6432307.stm
 Leonard, Gerd (2016). TECHNOLOGY vs. HUMANITY: The coming clash between man and machine.
pp. 18-20. Fast Future Publishing Ltd 2016. Retrieved from:
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=tl&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=en+technology+and+humanity+cross&bt
nG=
 Mukherjee, S. R. (2012). Linking Science and Human Rights: Facts and Figures. SciDevNet. Retrieved
from https://www.scidev.net/global/human-rights/feature/linking-science-and-human-rights-facts-and-
figures.html#:~:text=A%20human%20rights%2Dbased%20approach%20to%20science%2C%20tech
nology%20and%20development,engages%20with%20urgent%20global%20challenges.
 Quinto, Edward Jay M. and Nieva, Aileen D. (2019). Science, Technology, and Society. pp 111-122.
Quezon City: C&E Publishing.

WHY THE FUTURE DOES NOT NEED US

MODULE OVERVIEW
In this Module, we will look into dangers that could humanity could experience when science and
technology is unchecked by society’s standards. We will primarily draw from the views of Bill Joy, then Chief
Scientist at Sun Microsystems, as expressed in his article entitled Why the Future Does Not Need Us? in the
April 2000 issue of Wired magazine regarding new technologies and the issues that revolve around themWe
hope that we could answer the question of the title of his article and articulate why he thinks that the future does
not need us.

1. Identify William Nelson Joy’s arguments as to why the future does not need us;
2. Evaluate contemporary human experience in order to strengthen and enlighten the human person
functioning in society
LEARNING ACTIVITY 1
Before continuing on this Module, let us have an activity to determine your ideas regarding this topic.
Look at the pictures given to you and describe what you feel about them. Afterwards, answer the questions
that follow.
Figure 1https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/5bb37df92100002501c7d377.jpeg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale
Figure 2http://www.themitquill.mitindia.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/b2.jpg

Figure 3https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343818/mediaviewer/rm323618304?ref_=tt_mv_prev
1. Is there a possibility for a future where humans will cease to exist and will be replaced by robots?
Why or why not?
2. Can you even call the earth “world” after human extinction?
3. Do you think technology can eventually take control of humanity?
4. Is there a possibility for a future where humans will cease to exist because of medical breakthroughs
that resulted to drg-resistant viruses?
5. Do you think that this occurrence might be prevented? If so, how?
WHY THE FUTURE DOES NOT NEED US
In his article Why the Future Does Not Need Us?, Joy expressed his concerns on the emergence of
new technologies, their consequences, and their possible dangers. He said that because of the complexity of
our systems and our attitude towards science and technology that these problems may emerge. In particular,
he was concerned with three 21st century technologies: genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and robotics
(GNR) (these technologies will be discussed in more detail as the course progresses). He recognized the
appeal of the developments of these new technologies and the promise that they bring humanity.
However, though the advantages of these technologies are undeniable, the dangers they present and
issues that they raise is also very concerning and alarming. They raise moral or ethical issues, safety concerns,
and they might be used to destroy humanity.
He cited the work of Theodore Kaczynski, entitled Unabomber Manifesto, to illustrate the dangers of
these technologies. In his work, he said that there are two possibilities that could occur when intelligent
machines that can eliminate human effort in doing work: either we let these machines do decisions or we retain
control. Either way, the result would be the same: the ending of humanity and the loss of the purpose of life.
He asserted that biological species will lose against competition with new technologies. Gradually, but
eventually, new technologies will take over. Though new technologies have already been introduced before,
such as nuclear, biological, and chemical technologies, GNR is much more worrying. New technologies can
offer new types of accidents and abuses that can be accessed by small groups. He asserted that we have not
learned the lessons of the past, citing the creation and use of the atomic bomb and its consequences as an
example. He was worried to we could be in the same path, if not worse. He warned of an impending arms race
not against enemies that threaten our civilization bur against our wants and desires.
Some solutions on these issues have been raised, such as leaving the planet and exploring other
possible places to inhabit or building shields to ward off dangerous technologies. However, he believed that
these solutions might create more moral problems in addition to being impractical and unrealistic in the current
time frame.
Though he said that seeking knowledge and pursuit of our dreams is good, if it will lead to danger, we
should think of restricting ourselves and reexamine our views. He referenced the Dalai Lama’s principle that it
is neither material things nor the gain of knowledge that will make us happy. He remained hopeful that the
discussion of these issues and our capacity to care will help us solve these issues.
To better understand the arguments that Joy presented, read the article Why the Future Does Not Need
Us? through the link https://www.wired.com/2000/04/joy-2/.

CRITICISMS ON JOY’S VIEWS
However, some have shown some crtiticisms on Joy’s views. In the article entitled A Response to Bill
Joy and the Doom-and-Gloom Technofuturists by John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid, they argued that
although new technologies needed to be contemplated thoroughly, technology and social systems shape each
other and that social systems have the capacity to direct these new technologies. For example, genetic
engineering, once regarded to be unstoppable in its development, had some issues because society has seen
its potential threats. Nanotechnology, on the other hand, has not been even been fully developed to pose any
threat. Even robots, according to them, cannot make decisions the same way that humans can in their present
state. Developments and advances in robotics, they argued, might not necessarily mean that they will lead to
a state that is similar to humans. Society may be able to plan ahead and respond to issues that new
technologies pose.
They basically argued that the extension of ideas made by Joy regarding the possible events that might
happen because of these technologies is too great a leap. Before getting to a point of danger, there will be
actions that society will take to prevent arriving at these grim destinations.
To better understand these arguments, read the article A Response to Bill Joy and the Doom-and-
Gloom Technofuturists through the link
http://nook.cs.ucdavis.edu/~koehl/Teaching/ECS188/Reprints/Response_to_BillJoy.pdf.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 2
Discussion Questions
Answer the following questions:

1. Explain the positive and negative impacts of GNR technologies. What moral or ethical issues and
safety concerns do they pose?
2. We know by now that any technology may be dangerous. However, Joy was much more worried about
GNR technologies compared to other technologies. What were the reasons for these great concerns?
3. Explain how we will lose our humanity and purpose of life whether we retain control of decision-making
or give this capability to technology.
4. Do you believe in the opinions of Joy? Why or why not?
5. What solutions can you propose as to not reach what he predicts might happen?
6. Some people accuse of Joy of being a neo-Luddite, something which he denied in his article. What is
a neo-Luddite? Based from Joy’s article, do you think that he is a neo-Luddite? Why or why not?
7. Complete the following metacognitive reading report:
a. What three concepts from the article will you never forget?
b. What three realizations did you have after reading the article? State your answer in the following
manner: Before reading the article I thought… However after reading, I can now say that I learned…
c. What three things are still unclear to you after reading the article?
SUMMARY
 Bill Joy, the author of the article “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us?”, discussed about how advance
technology could affect the human race. His views about the rapid progress of technology, specifically
GNR technologies, embody a negative relation between humanity and technologies.
 Critics of Joy believed that Joy showed only one part of the bigger picture. In this case it is preeminently
necessary that the scientific community, governments, and businesses engage in a discussion to
determine the safe guards of humans against the potential dangers of science and technology.
REFERENCES

 Brown, J. S. and Duguid P. (2001). A Response to Bill Joy and the Doom-and-Gloom Technofuturist.
Retrieved from
http://nook.cs.ucdavis.edu/~koehl/Teaching/ECS188/Reprints/Response_to_BillJoy.pdf
 Joy, W. (2000, April 1) Why The Future Doesn’t Need Us. Wired. Retrieved from
https://www.wired.com/2000/04/joy-2/

THE INFORMATION AGE

MODULE OVERVIEW
The Information Age is now upon us. The pace at which technology is evolving is ever increasing – and
people are eager to embrace it. Through the use of computers, cell phones, pagers, calculators, video game
consoles and many other technologically advanced products, communication has changed dramatically. The
information age is changing peoples every day activities and making tedious tasks run more efficiently. Personal
use and business-related use of computers and technology are constantly increasing. Although there are many
positive aspects of the Information Age, there are also many negatives, such as how the Internet is unregulated.
Also, there's a very large legal issue over privacy, as well as many ethical issues computer-users face daily.
Many believe that this era, as developed as it currently is, will continue to progress and evolve over the years
to come.

1. Link learned concepts to the development of the information age and its impact on society
2. Illustrate how the social media and the information age have impacted our lives
DEFINITION OF INFORMATION AGE
Information age is the modern time in which information has become a commodity that is transmitted
freely, easily and quickly by using personal computer networks. This period is also called the Computer Age,
the Digital Age and the New Media Age. It is the period that started in the last quarter of the 20th century.
According to James R. Messenger who proposed the theory of Information age in 1982, “the Information
age is true age based upon the interconnection of computers via telecommunications, with these information
systems operating on both a real time and as needed basis.
HISTORY OF INFORMATION AGE
As man evolved, information and its dissemination has also progressed in many ways.
The table below traces the history and emergence of the Information Age (United States American
History, n.d)
Table 1: Timeline of the Information Age
Year Event
3000 BC Sumerian writing system used pictographs to represent words
2900 BC Beginning of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing
1300 BC Tortoise shell and oracle bone writing were used
500 BC Papyrus roll was used
220 BC Chinese small seal writing was developed
100 AD Book (parchment codex)
105 AD Woodblock printing and paper was invented by the Chinese
1455 Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press using movable metal type
1755 Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary standardized English spelling
1802 The Library of Congress was established
Invention of the carbo arc lamp
1824 Research on persistence of vision published
1830’s First viable design for a digital computer
Augusta Lady Byron writes the world’s first computer program

1837 Invention of the telegraph in Great Britain and the United States
1861 Motion pictures were projected onto a screen
1876 Dewey Decimal system was introduced
1877 Eadweard Muybridge demonstrated high-speed photography
1899 First magnetic recording were released
1902 Motion picture special effects were used
1906 Lee DeForest invented the electronic amplifying tube (triode)
1923 Television camera tube was invented by Zvorkyn
1926 First practical sound movie
1939 Regularly scheduled television broadcasting began in the US
1940s Beginning of information science as a discipline
1945 Vannevar Bush foresaw the invention of hypertext
1946 ENIAC computer was developed
1948 Birth of field-of-information theory proposed by Claude E. Shannon
1957 Planar transistor was developed by Jean Hoerni
1958 First integrated circuit
1960s Library Congress developed LC MARC (machine readable code)
1969 UNIX operating system was developed, which could handle multitasking
1971 Intel introduced the first microprocessor chip
1972 Optical laserdisc was developed by Philips and MCA
1974 MCA and Philips agreed on a standard videodisc encoding format
1975 Altair Microcomputer Kit was released: First personal computer for the public
1977 Radioshack introduced the first complete personal computer
1984 Apple Macintosh computer was introduced
Mid 1980s Artificial Intelligence was separated from information science
1987 Hypercard was developed by Bill Atkinson recipe box methaphor
1991 Four hundred fifty complete works of literature on one CD ROM was released
January 1997 RSA (encryption and network security software) Internet security code cracked for a 48-bit
number
A major defining event during the early Information Age is the invention of the Internet. Originating from
communication networks used by military and academic circles such as the ARPANET, this network was
expanded to worldwide coverage over the following years, culminating in the creation of the first web browser,
WorldWideWeb, in 1990. The Internet soon become a revolutionary bridge that connects the entire world
together, as companies begun to utilize the Internet to improve their commercial efficiency, and people sharing
their thoughts through mediums such as electronic mails (e-mails), digital forums and social networks, which
gives the era its name due to the massive, ever-growing volume of information distributed digitally around the
world. The internet itself considered to be the decisive technology of the information Age (Castells, 2014).
LEARNING ACTIVITY 1
Reflection Task
Before proceeding to the next topic, reflect on the following questions:

1. How many people are on social media?
2. What kind of content should I post?
3. How much time do I spend on social media activities each day?
4. What are some significant mistakes I made while learning about Social Media?
THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON SOCIETY
The impacts of the INFORMATION AGE can be felt in virtually every area of people’s lives. These
changes have the potential to increasingly influence how people communicate, live, work or even spend time
for leisure now and even in the future.
As world population grows, so does the number of Internet users across the globe.

Thanks to the internet, each person with marginal views can see that he’s not alone. And when these
people find one another via social media, they can do things — create memes, publications and entire online
worlds that bolster their worldview, and then break into the mainstream.
Without social media, social, ethical, environmental and political ills would have minimal visibility.
Increased visibility of issues has shifted the balance of power from the hands of a few to the masses.
While social media activism brings an increased awareness about societal issues, questions remain as
to whether this awareness is translating into real change.
The Challenges of Social Media

Social media has been blamed for promoting social ills such as:
Cyberbullying:
Teenagers have a need to fit in, to be popular and to outdo others. This process was challenging long
before the advent of social media. Add Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram into the mix and you
suddenly have teenagers being subjected feeling pressure to grow up too fast in an online world.
Michael Hamm, a researcher from the University of Alberta conducted a study that showed the effects of
social media on bullying. 23% of teens report being targeted and 15 percent said they’d bullied someone on
social media. Teenagers can misuse social media platforms to spread rumors, share videos aimed at destroying
reputations and to blackmail others.
Lack of Privacy:
Stalking, identity theft, personal attacks, and misuse of information are some of the threats faced by the
users of social media. Most of the time, the users themselves are to blame as they end up sharing content that
should not be in the public eye. The confusion arises from a lack of understanding of how the private and public
elements of an online profile actually work.
Unfortunately, by the time private content is deleted, it’s usually too late and can cause problems in
people’s personal and professional lives.
Fake News
It is popular wisdom that people today suffer information overload. A lot of information available on the
internet that spreading fake news. People spend more and more of time absorbing information without validating
if it is reliable or not.
DATA PRIVACY ACT
Information and communications technology play a vital role in nation-building and development of the
country. In the information age, he who holds information holds power. From macro-economic perspective, the
free flow of information is concededly vital to the growth of any nation, and key to the success of any business.
With the power that follows information. Hence, it is in the interest of the State to govern the parameters by
which such power will be held, while at the same time ensuring the free flow of information to promote innovation
and growth.
From the perspective of citizens and individuals, the State also protects their fundamental human rights
to privacy of communication. And with the exponentially increasing availability of ways and means to access
personal data and information, it becomes the duty of the State to guard against transgressions of the
individual’s rights.
Filipinos spend an average of 10 hours and 2 minutes each day online, the highest in the world, according
to recent data. The Philippines also tops social media use for the fourth straight year. Vast amounts of personal
information from the Philippines, including photos of daily activities, are freely circulating the Web.
What has the country done to ensure privacy and data protection?
In 2012, the Philippines passed Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (DPA) “to protect
the fundamental human right to privacy of communication while ensuring free flow of information to promote
innovation and growth [and] the [State’s] inherent obligation to ensure that personal information in information
and communications systems in government and in the private sector are secured and protected”.

The DPA and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) apply to all acts done or practices engaged
in and outside of the Philippines if:
 If the person, either an individual or an institution, involved in the processing of personal data is located
in the Philippines;
 The act or practice involves personal data of a Philippine citizen or Philippine resident;
 The processing of personal data is done in the Philippines; or
 The act, practice or processing of personal data is done by an entity with links to the Philippines, subject
to international law and comity.
“Personal data” refers to all types of personal information.
“Processing” is any operation/s performed upon personal data. These operations include, but are not
limited to the collection, recording, organization, storage, updating or modification, retrieval, consultation, use,
consolidation, blocking, erasure, or destruction of data.
While technology has certainly lifted many humans out of poverty and enriched our lives in many ways, it
has also made the world increasingly complex and difficult to navigate. The rapid disruption of many established
industries has meant that even the most intelligent and conscientious individuals have had to struggle to stay
relevant in the modern globalized economy—while others, inundated with information to make sense of, can’t
figure out how to make all the right decisions the first time, and must spend years broke, jobless,
underemployed, or burnt out. We are not weaker or stupider than our ancestors, but the world is more
challenging than ever before and we need to go through more trial and error than they did in order to secure a
comfortable existence. Continued technological development will increase material abundance even more, but
technology alone cannot solve the problem of figuring out whom to distribute resources to and getting everyone
on board with how resources are distributed.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 2
Position Paper
Watch the documentary The Internet Revolution and Digital Future Technology
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9xZFZO7USA). After watching the clip, write a 300 – 500 word paper
discussing the impact of information revolution to you.
Your work will be assessed using the following criteria:
4 3 2 1
Depth of Content Demonstrates a Demonstrates a Demonstrates a Lacks
comprehensive comprehensive basic understanding of
understanding of understanding of understanding of the subject for
the subject for the subject for the subject for reflection.
reflection and work reflection. reflection.
can be used as an
example for others.
Originality and Work is insightful Work is insightful Work shows some Work is not original.
Insight and shows a high and shows insight and some
degree of imagination. degree of
imagination. imagination.
Style and Clarity Ideas are clearly Ideas are clearly Ideas show some Ideas are not
articulated and well articulated and well degree of clarity but communicated
developed. developed. are not well clearly nor are they
developed. well developed.
Organization and Writing is well- Writing is well- Writing has some Writing is
Grammar organized with no organized with few degree of unorganized and
spelling and spelling and organization with contains many
grammatical errors. grammatical errors. some spelling and spelling and
grammatical errors. grammatical errors.
Timeliness Completed work Completed work Completed work Completed work
was passed earlier was passed on the was passed the day was passed more
deadline given.

than the deadline after the deadline than a day after the
given. given. deadline given.
SUMMARY
 The Information Age (sometimes called the Digital Age and the New Media Age) is a period starting in
the last quarter of the 20th century when information became effortlessly accessible through
publications and through management of information by computers and computer networks. According
to James R. Messenger, who proposed the Theory of Information Age in 1982, this interconnection
operates on real-time and as-needed basis, and that they are driven by convenience and user-
friendliness.
 However, the growth of information transmission, recording, and management grew at a fast rate,
causing great difficulty. It also created a technological divide between those who can afford internet
services and those who cannot, increasing the gap between socioeconomic classes. Other problems
that is caused by these developments include compromise on reliability, which gives rise to
misinformation; reinforcement of biases and beliefs of like-minded people belonging to social media;
control of public opinion and harassment; online predation, identity theft, scamming, and other new
crimes; pornography; and cyberbullying.
REFERENCES
 Newest Documentaries (2018, January 21). The Internet Revolution and Digital Future Technology
[Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9xZFZO7USA

BIODIVERSITY AND A HEALTHY SOCIETY

MODULE OVERVIEW
This module focuses on the interconnections among society, environment, and health. It tackles the
value of biodiversity as a source of food, medicine, and other biological resources in relation to the consumption
of goods. The module specifically covers the relationship of biodiversity with (a) health and medicine; (b) food;
(c) energy; (d) water storage and flood control; and (e) air and water treatment.

1. identify the importance of biodiversity as a source of different biological resources;
2. discuss the adverse effects of resource depletion on society and the measures to mitigate them; and
3. determine the interrelatedness of society, environment and health
LEARNING ACTIVITY 1
Diagnostics
Visit this link to get a glimpse into the Philippine Benham Rise biodiversity and its current state:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCjYyAcd1ug.
After watching the video, provide a substantial answer, using no more than 100 words, to the question
below. Key words of your answer must be highlighted.
Critical Thinking Question: What will the loss in biodiversity cost us in the long run? Discuss at least two long
term impacts.
BIODIVERSITY
According to Quinto and Nieva (2018), biodiversity is “the variety of life present in ecosystem.” It is all the
different kinds of life you will find in one area: the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms
like bacteria that make up our natural world. It is everywhere and each member work together to sustain and
support life and ensure that balance is retained.
There are three different types of biodiversity: genetic, specific, and ecological diversity:
1. Genetic diversity refers to the individual variations among organisms of the same species, as well as
variations between populations that due to local condition adaptations. These variations among
individuals are passed from one generation to the next.
2. Species diversity refers to the variety of species within a particular region, either in an ecosystem or
the entire biosphere. This is affected by the environmental conditions. Usually, this is used as a
measure of how diverse a certain ecosystem is, since species is the basic unit of biological
classification. The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) defines an endangered species as one that
is “in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.” Threatened species are
those that are considered likely to become endangered in the near future.
3. Ecological diversity refers to the varieties of ecosystems and the interactions of these species. The
variations of topographical and climactic conditions contribute to ecological diversity.
Society benefits greatly from biodiversity because it acts as a source of biological resources and essential
services such as food, medicine, energy, and more. Therefore, biodiversity can be exploited and abused.
Because of this, humans should be responsible in ensuring that these are protected.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 2

Video Clip Viewing
Watch this YouTube video in this link to further understand the three types of Biodiversity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK_vRtHJZu4. Take down notes of the examples stated.
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
Human health benefits greatly from biodiversity. Many plants are used to treat illnesses since 2600
BC, as exemplified by herbal medicine use. Natural products are used today in the synthesis of drugs in the
treatment of diseases.
However, biodiversity loss and environmental hazards pose threats to human health. Some illnesses
are environmentally-linked or related, such as Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, cancer, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, asthma, diabetes, obesity, occupational injuries, dysentery, arthritis, malaria, and
depression. Hazards such as pollution, toxic chemicals, food contaminants, dangerous work, poor housing
conditions, urban sprawl, and poverty also increase the risk of illnesses. The role of organisms in disease
transmission are also more apparent. This highlights the importance of the study of the relationship among
biodiversity, health, and the environment.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 3
Assignment
Many plants and other organisms are used to treat illnesses. Fill in the following blanks to identify the
given organisms and their significance in health and medicine. You may read pages 149-150 from your STS
textbook or any resources that you prefer.
Terms Significance
1. Alhagi maurorum 
2. Cinchona succirubra Pav. Ex Klotzsch 
3. Commiphora myrrha 
4. Cupressus sempervirens 
5. Digitalis purpurea 
6. Ligusticum scoticum 
7. Papaver somniferum 
8. Pilocarpus 
9. Salix 
10. Salvia apiana 
FOOD
During Stone Age, humans relied only on hunting and foraging for food. As populations increased, food
demand also increased. This led to the domestication of animals and cultivation of plants. Lands were also
developed for agriculture.
Nutrition and biodiversity are linked at many levels; the ecosystem, with food production as an ecosystem
service. Nutritional composition between foods and among varieties/cultivars/breeds of the same food can differ
dramatically, affecting micronutrient availability in the diet.
According to the World Health Organization, biodiversity is a vital element of a human being’s nutrition
because of its influence to food production. Biodiversity is a major factor that contributes to sustainable food
production for human beings. A society or a population must have access to a sufficient variety of nutritious
food as it is a determinant of their health as human beings.
Biodiversity is necessary for growth of crops. About 39 of the 57 leading global crops need pollinators.
Agrobiodiversity, "the variety and variability of animals, plants and micro-organisms at the genetic, species and
ecosystem levels that sustain the ecosystem structures, functions and processes in and around production
systems, and that provide food and non-food agricultural products,” became the result of this necessity.
Intensified and enhanced food production through irrigation, use of fertilizer, plant protection (pesticides), or the
introduction of crop varieties and cropping patterns affect biodiversity and thus impact global nutritional status

and human health.
To learn more about food nutritional impact of biodiversity, please refer to your STS textbook, Quinto
and Nieva, on page 51 or any resource that you have at hand.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 4
Metacognitive reading report
Read T.C.H. Sutherlands’ article entitled Food Security: Why is biodiversity important?
(www.cifor.org/library/3577/food-security-why-is-biodiversity-important/). Then, complete the following
metacognitive reading report:
1. What three concepts from the article will you never forget?
2. What three realizations did you have after reading the article? State your answer in the following manner:
Before reading the article I thought… However after reading, I can now say that I learned…
3. What three things are still unclear to you after reading the article?
ENERGY
Humans rely on energy provided by ecosystems to do the necessary activities in order to survive.
Below is a timeline highlighting the developments in energy utilization and inventions. Please refer to
your STS textbook, Quinto and Nieva, pages 151-153, to learn more about this topic.
Year Developments
Stone Age  heat energy
1000 BC  Coal
400 BC  water energy/ hydropower
1300  Windmills
1820  natural gas
1830  electric generator
1850  commercial oil
1860  first solar powered system
1892  geothermal energy
1942  first nuclear fission reactor
th th
19 and 20 century  utilization of coal energy
Though it is not apparent that energy utilization has an effect on biodiversity, the risks that energy sources
and energy demands pose are seen as threat to biodiversity by many environmental organizations. . These
threats include wildlife mortality, habitat loss, fragmentation, noise and light pollution, invasive species, and
changes in carbon stock and water resources. Examples that could be cited were nuclear reactor accident in
19179 at Three Mile Island near Middletown, Pennsylvania, the biggest oil spill in the US waters, the Exxon
Valdez oil spill in 1980 in Alaska, the coal ash spill in Tennessee, oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and the
Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan (Battaglia, 2013).
WATER STORAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL
As you have seen from previous modules, the earliest civilizations were situated near bodies of water
because livelihoods depended on it. Water was also used for irrigation and floodways were used to prevent
flooding due to tides. By the late 19th century, dams were built for water supply and irrigation.
Drinking water was very important. About 2000 years ago, wells were used in the Middle East because
of the demand for drinking water. Aqueducts were invented and built by Romans and Greeks to maintain stable

water supplies.
The relationship between biodiversity and water resources is very important. Forests filter and store
freshwater, as well as affect transpiration and evaporation. Roots and leaves promote infiltration of water to
aquifers. Percolation allows water to move into rivers and lakes.
Though flooding is mostly known to cause extreme damage such as property damage and crop
damage, flooding can also help famers distribute and add nutrients to soil, making the soil healthier and more
fertile for cultivation. Floods can also add nutrients to rivers and lakes thus improving the ecosystem.
Virtually all of Earth’s ecosystems have now been dramatically transformed through human actions.
More land was converted to cropland in the 30 years after 1950 than in the 150 years between 1700 and 1850.
Between 1960 and 2000, reservoir storage capacity quadrupled and, as a result, the amount of water stored
behind large dams is estimated to be three to six times the amount held by rivers. Some 35% of mangroves
have been lost in the last two decades. Roughly 20% of the world’s coral reefs have been destroyed and an
additional 20% have been degraded. (greenfacts.org)
AIR AND WATER TREATMENT
When there are excessive amounts of certain gases in the air, the capacity of the environment to clean
itself and be resilient is diminished. Too much nitrogen stimulates growth of nitrogen-loving plants, but
diminishes the occurrence of others. It also reduces forests’ resilience against drought, frost, pests, and
diseases. Also, water has a high nitrate concentration limit, making its protection of plant species to be difficult.
Ozone can also affect the environment depending on its amount and location. Ground level ozone,
created by chemical reactions between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the presence of
sunlight, promote early flowering that affect synchronization of pollinators and flowers, damage leaves of salad
crops, and reduce crop yield (for example, in 2000, wheat and tomato yield decreased by 14 and 9 percent,
respectively).
If vegetation is damaged, the sink capacity for carbon dioxide and ozone is reduced. In effect, the water
cycle is affected.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 5
Reflection
Write a substantial explanation of the direct and indirect benefits of biodiversity to society. Answer
should not exceed 100 words. Use the following guide questions:
1. Why is biodiversity important to people (e.g. in terms of health, agriculture, etc.)?
2. How is biodiversity connected to the economy?
3. How would the utilitarian and inherent value of biodiversity benefit the society as a whole?
PROTOCOLS ON BIODIVERSITY
We, as human inhabitants of the ecosystem, must preserve and conserve the biodiversity of all creatures.
In simple terms, it is true that people will always depend on biodiversity on the wholeness of our being and in
our everyday lives.
Somehow, there are ways and processes in the ecosystem that are not apparent nor appreciated by us,
human beings. Think about the need to drink clean and fresh water, the need to eat healthy vegetables and
food, or the need of man to transport which makes him rely on fuel. All of these are human needs that are
answered and provided by our ecosystem. Thus, if we fail to keep the process of taking care of the ecosystem,
it is us who are actually putting our lives at risk.
Significant decline in biodiversity has direct human impact when ecosystem in its insufficiency can no
longer provide the physical as well as social need of human beings. Indirectly, changes in the ecosystem affect
livelihood, income, and on occasion, may even cause political conflict. (WHO, n.d.).

Major threats biodiversity identified by United Nations’ Environment Programme are: habitat loss and
destruction; alteration in ecosystem composition; over-exploitation; pollution and contamination; and global
climate change.
There is a need to enhance the implementation of regulations and worldwide protocols. These include:
1. Montreal Protocol. It is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the
production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. It was agreed on 16th
September 1987, and entered into force on 1st January 1989.
2. Kyoto Protocol. It is an international treaty which extends the 1992 United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, based on the scientific consensus that (part one) global warming is occurring and (part two)
it is extremely likely that human-made CO2 emissions have predominantly caused it. The Kyoto Protocol
was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005. There
are currently 192 parties (Canada withdrew from the protocol, effective December 2012) to the Protocol.
3. Cartagena Protocol. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an

international agreement on biosafety as a supplement to the Convention on Biological Diversity effective
since 2003. The Biosafety Protocol seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed
by genetically modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology. The Protocol entered into
force on 11 September 2003. As of December 2019, the Protocol had 172 parties, which includes 168
United Nations member states, the State of Palestine, Niue, the European Union, and now Uzbekistan
signed on October 25, 2019.
The loss of biodiversity has many consequences that we understand and many that we do not. As stated
by Tilman, “The Earth will retain its most striking feature, its biodiversity, only if humans have the prescience to
do so. This will occur, it seems, only if we realize the extent to which we use biodiversity (Rainforest
Conservation Fund, 2017)”
LEARNING ACTIVITY 6
Graphic Organizer
Research more information online about the three protocols on biodiversity: Montreal Protocol, Kyoto
Protocol and Cartagena Protocol and develop a simple graphic organizer illustrating the targets or objectives of
these protocols.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 7
Module Output
Make a proposal plan on how to mitigate threats to biodiversity. State ways on how to solve these issues.
Criteria is as follows:
Content – 30 %
Presentation – 30 %
Organization – 30 %
Grammar – 10%
Total 100%
Quiz
Review all the lessons of this module and prepare for a quiz.
SUMMARY
 Biodiversity is the variety of life present in ecosystem.

 Biodiversity and human health, energy, air, and water are interrelated. Loss of biodiversity and the
degradation of environment has negative effects on human life.
 To ensure that there are prevented, we must ensure that the protocols agreed upon by nations
worldwide are enforced.
REFERENCES
1. MacNamara, D., Valverde, V., and Beleno, R. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. pp. 96-104.
2. Quinto, Edward Jay M. and Nieva, Aileen D. (2019). Science, Technology, and Society. pp 147-162.
3. Serafica, J., et al. (2018) Science, technology and society. pp. 122-132. Quezon City: Rex Bookstore.
4. Sunderland, T. (2011). Food security: why is biodiversity important? International Forestry Review.
13(3), pp. 265-274. Retrieved from http://www.legato-project.net/NPDOCS/13-3-IFR-copy.pdf

Study Guide in Science, Technology and Society Module No. 12
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and Gene Therapy

MODULE OVERVIEW
This section discusses moral and ethical issues concerning Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
and their impacts on society. It also discusses forms and applications of Gene Therapy.

1. Discuss the ethics and implications of GMOs and potential future impacts
2. Describe gene therapy and its various forms
3. Assess the potential benefits and detriments to global health of GMOs and gene therapy
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOs)
Biotechnology
According to Bragdon in the module released by Biodiversity International entitled “Law and policy of
relevance to the management of plant genetic resources”, biotechnology uses biological systems, living
organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use. Biotechnology
includes such early practices as selective breeding of farm animals and using microorganisms to make wine
and cheese. Today, biotechnology also encompasses genetic engineering, the direct manipulation of genes
for practical purposes. Genetic engineering has launched a revolution in biotechnology, greatly expanding the
scope of its potential applications. Tools from the DNA toolbox are now applied in ways that affect everything
from agriculture to criminal law to medical research. Modern biotechnology gives scientists molecular tools for
obtaining a better understanding of the structure and function of genes in living organisms. Modern
biotechnology has aimed to develop new precision tools and diagnostics; speed up breeding gains and
efficiency; develop pest- and disease-resistant crops; combat salinity, drought, and problems of agriculture;
enhance the nutritional quality of food; increase crop varieties and choice; reduce input and production costs;
and increase profits.
Genetically Modified Organisms
A genetically modified organism (GMO) is one that has acquired by artificial means (through
recombinant DNA methods, gene modification, or transgenic technology) one or more genes from another
species or even from another variety of the same species. The majority of the GM organisms that contribute
to our food supply are crop plants. GM crops are widespread in the United States, Argentina, and Brazil;
together these countries account for over 80% of the world’s acreage devoted to such crops.

Most methods for cloning pieces of DNA in the laboratory share certain general features. One
common approach uses bacteria, most often Escherichia coli. E. coli chromosome is a large circular molecule
of DNA. In addition, E. coli and many other bacteria have plasmids, small circular DNA molecules that
replicate separately from the bacterial chromosome. A plasmid has only a small number of genes; these
genes may be useful when the bacterium is in a particular environment but may not be required for survival or
reproduction under most conditions.
To clone pieces of DNA in the laboratory, researchers first obtain a plasmid and insert DNA from
another source (“foreign” DNA) into it. The resulting plasmid is now a recombinant DNA molecule. The
plasmid is then returned to a bacterial cell, producing a recombinant bacterium. This single cell reproduces
through repeated cell divisions to form a clone of cells, a population of genetically identical cells. Because the
dividing bacteria replicate the recombinant plasmid and pass it on to their descendants, the foreign DNA and
any genes it carries are cloned at the same time. The production of multiple copies of a single gene is called
gene cloning.
Roles of GMOs
I. Food and Agricultural products
1. Pest resistance (e.g., Bt corn, where corn has been modified with gene from Bacillus thuringensis
which is toxic to corn borers)
2. Virus resistance (e.g., rainbow papaya, where protein from papaya ringspot virus was introduced to
papaya)
3. Herbicide tolerance (e.g., Roundup Ready soybean, where the herbicide glyphosphate was
introduced to soybeans)
4. Fortification (e.g., Golden Rice, where beta-carotene was introduced to rice which fortified it with
vitamin A)
5. Cosmetic preservation (e.g., Arctic apple, where the apple does not brown easily)
6. Increase growth rate (e.g., AquAdvantage salmon, where genes from ocean pout was introduced to
Pacific Chinook salmon to make them grow faster)
II. Non-Food crops and microorganisms
1. Flower production (e.g., Blue Rose, where 31,51-hydroxylase gene was introduced)
2. Paper production (e.g., poplar trees, where genes that code for ferulic acid was inserted to modify
lignin structure)
3. Pharmaceutical production (e.g., periwinkle plant, where bacterial genes was modified to enhance the
production of vinblastine that is used for cancer treatments such as Hodgkin’s lymphoma)
4. Bioremediation (e.g., Nicotiana glauca or shruc tobacco, where it was modified with phytochelatin
TaPCSI1 to help it accumulate high levels of zinc, lead, cadmium, nickel, and boron and produce high
biomass)
5. Enzyme and drug production (e.g., cyclomaltodextrin, which is used as a food flavor enhancer that
was produced by Bacillus modified by Thermoanaerobacter)
6. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases (e.g., Humulin, genetically engineered insulin for Type I diabetes
patients developed by National Medical Center and Genentech Biotechnology Company)
Benefits of GMOs
1. Higher efficiency in farming

2. Increase in harvest
3. Control in fertility
4. Increase in food processing
5. Improvement of characteristics
6. Nutritional and pharmaceutical enhancement
7. Reduction in the use of fertilizers and pesticides

Potential Risks of GMOs
1. There are inadequate studies on the effects of GMOs to humans and the environment
2. Genetic engineering promotes mutation with unknown long-term effects.
3. GMOs consumed by humans might cause or create allergic reactions, gene mutations, antibiotic
resistance, and change in the balance of microorganisms in the digestive system.
4. GMOs might also have change in nutritive value of the food or might produce toxins
5. There is a risk that the modified gene might be transferred from the GMO to its wild relative or other
organisms.
6. There is a risk of new pest or weed resistance. Alteration of agricultural practices for GMOs might
also cause this.
7. There is a risk that the modified gene may be transferred to viral and bacterial genes, which may
cause new diseases. Genetically-modified bacteria and viruses might also be more resistant to
treatment.
8. Introduction of GMOs to the environment might cause competition or interference.
9. There is a potential that GMOs might become pests or post threats to the environment.
10. There is a risk in interfering with natural biochemical processes.
11. There is a risk that the modified genes might persist after its harvest and might cause negative
effects.
12. There are ethical issues regarding GMOs, such as man “playing God” and violation of nature.
13. Because GMOs are novel life forms, biotechnology companies patent their processes and products
which restrict their use, enabling them to sue farmers whose field has been contaminated with these
organisms, even by natural processes.
14. There is worry of creating biases and giving much power to those who hold genetic information (e.g.,
issues on the Human Genome Project)
Extension Activity
You can have further readings at the link stated below. The articles are all about the Golden Rice Project.
 Dubock, A. (2014). The politics of golden rice. GM Crops & Food, 5(3), 210-222.
http://www.goldenrice.org/PDFs/Dubock-Politics_of_GR-2014.pdf
 Duguet, A. et al. (2013). Ethics in Research with Vulnerable Populations and Emerging Countries:
The Golden Rice Case. Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulations, 38(4), 979-1013.
https://scholarship.law.unc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&ar
ticle=1978&context=ncilj
Initiatives on Safety from GMOs
1. Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex). Created by the Food and Agricultural Organization
(FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO), this is an intergovernmental body that develops the
International Food Code. For GMOs, Codex developed the Codex Principles for the human risk
analysis of GM food products, such as pre-market assessments and effect evaluation.
2. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. This is an international environmental treaty that regulates the
transboundary movements of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs). It requires exporters to seek
consent from importers before its first shipment of LMOs.
3. International Trade Agreement on labeling of GM food and food products. Exporters are
required for GM food products to be labeled and importers may accept or reject these products.

The Philippines and GMOs
GMO concern in the Philippines started in the 1990s, with the creation of National Committee on
Biosafety of the Philippines through Executive Order No. 430 of 1990. The NBCP developed guidelines on
the planned release of GMOs and potentially harmful exotic species in 1998.
In 2002, the Department of Agriculture (DA) released Administrative Order No. 8, the guideline for the
transportation and release to the environment of GM plants and plant products. This was also the same year
when GMO started and the same year when the Philippines became the first Asian country to approve
cultivation of GMOs (genetically-modified corn). From then until today, there are 70 GMO applications
approved by DA, 62 for food feed and processing and 8 for propagation.
In 2004, the Philippines was classified by International Service for acquisition of agro-biotech
applications as one of the 14 biotech-mega countries which grow 50,000 hectares or more GMO crops
annually. In the same year, Senator Juan Flavier authored a bill on labeling of GM food and food products but
it did not pass. In 2012, Representative Teddy Casiño and other congressmen aimed for the same bill.
In 2005, the Negros Organic Island was established through a memorandum of agreement (MOA)
between Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental. This MOA bans the entry of GMOs to their provinces.
In 2010, the Organic Agriculture Act was issued, encouraging organic-agriculture rather than GMO-
related agriculture. Similar to the Negros provinces, Davao City passed the Organic Agriculture Ordinance in
2010, which prevented the field testing of Bt eggplant in UP Mindanao. Eventually, the Bt eggplant field
testing was put to an end through the Supreme Court in December 2015, nullifying Administrative Order No. 8
of DA.
In March 17, 2016, the DA, DENR, DOST, DOH, and DILG passed Joint Department Circular No. 1,
on rules and regulations for the research and development, handling and use, transboundary movement,
release in the environment, and management of GM plants and plant products using modern biotechnology.
This joint circular paves way to issuances for planting and importing GM crops in the country.
LEARNING ACTIVITY 1
1. Refer to your textbook in STS, answer Exercise 1: Conceptualize a GMO on page 169-170.
2. Refer to your textbook in STS, answer Exercise 2: GMOs in Food on page 171.
3. Read the article SC reverses ruling on Bt ‘talong’ tests (https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/800262/sc-

reverses-ruling-on-bt-talong-tests) on page 173-175 and answer the questions that follow.
GENE THERAPY
Gene therapy is a therapeutic technique that aims to transfer normal genes into a patient’s cells. In
theory, the normal genes will be transcribed and translated into functional gene products, which, in turn, will
bring about a normal phenotype.
Human gene therapy began in 1990 with the treatment of a young girl named Ashanti DeSilva, who
has a heritable disorder called severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Individuals with SCID have no
functional immune system and usually die from what would normally be minor infections. Ashanti has an
autosomal form of SCID caused by a mutation in the gene encoding the enzyme adenosine deaminase
(ADA). Her gene therapy began when clinicians isolated some of her white blood cells, called T cells. These
cells, which are key components of the immune system, were mixed with a retroviral vector carrying an
inserted copy of the normal ADA gene. The virus infected many of the T cells, and a normal copy of the ADA
gene was inserted into the genome of some T cells. After being mixed with the vector, the T cells were grown
in the laboratory and analyzed to make sure that the transferred ADA gene was expressed. Then a billion or
so genetically altered T cells were injected into Ashanti’s bloodstream. Some of these T cells migrated to her

bone marrow and began dividing and producing daughter cells that also produce ADA. She now has ADA
protein expression in 25 to 30 percent of her T cells, which is enough to allow her to lead a normal life.
Although gene therapy was originally developed as a treatment for single-gene inherited diseases, the
technique was quickly adapted for the treatment of acquired diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative
diseases, cardiovascular disease, and infectious diseases, such as HIV. Over a 10-year period, from 1990 to
1999, more than 4000 people underwent gene therapy for a variety of genetic disorders. These trials often
failed and thus led to a loss of confidence in gene therapy.
Hopes for gene therapy plummeted even further in September 1999 when teenager Jesse Gelsinger
died while undergoing gene therapy to treat a liver disease condition. His death was triggered by a massive
inflammatory response to the vector, a modified adenovirus, one of the viruses that cause colds and
respiratory infections. Within hours of his first treatment, a massive immune reaction surged through Jesse’s
body. He developed a high fever, his lungs filled with fluid, multiple organs shut down, and he died four days
later of acute respiratory failure.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, several government and scientific inquiries were conducted.
Investigators learned that clinical trial scientists had not reported other adverse reactions to gene therapy and
that some of the scientists were affiliated with private companies that could benefit financially from the trials.
They found that serious side effects seen in animal studies were not explained to patients during
informed-consent discussions, and that some clinical trials were proceeding too quickly in the face of data
suggesting a need for caution. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scrutinized gene therapy trials
across the country, halted a number of them, and shut down several gene therapy programs. Other research
groups voluntarily suspended their gene therapy studies. Tighter restrictions on clinical trial protocols were
imposed to correct some of the procedural problems that emerged from the Gelsinger case. Jesse’s death
had dealt a severe blow to the struggling field of gene therapy—a blow from which it was still reeling when a
second tragedy hit.
The outlook for gene therapy brightened in 2000, when a group of French researchers reported the
first large-scale success in gene therapy. Nine children with a fatal X-linked form of SCID developed functional
immune systems after being treated with a retroviral vector carrying a normal gene. Published reports of the
study were greeted with enthusiasm by the gene therapy community. But elation turned to despair in 2003,
when it became clear that 2 of the 10 children who had been cured of X-SCID had developed leukemia as a
direct result of their therapy, and one died as a result of the treatment. In two of the children, their cancer cells
contained the retroviral vector, inserted near or into a gene called LMO2. This insertion activated the LMO2
gene, causing uncontrolled white blood cell proliferation and development of leukemia. FDA immediately
halted 27 similar gene therapy clinical trials, and once again gene therapy underwent a profound
reassessment. In 2005, a third child in the French X-SCID study developed leukemia, likely as a result of gene
therapy.
To date, no human gene therapy product has been approved for sale. Critics of gene therapy
continue to berate research groups for undue haste, conflicts of interest, and sloppy clinical trial management,
and for promising much but delivering little. Most problems associated with gene therapy have been traced to
the vectors used to transfer therapeutic genes into cells.
Types of Gene Therapy
I. According to the way that healing genes are delivered and to which cells they are sent
1. Germline gene therapy alters the DNA of a gamete or fertilized ovum. As a result, all cells of the
individual have the change. Germline gene therapy is heritable—it passes to offspring.
2. Somatic gene therapy corrects only the cells that an illness affects. It is non-heritable; a recipient
does not pass the genetic correction to offspring.
II. According to invasiveness

1. Ex vivo gene therapy is when cells are altered outside the body and then infused.
2. In situ gene therapy is when the functional gene plus the DNA that delivers it (the vector) are
injected into a very localized and accessible body part.
3. In vivo gene therapy is when the gene and vector are introduced directly into the body.

Stem Cell Gene Therapy
Bodies grow and heal thanks to cells that retain the ability to divide, generating both new cells like
themselves and cells that go on to specialize. Stem cells renew tissues so that as the body grows, or loses
cells to apoptosis, injury, and disease; other cells are produced that take their places.
A stem cell divides by mitosis to yield either two daughter cells that are stem cells like itself, or one
that is a stem cell and one that is a partially specialized progenitor cell. The characteristic of self-renewal is
what makes a stem cell a stem cell—its ability to continue the lineage of cells that can divide to give rise to
another cell like itself. Our more than 260 differentiated cell types develop from lineages of stem and
progenitor cells.
A fertilized ovum is the ultimate stem cell. It is totipotent, which means that it can give rise to every
cell type, including the cells of the membranes that support the embryo. Other stem cells and progenitor cells
are pluripotent: Their daughter cells have fewer possible fates. Some are multipotent: Their daughter cells
have only a few developmental “choices.”
As stem cell descendants specialize, they express some genes and ignore others. All cells, however,
synthesize proteins for basic “housekeeping” functions, such as energy acquisition and protein synthesis.
Many, if not all, of the organs in an adult human body have stem or progenitor cells. These cells can
divide when injury or illness occurs and generate new cells to replace damaged ones. Stem cells in the adult
may have been set aside in the embryo or fetus in particular organs as repositories of future healing.
Evidence suggests that some stem cells, such as those from bone marrow, can travel to and replace
damaged or dead cells elsewhere in the body, in response to signals that are released in injury or disease.
Because every cell contains all of an individual’s genetic material, any cell type, given appropriate signals, can
in theory become any other. This concept is the basis of much of stem cell technology.
Stem Cell Sources
1. Embryonic stem (ES) cells are not actually cells from an embryo, but are created in a laboratory
dish using certain cells from a region of a very early embryo called an inner cell mass (ICM). Some
ICM cells, under certain conditions, become pluripotent and can self-renew—they are stem cells. The
ICM cells used to derive ES cells can come from two sources: “leftover” embryos from fertility clinics
that would otherwise be destroyed, and from nuclear transfer, in which a nucleus from a person’s
somatic cell is transferred to an egg cell that has had its own nucleus removed.
2. Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are somatic cells that are “reprogrammed” to differentiate into
any of several cell types. This change may require a journey back through developmental time to an
ES cell-like state, then to specialize anew as a different, desired cell type. Or, cells can be
reprogrammed directly into another cell type. Deriving iPS cells does not require the use of any cells
from an embryo.
3. Adult or tissue-specific or somatic stem cells are found in the tissues of fetuses, embryos and
children, and not just in adult bodies. Adult stem cells self-renew, but most are multipotent, giving rise
to a few types of specialized daughter cells. Many potentially valuable adult stem cells are routinely
discarded as medical waste.
Stem Cell Applications
1. Drug discovery and development. Stem cell cultures supply the human cells that are affected in a
particular disease, which may be difficult or impossible to culture. Drugs are tested on these cells.
Using stem cells in drug development can minimize the need to experiment on animals and can weed
out drugs with adverse effects before they are tested on people.

2. Observation for the earliest signs of a disease. Diseases may begin long before symptoms appear
in a person. Researchers are now observing the beginnings of hundreds of diseases—and
discovering new ways to treat them.
3. Implants and transplants for treatments. This approach is not new—the oldest such treatment, a
bone marrow transplant, has been around for more than half a century. Many other uses of adult stem
cells, delivered as implants, transplants, or simply infusions into the bloodstream, are being tested.
4. Reprogramming proteins directly into the body to stimulate stem cells in their natural niches.
Once we understand the signals, we might not need the cells. The applications of stem cells seem
limited only by our imaginations.
Gene Therapy Concerns
Scientific Concerns
1. Which cells should be treated, and how?

2. What proportion of the targeted cell population must be corrected to alleviate or halt progression of
symptoms?
3. Is overexpression of the therapeutic gene dangerous?
4. Is it dangerous if the altered gene enters cells other than the intended ones?
5. How long will the affected cells function?
6. Will the immune system attack the introduced cells?
7. Is the targeted DNA sequence in more than one gene?
8. How can the activity of the transferred gene be controlled so that cells make appropriate amounts of
the gene product at the right time and in the right place?
9. How can we be sure that the insertion of the therapeutic gene does not harm some other necessary
cell function?
10. What is the proper route for gene delivery in different kinds of disorders? For example, what is the
best way to treat brain or muscle tissues?
11. What percentage of cells in an organ or tissue need to express a therapeutic gene to alleviate the
effects of a genetic disorder?
12. What amount of a therapeutic gene product must be produced to provide lasting improvement of the
condition, and how can sufficient production be ensured?
13. Will it be possible to use gene therapy to treat diseases that involve multiple genes?
14. Can expression of therapeutic genes be controlled in a patient?
Ethical Concerns
1. Does the participant in a gene therapy trial truly understand the risks?
2. If a gene therapy is effective, how will recipients be selected, assuming it is expensive at first?
3. Should rare or more common disorders be the focus of gene therapy research and clinical trials?
4. What effect should deaths among volunteers have on research efforts?
5. Should clinical trials be halted if the delivered gene enters the germline?
6. Is there a difference between the transplantation of genes into somatic cells and the transplantation of
organs?
7. Under what circumstances, if any, should we alter the genomes of human germ lines?
8. Would germline therapy inevitably lead to the practice of eugenics, a deliberate effort to control the
genetic makeup of human populations?
9. How can the “good” and the “bad” uses of gene therapy be distinguished?
10. Who decides which traits are normal and which constitute a disability and disorder?
11. Will the high costs of gene therapy make it available only to the wealthy?
12. Could the widespread use of gene therapy make society less accepting of people who are different?
13. Should people be allowed to use gene therapy to enhance basic human traits?
14. We have the technologies to test for genetic diseases for which there are no effective treatments.
Should we test people for these disorders?
15. With present genetic testing technologies, a negative result does not necessarily rule out future
development of a disease; nor does a positive result always mean that an individual will get the

disease. How can we effectively communicate the results of testing and the actual risks to those being
tested?
16. What information should people have before deciding to have a genome scan or a genetic test for a
single disorder?
17. How can we protect the information revealed by such tests?
18. Since sharing of patient data through electronic medical records is a significant concern, what issues
of consent need to be considered?
19. How can we define and prevent genetic discrimination?
Extension Activity
You can watch these YouTube videos below.
 Irishstemcell. (2012, August 22). Science Friction: Stem Cell Research. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPy7NFkJ-TQ
 TED. (2009, February 17). The next species of human | Juan Enriquez. [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNcLKbJs3xk
 TED. (2011, April 19). Susan Lim: Transplant cells, not organs. [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU15c9hnftE
LEARNING ACTIVITY 2
1. Read the article ‘Bubble kid’ success puts gene therapy back on track on
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22029413-200-bubble-kid-success-puts-gene-therapy-back-
on-track. Refer to your textbook in STS, answer the questions on page 177-178.
SUMMARY
 Biotechnology uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify
products or processes for specific use.
 Genetic engineering or the direct manipulation of genes for practical use has brought revolution in
biotechnology.
 Genetically modified organism (GMO) is acquired by artificial means (through recombinant DNA
methods, gene modification, or transgenic technology) one or more genes from another species or
even from another variety of the same species.
 Benefits of GMOs are mostly for agriculture and medicine.
 Potential risks of GMOs are of human health, biodiversity, animal welfare and also ethical issues
such as violating the rule of nature.
 Gene therapy is a therapeutic technique that aims to transfer normal genes into a patient’s cells.
 Stem cells renew tissues so that as the body grows, or loses cells to apoptosis, injury, and disease.
REFERENCES
 MacNamara, D., Valverde, V., and Beleno, R. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. pp. 96-104.
 Serafica, J., et al. (2018) Science, technology and society. pp. 122-132. Quezon City: Rex Bookstore.
 Dubock, A. (2014). The politics of golden rice. GM Crops & Food, 5(3), 210-222.
 Duguet, A. et al. (2013). Ethics in Research with Vulnerable Populations and Emerging Countries:
The Golden Rice Case. Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulations, 38(4), 979-1013
 Silici, Laura. (2014). Agroecology What it is and what it has to offer. IIED Issue Paper.
 MacNamara, D., Valverde, V., and Beleno, R. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. pp. 109-
114. Quezon City: C&E Publishing.
 Serafica, J., et al. (2018) Science, technology and society. pp. 165-169. Quezon City: Rex Bookstore.

NANOTECHNOLOGY
MODULE OVERVIEW
This module focuses on nanotechnology, its benefits, and its potential impact on the environment.

NANOTECHNOLOGY
Nanotechnology utilizes the unique properties of nanomaterials which has at least one dimensional size
of a material between 1 nm to 100 nm to produce nanoscale devices, components, and systems. Applications
utilizing nanotechnology includes manufacturing various products, measuring, imaging and manipulating matter
on the nanoscale. Nanotechnology is of considerable interest by scientists in the fields of nanocomposites,
biocomposites, optical, biomedical, and electronic manufacturing. Nanoparticles are currently being developed
fervently, and one novel application includes polymer based composite materials used in the aircraft and wind
industries. Nanoscale materials can be different in properties compared to bulk materials for two reasons:
1. Nano-scaled particles have relatively larger surface area per unit mass which is the critical factor
to increase mechanical modulus and other physical and chemical properties.
2. Basic material properties are changed at nanoscale due to the dominance of quantum effects
and lesser imperfections
EXAMPLES OF NANOMATERIALS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS
1. Semiconductors on the nanoscale. Semiconductor particles with diameters from 1 to 10 nm

are called quantum dots. Making quantum dots is most easily accomplished using chemical reactions in
solution. For example, to make CdS, you can mix Cd(NO3)2 and Na2S in water with a negatively charged
polymer to the water (such as polyphosphate, –(OPO2)n–). Quantum dots are being explored for applications
ranging from electronics to lasers to medical imaging because they are very bright, very stable, and small
enough to be taken up by living cells even after being coated with a biocompatible surface layer.

2. Metals on the nanoscale. People have known for hundreds of years that metals are different
when they are very finely divided. Dating back to the middle ages, the makers of stained-glass windows knew
that gold dispersed in molten glass made the glass a beautiful deep red. Much later, in 1857, Michael Faraday
reported that dispersions of small gold particles could be made stable and were deeply colored. At nanoscale
dimensions, silver has properties analogous to those of gold in its beautiful colors, although it is more reactive
than gold. Currently, there is great interest in research laboratories around the world in taking advantage of the
unusual optical properties of metal nanoparticles for applications in biomedical imaging and chemical detection.
3. Carbon on the nanoscale. Over the past three decades, scientists have discovered that
carbon can form discrete molecules, one-dimensional nanoscale tubes, and two-dimensional nanoscale sheets.
Each of these forms of carbon shows very interesting properties. In 1985, however, a group of researchers led
by Richard Smalley and Robert Curl of Rice University and Harry Kroto of the University of Sussex, England
discovered buckminsterfullerene, nearly spherical C60 molecules. Since the discovery of C60, other related
molecules made of pure carbon have been discovered. These molecules are now known as fullerenes. The
smallest possible fullerene, C20, was first detected in 2000. Because fullerenes are molecules, they dissolve in
various organic solvents, whereas diamond and graphite do not. This solubility permits fullerenes to be
separated from the other components of soot and even from one another. It also allows the study of their
reactions in solution.
Soon after the discovery of C60, chemists discovered carbon nanotubes. They can be made in either
multiwall or single-walled forms. Multiwall carbon nanotubes consist of tubes within tubes, nested together,
whereas single-walled carbon nanotubes consist of single tubes. Depending on the diameter of the graphite
sheet and how it is rolled up, carbon nanotubes can behave as either semiconductors or metals.
The fact that carbon nanotubes can be made either semiconducting or metallic without any doping is
unique among solid-state materials, and laboratories worldwide are making and testing carbon-based electronic
devices. Carbon nanotubes are also being explored for their mechanical properties. The carbon–carbon bonded
framework of the nanotubes means that the imperfections that might appear in a metal nanowire of similar
dimensions are nearly absent. Experiments on individual carbon nanotubes suggest that they are stronger than
steel, if steel were the dimensions of a carbon nanotube. Carbon nanotubes have been spun into fibers with
polymers, adding great strength and toughness to the composite material.
The two-dimensional form of carbon, graphene, is the most recent low-dimensional form of carbon to
be experimentally isolated and studied. It is very strong and has a record thermal conductivity, topping carbon
nanotubes in both categories. Graphene is a semimetal, which means its electronic structure is like that of a
semiconductor in which the energy gap is exactly zero. The combination of graphene’s two-dimensional
character and the fact that it is a semimetal allows the electrons to travel very long distances, up to 0.3 μm,
without scattering from another electron, atom, or impurity. Graphene can sustain electrical current densities
six orders of magnitude higher than those sustainable in copper. Even though it is only one atom thick, graphene
can absorb 2.3% of sunlight that strikes it. Scientists are currently exploring ways to incorporate graphene in
various technologies including electronics, sensors, batteries, and solar cells.
BENEFITS FROM NANOTECHNOLOGY
1. Lower energy consumption: The use of graphene into a coating material resulting in the need for only
one layer, which does not require a multifunctional film coating. Two applications for a graphene based
coating are to apply it to a blade used in wind turbines or on the body of an airplane. It saves the weight
increasing efficiency.
2. Cost saving on materials: An alternative energy method such as hybrid automobiles will decrease the
price by novel developments in nanotechnology.
3. Less waste on raw materials: Large sample testing will be done on a smaller scale and simultaneously
use of raw materials will become more efficiency. Nanoscale chemical reagents (or catalysts) increase
the reaction rate and other efficiency of chemical reactions.
4. Environmental monitoring and protection: Utilizing advanced nanotechnology, a detector was made to
detect a nuclear leak faster and more accurate at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Which
is one of the best radiation detector in Washington and can sense the faintest amount of radiation9 .

5. Biological applications: Developing ultra-small probes on planetary surfaces for agricultural applications
and control of soil, air, and water contamination.
6. Biomedical applications: This includes the medical diagnostic and treatments.
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY ON THE ENVIRONMENT
1. Cleaner, more efficient industrial processes

2. Improved ability to detect and eliminate pollution by improving air, water, and soil quality
3. High precision manufacturing by reducing amount of waste
4. Clean abundant power via more efficient solar cells
5. Removal of greenhouse gases and other pollutants from the atmosphere
6. Decreased need for large industrial plants
7. Remediating environmental damages
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY ON THE ENVIRONMENT
1. High energy requirements for synthesizing nanoparticles causing high energy demand
2. Dissemination of toxic, persistent nano-substances originating environmental harm
3. Lower recovery and recycling rates
4. Environmental implications of other life cycle stages also not clear
5. Lack of trained engineers and workers causing further
REFERENCES
1. MacNamara, D., Valverde, V., and Beleno, R. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. pp. 105-
108. Quezon City: C&E Publishing.
2. Serafica, J., et al. (2018) Science, technology and society. pp. 152-163. Quezon City: Rex Bookstore.
3. Lin, P. and Allhodd, F. (2007). Nanoethics: The ethical and social implications of nanotechnology.
Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
4. Zhang, B. et al. (2011). Environmental Impacts of Nanotechnology and Its Products. Midwest Section
Conference of the American Society for Engineering Education.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

MODULE OVERVIEW
This module views key concepts on climate change and its diverse impacts on society, and identify
various plans to address it by local, regional and global efforts. It primarily aims to inculcate environmental
awareness among students.

CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change is a global phenomena caused by burning fossil fuels in which the Earth’s atmosphere
are trapped with heat gases. According Riebeek (2010), climate has changed when the planet received more
or less sunlight due to subtle shifts in its orbits as the atmosphere or surface changed or when the Sun’s energy
varied. The global average surface temperature rose from 0.6 to 0.9 degrees Celsius between 1906 and 2005,
and the rate of temperature increase has nearly doubled in the last 50 years.
Global warming refers to Earth’s gradual increase of temperature. It is the warming effect caused by
greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. It keeps the planet warm and prevents warm air from leaving.
Some greenhouse gasses that cause global warming are carbon dioxide, methane. There are also
man-made gases such as chlorofluorocarbons, hydro fluorocarbons, per fluorocarbons, and sulphur
hexafluoride.
Deforestation is one activity that causes global warming. Destroying forest land releases carbon dioxide
into the air, results to increase the level of long wave radiation and trapped heat.
EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Melting of ice caps in the Polar Regions is one of the effects of climate change. It causes infusion of
salt in the ocean and destroys natural ocean currents. These ocean currents bring warm current to cooler areas
of the ocean and vice versa thus controlling and balancing the temperature. Albedo is also affected by the
melting of ice caps. It is the ratio of the light reflected by any part of the Earth’s atmosphere. Snow for example
has the highest albedo level, so when the snow melts the temperature of the Earth will rise and polar bears also
started to decrease due to lack oh habitat.
Another effect of climate change is the change in wildlife adaptations. For example, spruce bark beetles
in Alaska which commonly appears during warm months started to appear all year around eating spruce trees
thus damaging forest all year around.
According to Bradford and Pappas (2017), the effect of climate change is also expected in the society.
Agricultural systems will be affected specifically in land where drought is expected due to severe weather,
greater number and diversity of pests, lower groundwater tables and a loss of arable land could cause severe
crop failures and livestock shortage worldwide. Although carbon dioxide may help increase plant’s growth, it
may become less nutritious. This loss of food security may affect the food markets and could start famines.
Less nutritious food could also affect human health.
OZONE DEPLETION
Ozone is a molecule that contains three oxygen atoms. It serves as a protection from the ultraviolet
rays which are very harmful to humans and plants. Atmospheric ozone is located in the layer of stratosphere
about 15 to 30 kilometer above the surface of the Earth. At a certain period of time, ozone molecules are formed
constantly and destroyed in the stratosphere when chlorine and bromine atoms come into contact with ozone
in the stratosphere which leads to ozone depletion. Ozone depletion occurring in the stratosphere is a normal
photolytic process as well as ozone formation.

An ozone-depleting substance like chlorofluorocarbons used as aerosol propellants was ban in the
United States since 1970s. However rapid growth of new chemicals in refrigeration, fire suppression, foam
insulation and other application emit chlorofluorocarbon in the air which contributes to ozone depletion.
Ozone “hole” over Antarctica is one of the example of ozone depletion occurred since early 1980s. It
is not literally a hole instead it is a large area in the stratosphere with extremely low ozone. Even North
America, Europe, Asia and much of Africa, Australia, and South America were ozone depletion occurred.
ACID DEPOSITION
Acid deposition is a terms that includes any kind of precipitation with acidic components like sulphuric
acid or nitric acid that fall on the ground from the atmosphere in wet or dry forms. Examples of this are acidic
rain, acidic snow, acidic fog, acidic hail or even acidic dust.
Acid deposition occurs when sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide are emitted into the atmosphere and
react with wet or dry matters. This causes surface water acidification and effects soil chemistry.
Acid deposition affects the fertilization of fish eggs and kills adult fishes when the acid level lowers
than 5. Soil organisms cannot survive when the acid level of the soil is below 6. The ability of leaves to retain
water under stress is also affected when deposition of sulphur and nitrogen oxide happens.
THERMAL INVERSION
Peroxylacetylnitrate is a transporter of nitrogen oxide to different rural areas that causes ozone formation
in the troposphere. This may lead to lower visibility in elevated areas. The normal cycle of thermal inversion
means an unstable air mass and air constantly move between warm and cool areas which allow fumigation of
the mixed air on a higher elevation. However, due to high concentrations of pollutants the temperature increases
and disrupts the flow of the mixed air to a higher level.
Thermal inversion occurs in some coastal areas due to the upwelling of cold water that lowers surface
sir temperature. Topography or man-made barriers like buildings can create temperature inversion because the
cold air may be blocked by these buildings and pushed under the warmer air rising from the source.
El Nino is usually described as the unusual warming of surface waters also known as “warm phase”. It
brings droughts that commonly affect the agriculture and shortage of portable water to drink. La Nina is the
opposite of El Nino also known as “cool phase” and it is the unusual cooling of the water surface. It brings
extreme rainfall that causes flooding and erosion and destroys properties or even kill humans and animals.
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
Environmental efforts must be done individually and collectively in order to minimize the effect of climate
change. It is an individual and global responsibility to care for the environment as it changes contiguously.
There are many ways to minimize the effect of climate change, one way is to minimize the emission of
carbon dioxide from fossil fuels through the use of renewable energy like solar, wind, or hydropower as
sources of energy is highly recommended. Refrigerators, washing machines and other appliances with energy
efficient tagged should be considered before buying. The use of fuel-efficient vehicles with higher fuel
economy performance is another way to lessen fossil fuel consumption.
Philippines is one of the signatories in the Kyoto Protocol which is an international agreement that
extends the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In 1997 it was adopted
but the first commitment period started in 2008 and ended in 2012. Developed countries committed to
minimize their carbon dioxide emissions up to 2% until 2050 to help address the problem of climate change.
Another global agreement that Philippines along with 197 countries signed is Montreal Protocol. It
was set to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone
depleting substances. It aims to help the ozone layer recuperate from the hole it has attained due to
increasing presence of ozone depleting substances in the atmosphere.
REFERENCES
1. Quinto, EJ., Nieva, A. (2019). Science, Technology, and Society. pp. 194-202. Quezon City: C&E
Publishing.
2. Riebeek, H., Simmon, R. (2010). Global warming. Retrieved from
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/GlobalWarming/page2.php
3. Bradford, A., Pappas, S. (2017) Effect of Global Warming. Retrieved from
https://www.livescience.com/37057-global-warming-effects.html

4. Environmental Protection Agency (2017) Basic Ozone Layer Science. Retrieved from
https://www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/basic-ozone-layer-science
5. Pacala, S. (2009). Sharing global CO2 emission reductions among one billion high emitters. Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), 106(29) 11884-11888.
Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.090523406.
6. US EPA. (2007). International Action-the Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the layer.
Retrieved from https:/www.epa.gov/ozone-layer-protection/international-actions-montreal-protocol-
substances-deplete-ozone-layer

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10.The following are considered fields of 21st century technology EXCEPT

14. Which of the following event happened first?

21. Which among the following is the contribution of Augustine Mouchot?

22. Which of the following statement is CORRECT?

35. Which of the following statement about carbon nanotubes is incorrect?

36. Nanotechnology is said to be convergent because…

37. The prefix “nano” comes from a

39. What is graphene?

40. All are benefits of nanotechnology EXCEPT…

41. Which of the following statement is TRUE about Ozone?

43. Which of the following is NOT an effect of climate change?

45. Which of the following is a greenhouse gas?

46. Which country currently emits the most greenhouse gases?

48. Which of the following statement is CORRECT?

49. Why are forests important for mitigating climate change?

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 8

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. 8

WHEN TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY CROSS

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this Module, you should be able to:

HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH TO SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND DEVELOPMENT

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 1

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 8

After reading the article, answer the following questions:

After reading the article, answer the following questions:

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 2

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 8

HUMANS AND ROBOTS

After reading the article, reflect on the following questions:

HUMANS, TECHNOLOGY, AND THE INTERNET

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 3

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 8

After reading the article, reflect on the following questions:

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 4

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 8

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 5

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 9

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. 9

WHY THE FUTURE DOES NOT NEED US

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this Module, you should be able to:

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 1

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 9

WHY THE FUTURE DOES NOT NEED US

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 2

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 9

CRITICISMS ON JOY’S VIEWS

Answer the following questions:

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 3

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 9

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 4

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 10

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. 10

THE INFORMATION AGE

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this Module, you should be able to:

DEFINITION OF INFORMATION AGE

HISTORY OF INFORMATION AGE

Table 1: Timeline of the Information Age

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY 1

Study Guide in GE 6: Science, Technology, and Society Module No. 10