INFORMATION AGE (GUTENBERG TO
SOCIAL MEDIA)
Johannes Gutenberg - invented the printing
press
Printing facilitated the accumulation of
knowledge by making discoveries more widely
known and preventing information from being
lost (Briggs and Burke, 2005)
Information Age - the modern age regarded as
a time in which information has become a
commodity that is quickly and widely
disseminated and easily available especially
through the use of computer technology.
Digital Age - also known as Information Age
A historic period in the 21st century
Information Age is also called the Digital
- Age and the New Media Age because it was
associated with the development of computers.
James Robert Messenger - Proposed the
Theory of Information Age in 1982 states that
“The Information Age is a true age based upon
the interconnection of computers via
telecommunications, with these information
systems operating both on a real-time and
as-needed basis.”
Hans Christian von Baeyer - Chancellor
Professor of Physics at the College William and
Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
- the recipient of the Science Journalism
Award of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science and the
National Magazine Award. His previous
books include The Fermi Solution:
Essays on Science; Taming the Atom:
The Emergence of the Visible
Microworld; and Rainbows, Snowflakes,
and Quarks: Physics and the World
Around Us.
- Information is “poised” to replace matter
as the primary stuff of the universe
- Information will provide a new basic
framework for describing and the
predicting reality in the twenty-first
century
- Information Science (also known as
information studies)
According to Merriam Webster – Social Media –
as a form of electronic communication (such as
websites for social networking and
microblogging) through which users create
online communities to share information, ideas,
personal messages, and other content (such as
videos).
The Impact of Information Age on People’s Lives
1. Introduction of fiber optic cables and
faster microprocessors.
2. The world wide web evolved.
3. Electronic mail (email) was extensively
accepted as the principal platform for
corporate and personal communication.
Mark W. Schaefer is a globally - recognized
educator, keynote speaker, business consultant,
and an author.
15 Amazing Ways Social Media is Changing the
World by Mark W. Schaefer
1. Social media is not making us more
individualistic
2. Social media is an important catalyst to
education
3. Selfies send different messages around the
world
4. Equality online doesn’t mean equality offline
5. It’s the people who use social media who
create it, not the developers of platforms
6. Public social media is conservative
7. We now “talk” through photos
8. Social media is not making the world more
homogenous
9. Social media best promotes personal
commerce.
10. Social media has created a new genre of
communication based on groups.
11. Social media is somewhere we live.
12. Social media can have a profound impact on
gender relations.
13. Conversations and relationships are
polymedia
14. Memes have become our moral police
15. Social media is a threat to privacy, but can
also provide privacy.
BIODIVERSITY AND THE HEALTH SOCIETY
- is defined as the vast variety of life
forms in the entire earth.
- refers to all species and living things on
Earth or in a specific ecosystem.
Biodiversity is the variety of life on earth at all its
levels , from genes to ecosystem, and the
ecological and evolutionary processes that
sustain it. ( Bynum, 2012 )
Biodiversity is the source of the essential goods
and ecological services that constitute the
source of life for all and it has direct
consumptive value in food, agriculture,
medicine, and in industry. ( Villaggio Globale ,
2009 ).
BIO = Life
DIVERSITY = Variety
- The variety of life in the world or in a particular
habitat or ecosystem
Types of Biodiversity
Genetic Diversity – to the range of different
inherited traits within species
Species Diversity – simply the number and
relative abundance of species found in a given
biological organization
Ecosystem Diversity – diversity between
different region
Ecosystem – a large community of living
organisms (plants, animals, and microbes) in a
particular area
Biodiversity Loss
Reduction in the number of: Genes, Individual,
Organisms, Species, & Ecosystem
Health Society - The expansion of health into
every aspect of everyday life and politics and as
an essential component of the market and
household expenditure.
The Importance of Biodiversity
- Biodiversity is extremely important to
people, society and the health of the
ecosystems.
1. Provides food and medicines
2. Can aid ecosystem stability
3. Aesthetic and existence values are
important
Specific Pressures and Linkages of Biodiversity
- It has crucial role in human health
* Access to the sufficiency of a nutritious variety
of food is a fundamental determinant of health.
- It has essential role in primary health care
(PHC)* Traditional medicines play an essential
role in health care, especially PHC.
- It reduces abundance of some organisms
* Human activities are disturbing both the
structure and functions of the ecosystem and
altering native biodiversity.
- It provides numerous ecosystem services
* biodiversity provides numerous ecosystem
services that are crucial to human well-being at
present and in the future.
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM (GMO)
GMO is a term for an organism created through
genetic engineering.
The World Health Organization ( WHO, 2014 )
defines GMO as an “organism“, either plant,
animal and microorganisms, in which the genetic
material ( DNA – Deoxyribonucleic Acid ) has
been altered in a way that does not occur
naturally by mating or natural recombination.
Genetic engineering is the process of using
recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology to alter the
genetic makeup of an organism.
The three most common traits found in GMO
crops are:
1. Resistance to insect damage
2. Tolerance to herbicides
3. Resistance to plant viruses
Benefits of GMO
1. Higher efficiency in farming
2. Increase in harvest
3. Control in fertility
4. Increase in food processing
5. Improvement of desirable characteristics
6. Nutritional and pharmaceutical enhancements
7. Reduce use of fertilizer and pesticides
Potential Risks of GMO Human Consumption
1. More allergic reactions
2. Gene mutations (GMO food may develop
abnormalities 7 mutations)
3. Antibiotic resistance (GMO food contains
antibiotic –resistant genes; this may
cause disease causing bacteria likely to be more
antibiotic resistant.)
4. Nutritional Value (may change)
“GM crops are not about feeding the world but
about patented ownership of the food supply”
- GMO Myths and Truths, 2015
NANOTECHNOLOGY
The Latin word of NANO “nenus” which means
dwarf. NANOWORLD literally means “small
world“.
Nanotechnology is now aiding and
revolutionizing different aspects of S & T such as
environmental science, information technology,
medical science, energy, transportation, internal
security, food safety and those related to human
and environmental health.
Impacts of Nanotechnology
- Faster and more powerful computers, which
consume less power. Modern computers have
longer-lasting batteries. Circuits, which are
made from carbon nanotubes, aim to maintain
computer power.
- “Lab-on-a-chip”, enables testing in real time
and speeds up delivery of urgent medical care.
- Pharmaceutical products contain
nanoparticles, which improve their absorption
within our bodies. They are also used to deliver
chemotherapy drugs to the affected cancer cells.
- Nanotechnology helps to improve vehicle fuel
efficiency. The vehicle parts which are made
from nanocomposite materials are lighter,
stronger, and more chemically resistant
compared to metal.
- Nanoparticles in fabrics are stain, water, and
flame resistant. they do not increase such
properties of fabrics as weight, thickness, or
stiffness.
- Water filters (15-20 nanometers) are able to
remove all viruses and bacteria.
- Carbon nanotubes make our sports equipment
stronger and the weight of it lighter.
- Modern sunscreens, which are made from
nanoparticles, absorb light more efficiently,
including the dangerous ultraviolet range.
- Cosmetics industry suspends and
encapsulates various ingredients into
nanospheres and nanoemulsions. Specialists
claim that they help increase their penetration
into our skin.
- Drink bottles are also made from plastics,
which contain nanoclays. It gives good
resistance to permeation by oxygen and
moisture.
-In medicine, nanosensors help to identify
particular cells/substances in the body.
Is Nanotechnology Safe?
- When mice inhale carbon nanotubes, the
material has been shown to lodge in their lungs,
in a pattern similar to asbestos. What is not
known is whether inhaled carbon nanotubes can
cause cancer.
- Nanoparticles used in creams such as
sunscreens could penetrate the outer layer of
skin and can cause damage to cells in the body.
- Nanoparticles used in cleaning products cause
damage to the environment.
THE GENE THERAPY
Gene Therapy is a method of treating and
preventing diseases by replacing, repairing, or
turning on or off of genes of a patient’s cells.
Gene Therapy is when DNA is introduced into a
patient to treat a genetic disease. The new DNA
usually contains a functioning gene to correct
the effects of a disease-causing mutation.
*A gene is the basic physical and functional unit
of heredity. Genes are made up of DNA.
There are several approaches of Gene Therapy
(according to Fliesler, 2017)
- Replacement of mutated gene that causes
disease with a healthy copy of gene.
- Inactivation of a mutated gene that is
functioning improperly
- Introducing a new gene into the body to help
fight disease.
A gene therapy cannot be directly inserted to
human gene or cell. A gene is inserted into
another gene using a carrier or a vector.
The two main types of Gene Therapy:
1. Somatic gene therapy – those which are not
related to reproductive gene therapy. Basically
the introduction of genes to cells in a target
organ to produce enzymes which are needed by
the body to functions well, but doesn’t alter the
genetic makeup of the organism.
2. Reproductive gene therapy or the germ-line
cell therapy – basically the introduction of
corrective genes to sperm cells, egg cells or
even zygotes. The main goal is to eliminate the
abnormalities that can possibly be transmitted to
the offspring.
Benefits of Gene Therapy
1. It offers cure to several diseases like cancer,
Parkinson’s disease, AIDS, asthma, diabetes,
heart disease as well as hereditary diseases.
2. It can replace defective cells.
3. It has promising potential not only in the field
of medicine but in some other fields like
agriculture.
Disadvantages of Gene Therapy
1. Modifying organisms means modifying its
capabilities.
2. Viral vectors could recover its ability to cause
disease.
3. It can damage the gene pool resulting in a
multigene disorder.
4. High cost
5. Ethical issues
Ethical Issues of Gene Therapy
- How can “good” and “bad” uses of gene
therapy be distinguished?
- Who decides which traits are normal and which
constitute a disability or disorder?
- Will the high costs of gene therapy make it
available only to the wealthy?
- Could the widespread use of gene therapy
make society less accepting of people who are
different?
- Should people be allowed to use gene therapy
to enhance basic human traits such
as height, intelligence, or athletic ability?
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change is a long-term change in the
average weather patterns that have come to
define Earth’s local, regional and global
climates.
Changes observed in Earth’s climate since the
early 20th century are primarily driven by human
activities, particularly fossil fuel burning, which
increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels
in Earth’s atmosphere, raising Earth’s average
surface temperature. These human-produced
temperature increases are commonly referred to
as global warming.
Causes of Climate Change
- Greenhouse gases - Main driver of Climate
Change
1. Carbon dioxide
2. Methane
3. Nitrous oxide
4. Fluorinated gases
- Human activities
1. Used of Fossil Fuels
- Humanity’s increased use of fossil fuels such
as coal, oil and gases to generate electricity, run
cars and other forms of transport and power
manufacturing industry.
2. Deforestation
- It refers to the decrease in forest areas across
the world that are lost for other uses such as
agricultural croplands, urbanization, or mining
activities. Greatly accelerated by human
activities since1960, deforestation has been
negatively affecting natural ecosystems,
biodiversity, and the climate.
3. Intensive Agriculture - Support the government projects geared
- Which emits GreenHouse Gases like Methane toward environmental preservations.
and Nitrous Oxide.
Global Warming
Effects of Climate Change It is a rapid increase of temperature of the
1. The direct consequences of man-made atmosphere due to greenhouse gases such
climate change: as carbon monoxide, sulphur oxide, nitrogen
- rising maximum temperatures oxides and hydrocarbons. These greenhouse
- rising minimum temperatures gases trap the heat and light from the sun in
- rising sea levels the earth’s atmosphere, which causes the
- higher ocean temperatures increase in temperature.
- an increase in heavy precipitation (heavy rain
and hail) Global warming greatly causes many living
- shrinking glaciers organisms to go extinct because they can no
- thawing permafrost longer adapt to the higher level of
temperature.
2. The indirect consequences of climate change,
which directly affect us humans an increase in
hunger and water crises, especially in
developing countries
- health risks through rising air temperatures and
heat waves
- economic implications of dealing with
secondary damage related to climate change
increasing spread of pests and pathogens
- loss of biodiversity due to limited adaptability
and speed of flora and fauna
- the need for adaptation in all areas (e.g.
agriculture, forestry, energy, infrastructure,
tourism, etc.)

Health Impacts of Climate Change

- Increase malnutrition and consequent
disorders
- Increase number of people dying and suffering
from diseases and injury due to heatwaves,
floods, storms, fires and droughts.
- Increase burden of diarrheal disease.
- Increase cardio-respiratory morbidity and
mortality.

Ways to Reduce Global Warming and Climate

Change
- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
- Planting trees in the backyard
- Buy energy efficient products
- Drive less and smart.
- Conserve energy