Bulacan State University

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

STS 101
 Bulacan State University
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
STS 101

1
Historical Antecedents in the course of Science and Technology

Title of the lesson: Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society

Time frame: 3 hours

INTRODUCTION

What is Science?

Science is intertwined with our everyday lives. It affects us all, 24/7, from the moment
we wake up, all day long and through the night. Your cellphone, laptop, earthquake
report, the medicine that treat your fever, be it in tablet form or syrup, have all been
brought to you courtesy of science. Today, the modern world would not be called
"Modern" if it is not for technology enabled by science.

As people's scientific knowledge increased, more complicated machines became a

reality. The impact of new technology in our daily lives is to give less work and jobs
that can be done faster.

OBJECTIVES

After studying this module, you should be able to:

1. Define and identify the difference and interrelatedness of Science and

Technology;
2. Relate Science, Technology, and Society;
3. Give examples of the latest developments in Science and Technology;
4. Infer how Science and Technology can be utilized for the advantage of
humanity.
 Bulacan State University
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
STS 101
The Kite Experiment

photo from google images

Franklin made a simple kite and attached a wire to its top (this act as a lightning rod).
To the bottom of the kite, he secured an act hemp string, where he then connected a
silk string. The hemp, wet from the rain, would conduct an electrical charge quickly.
The silk string, kept dry as Franklin held it in the doorway of a shed, wouldn't.

The metal key was the last piece of the puzzle. Together with his son's help, Franklin
attached it to the hemp string and got the kite aloft. At the moment when he’s starting
to lose hope, he realized that loose fibers of the hemp string erected; it was as if the
string was deferred by some type of a typical conductor."

Franklin adjusted the proximity of his finger to the key, doing so the metal piece’s
negative charges were attracted to his hand’s positive charge, he then felt a spark.

"Struck with this promising appearance, he immediately presented his knuckle to the
key, and the discovery was complete. He perceived a very evident electric spark,"

With the utilization of the Leyden jar, Franklin "collected electric fire very copiously,
 Bulacan State University
IENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
STS 101

that "electric fire"—or electricity—could then be discharged later.

(Franklin 1752) states that " To demonstrate, in the thorough manner possible, the
sameness of the electric fluid with the matter of lightning, Dr. Franklin, astonishing as it
must have appeared, contrived actually to bring lightning from the heavens, using an
electrical kite, which he raised when a storm of thunder was perceived to be coming on."
copied from: Benjamin Franklin and the Kite Experiment

DISCUSSION

What is Science? Science is a systematized body of knowledge. It is an organized and

dynamic inquiry (following scientific method). It is knowledge gained through observation
and experimentation. Science is a human activity; scientists. It is a social enterprise;
people, knowledge, skills, facilities, apparatuses, and technologies. Science leads to the
formation of concepts, methods, principles, theories, law, and procedures that seek to
describe and explain nature and its phenomena.

The major branches of science include:

♦ Chemistry- the science of the chemical composition and the changes accompanied.

♦ Biology- the study of living things. It has three main branches:

1) Botany is the study of plants where most of the medicines that we have were derived
from these plants.
2) Zoology is the science of animals;
3) Microbiology is the science of microorganisms.
♦ Physics- is the science of energy and its transformation.

Some of the notable products of physics are jets and LASER.

 Bulacan State University
IENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
STS 101

DISCUSSION

The Computer
The computer has many uses, and one of those is to
make our lives easier to deal with. This module was aided
with the help of a computer.

A calculator is one of the blessings of a computer.

Computers are many times faster than calculators! One of
the remarkable wonders of computers is that it can be
used in the field of medicine, like the use of ultrasound
projection.

DISCUSSION

Can you still recall what science is?

Derived from the Greek word technologia, Technology means the "systematic treatment
of art." Technology as materials products; results of scientific inquiry; hardware produced
by a scientist. Technology is applying knowledge in solving scientific and practical
problems that will help humans survive and improve their lives—technology as human
cultural activities or endeavors. Technology as a social enterprise – Technology is a
complex system of knowledge, skills, people, methods, tools, materials, and resources
applied and allocated to the development, operation, and production of a new or improved
product, process, or services—technology as modern technology based on the advances
of science since the end of WWII to the present.
 Bulacan State University
IENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
STS 101

What are the uses of technology? It is enumerated as follows:

1) Technology helps in the discovery and production of medicine,

2) Technology helps to preserve food, and
3) Technology helps us to develop new sources of energy.
The laptop is one of the products of technology. Below are the products of technology.
Many lives have been saved, thanks to modern technology. Today, a blocked artery’s
blood flow can be restored through the process of angioplasty.

Science was the philosophy domain, while technology was the domain of tanners, millers,
and goldsmiths.

Now, let us proceed to what Science, Technology, and Society (STS) mean.
Science, technology, and society (STS), also referred to as science and technology
studies, study how social, political, and cultural values affect scientific research and
technological innovation and how they affect society. STS scholars are interested in
various problems, including the relationships between scientific and technological
innovations and culture and the directions and risks of science and technology. The field
of STS is related to science's history and philosophy, although with a much broader
emphasis on the social aspects of science and technology.

Science, technology, and society refer to the interaction between science and
technology and social, cultural, political, and economic contexts which shape and are
shaped by them, specific examples throughout human history of scientific and
technological developments.
 Bulacan State University
IENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
STS 101

SUMMARY

In a nutshell, Science, the systematized body of knowledge that it is, has been gathered
for a long period of time.
Major branches of science are:

1. Chemistry - the study of the composition of substances and their changes.

2. Biology - the study of living things. It has two main components:
a. Botany is the study of plants from the active substances found in plants.
b. Zoology is the study of animals
3. Physics - the study of matter, energy, motion, and forces.

Technology is applied to science. It is developed as a result of scientific discoveries.

Science, technology, and society (STS) study how social, political, and cultural values
affect scientific research and technological innovation and affect the community. It also
refers to the interaction between science and technology and cultural, social, political,
and economic contexts which shape and are shaped by them, specific examples
throughout human history of scientific and technological developments.