CHAPTER 3

SPECIFIC ISSUES IN
SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY AND
SOCIETY
A. THE INFORMATION AGE
 age of information
 age of computer
 digital or digitized age
 media age

- characterized by the transition from the traditional

industry until the age of information technology
- the phenomenon is that the digital industry creates a
knowledge based society surrounded by a high-tech
global economy that spans its influence on how the
manufacturing and the service sectors operate in an
efficient and convenient way
According to Von Baeyer
Information
 poised to replace matter as the primary

stuff of the universe

 will provide a new basic framework for

describing and predicting reality in the

21st century
 provides learners with facts and basic

ideas on certain things

 allows learners to connect with the

technological environment and the

modern world of technology

BEING INFORMED means LITERACY,

and no one is left behind because of the
knowledge gained from this.
JOHANNES GUTENBERG
 JOHANNES GENSFLEISCH ZUR LADEN ZUM
GUTENBERG - German blacksmith, goldsmith,
inventor, printer, and publisher who introduced
printing to Europe with the printing press. 
Wikipedia
 Born: 24 June 1400, Mainz, Germany
 Died: 3 February 1468, Mainz, Germany
 Nationality: German
 Known for: The invention of the movable-type

printing press
 Alma mater: University of Erfurt
 Invention: Printing press
JOHANNES GUTENBERG
 established the Gutenberg era
 responsible for shaping the nature of society and

its institutions throughout the period

GUTENBERG PRINCIPLE
 Gutenberg Rule or Z pattern of processing
THE PRE- GUTENBERG ERA
Invention of the printing press- start in the explosion
and emergence of new ideas that came across
diverse people and individualities
 Information – captured in the laborious and

difficult manner
 time was greatly consumed
 books must be read comprehensively
 tablets were available but access to information was

restricted to a small elite group

 Transmission of knowledge at that time –
rely on purely word-of –mouth channels
and the form of information that was
prevalent was, therefore, the story , the
story of others.

 Social media amd its accessibility – very

minimal and limited to those who can afford
to buy and have one
 THE GUTENBERG REVOLUTION

 Introduction of printing press – revolutionary in its

impact and played a great role in the development of
society

 Credited as being catalyst for the Renaissance,

the development of science and creating the
pressures
Everyday Life
 changed immensely because of advent of

technology
 faster
 dynamic
 more comfortable

 Relying more on smartphones and tablets as sole

means of communication with the rest of the world

 People became more lethargic and less sociable in

person
 THE POST-GUTENBERG WORLD:
THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Marked the Emergence of the Modern World of

Technology in 90’s
Internet

World Wide Web

Broadband internet access- made possible and

the video presentation and researches
became readily available
 Blogging and social networking

 Facebook
 Instagram
 Twitter
 You tube
 Flicker
 Google
POST- GUTENBERG PRINCIPLE - social
information principle

Information can now flow between one individual

to another and all of the potential individuals from
whom the information might be relevance and and
of great significance.
ACTIVITY

INTERVIEW
Students will conduct an interview with the
officials in their barangays regarding
“The Development of Technology : Present
and Past” .
Compare and contrast the impacts of
technology then and now.
 B. BIODIVERSITY AND THE
HEALTHY SOCIETY

Biodiversity – biological diversity

 describes the variety of living beings on earth
 Describes degree of variation of life
 Encompasses microorganisms, plants, animals and

ecosystems such as
- coral reefs
- forests
- rainforests
- deserts
 number or abundance of different species living within a

particular region
 represents the wealth of biological resources available to us
BIODIVERSITY
ECOSYTEM
 IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY

1. Increase ecosystem productivity; each species in

an ecosystem has a specific niche- a role to play.
2. Support a larger number of plant species, and
therefore , a greater variety of crops.
3. Protect fresh water resources.
4. Promote soil formation.
5. Provide for nutrient storage and recycling.
7. Aid in breaking down pollutants.

8. Contribute to climate stability.

9. Speed recovery from natural disasters.
10. Provide more food resources.
11. Provide more medical resources and
pharmaceutical drugs.
12. Offer environments for recreation and tourism.
 FUNCTIONS OF BIODIVERSITY
1. Maintaining balance of the ecosystem.
2. Provision of biological resources.
3. Social benefits.
ROLE OF BIODIVERSITY
4. Biodiversity and food.
5. Biodiversity and human health.
6. Biodiversity and industry.
7. Biodiversity and culture.
 GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS:
(GMOs) Science, Health and Politics
 any living thing that has its genetic material altered in
some way through human scientific interference
 undergo a form of gene therapy under laboratory
conditions whereby segments of DNA are spliced,
rearranged, or removed altogether

DNA - Deoxyribonucleic acid - a molecule composed of two

chains that coil around each other to form a double helix
carrying the genetic instructions used in the growth,
development, functioning, and reproduction of all known
organisms and many viruses
Agricultural plants- one of the most frequently cited
examples of genetically modified organisms
SOME BENEFITS OF GENETIC ENGINEERING
IN AGRICULTURE
1. Increased crop yields
2. Reduced costs for food or drug production
3. Reduced need for pesticides
4. Enhanced nutrient composition and food quality
5. Resistance to pests and disease
6. Greater food security
7. Medical benefits to the world’s growing
population
Herbicide- a substance that is toxic to plants, used to
destroy unwanted
"farmers sprayed a protected wildflower meadow with
herbicide“

 Herbicide - a pesticide used to kill unwanted plants.

Selective herbicides kill certain targets while leaving the
desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by
interfering with the growth of the weed and are often
based on plant hormones.
 POTENTIAL GMO APPLICATIONS
RESEARCH
 No. of microorganisms- considered as future clean

fuel producers and biodegraders

 Modified plants- used to produced recombinant

vaccines
 Concept of an oral vaccine expressed in

plants( fruits and vegetables) for direct

consumption by individuals- possible solution to the
spread of disease in undeveloped countries
 Reduced the cost associated with conducting large-

scale vaccination campaigns

 Plant derived vaccine candidates in potatoes and
lettuce for:
 hepatitis B Virus (HBV)
 enterotoxigenic Encherichia coli (ETEC)
 normal virus
 Production of commercially valuable proteins in

plants
 spider silk protein and polymers - used in

surgery or tissue replacement

XENOTRANSPLANTATION – using modified
animals to grow transplant tissues and human
trnasplant organs