SCIENCE

TECHNOLOGY AND
SOCIETY
CORAZON D. NAPORA, RN, MAN©
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• At the end of discussion students will be able to:

1. Discuss the general concepts related to science
and technology
2. Explain the cope of the study of STS; and
3. Demonstrate preparedness and readiness in the
study of STS
 WHAT IS SCIENCE?

• Comes from the Latin word “Scientia” meaning

“Knowledge”.
• It refers to a systematic and methodical activity of building
and organizing knowledge about how the universe behaves
through observation, experimentation or both.
• According to science historian, John
Heilbron (2003), “ Modern science is a
discovery as well as an invention.

• Heilbron considered science as a

discovery of regularity in nature,
enough for natural phenomena to be
described by principles and laws.
 WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY?

• Is the application of scientific knowledge,

laws, and principles to produce services,
materials, tools, and machines aimed at
solving real world problems.
• It come from Greek root word “Techne”
meaning Art,Skill or cunning of hand.
• Mark Zuckerberg (2014)

defines technological tool is

something that takes a human’s
sense or ability and augments it
and makes it more powerful.
WOLPERT (2005)

• Made an interesting comparison

between science and technology
that is helpful in the study of
their interaction with society.
Wolpert landmark paper:

The Medawar Lecture 1998: Is Science

Dangerous?
It was stated there and explained that reliable
scientific knowledge has no moral or ethical
value.
• He believed that studying the nature of the
universe is to explain the possible uses and
WOLPERT LAND MARK PAPER:

• He stated that Scientist are not responsible for the application of

knowledge in technology.
• He further explained that a very nature of science is that, it is not
possible to predict scientific discoveries and how these discoveries
may applied.
• While scientist are responsible for the reliable conduct of scientific
inquiry and its honest interpretation and dissemination, technological
applications of science that are influenced by other sectors such as
politics and governance, religion, and business.
CARL SAGAN
• An American scientist quoted in Tom Head’s (2006)
book , that the rise of social media drastically changed
the way humans communicate, interact, and share
information; however, this tends to put people’s
privacy at risk.
“ We live in a society absolutely dependent on science
and technology and yet have cleverly arranged things
so that almost no one understands science and
technology. That’s a clear prescription for disaster”
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

It has different aspects of society that

shape and influence the progression and
further development of science and
technology in the area of concern of a
relatively new academic discipline.
SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

• Relatively young field that combines

previously independent and older disciplines
such as history of science, philosophy of
science, and sociology of science.
 HISTORY OF STS

• According to Harvard University’s Kennedy

school (2018), traces its roots from the
interwar period and the start of Cold War.
• It was during this period when historians and
scientist found interest in the interconnections
of scientific knowledge, technological systems
and society.
10 EMERGING ETHICAL DELIMMAS AND
POLICY ISSUES IN STS FOR 2018

1. Helix- a digital app store designed to read

genomes
2. BlessU-2 and Pepper- first robot priest and monk
3. Emotion-Sensing Facial Recognition
A software being developed to assess your reactions
to anything such as shopping and playing games.
4. Ransomware- a way of holding data hostage
through hacking and requiring a ransom to be paid.

5. Textalyzer- a device that analyzes whether a

driver was using his or her phone during an
accident.

6. Social Credit System-a system of scoring citizens

through their actions by placing them under constant
surveillance.
7. Google clips- a hands-free camera that lets the user
capture every moment effortlessly

8. Sentencing Software- a mysterious algorithm

designed to aid courts in sentencing decisions

9. Friendbot- an app that stores the deceased’s digital

footprint so one can still “chat” with them

10.Citizen App- an app that notifies users of ongoing

crimes or major events in a specific area.
TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE

Science and technology have had both a positive and

negative impact on society, especially in the following
areas:
1. Community Life
2. Health
3. Work
4. Communication
1. COMMUNITY LIFE
• The shift from nomadic life to farming led to
the development of the city.
This includes the following:
Network transportation, communication, and
trade systems
Specialized labor
Government and Religion
Social class
COMMUNITY LIFE
The nineteenth century witnesses the
Industrial Revolution.
Invention of textile manufacturing machines
Division of labor
Increase in production
Crowded cities
Unsafe and unhealthy working conditions
COMMUNITY LIFE
• The twentieth century saw birth of suburbs.
Invention of the trolley car and automobile
Status symbol
Alternative to harsh, crowded city conditions
2. WORK

• Technical innovations saved physical

energy and lessened people’s workload.
WORK

• The concept of LLEISURE developed from labor-

saving technology. People use the money they
earn to take advantage of leisure time.
3. HEALTH

• The greatest innovation of technology was

longevity.
HEALTH
• A large part of technology has been dedicated to the
advancement of medical science.
• In 1978 Edward Jenner paved the way modern
immunology by discovering a vaccine for small pox.
• Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin, the first
antibiotic in 1928.
• Dr. William Thomas Green 1846 was one of the first
medical practitioners to use anesthesia on a patient
before performing surgery
HEALTH
• Some current innovations could have a drastic
impact on society.
• In 1997 scientist at the Roslin Institute in
Edinburg, Scotland, introduced Dolly the sheep,
the first mammal ever to have been cloned. Dolly
quickly became the symbol of controversy over
ethics of cloning.
4. COMMUNICATION
• Inventions and innovations in communication have
had a major influence on society
Egypt: Papyrus and hieroglyph
Ancient Babylonia: Cuneiform
Ancient Greece: Public speaking, drama, philosophy
Ancient Rome: Roman alphabet
Modern Europe: Printing press
World today: World wide web
PROGRESS
• Is a series of improvements in human life
marked by inventions and discoveries.
Positive attributes of technology must be
greater than negative attributes
Negative consequences: destruction of
environment and loss of what it means to be
human
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: THEIR
NATURES AND RELATIONSHIP
• Technology and science could be definitive or
win general acceptance, one can at least attempt
to be clear and consistent in one’s own usage.
Clarity will be served in this work by
distinguishing four different though related
meanings of each of these terms.
1. TECHNOLOGY AS TECHNICS

• Technology will be sometimes be used to mean

and refer to “ material products of human or
fabrication,”
• Technic does not refer directly or primarily to
particular individual devices, machines and etc.
2. TECHNOLOGY AS TECHNOLOGY
• Technology refers to complex of knowledge,
methods, materials and if applicable,
constituent parts used in making a certain kind
of technic.
• Technology in this sense can be used either
the singular or the plural that is, to refer either
to a technology to two or more technologies.
3.TECHNOLOGY AS A FORM OF HUMAN
CULTURAL ACTIVITY
• Technology will often be used to refer to a
distinctive form or kind of human cultural
activity, just as term art, law, medicine, sport
and religion are often to refer to distinctive
forms of human practice
4. TECHNOLOGY AS A TOTAL
SOCIETAL ENTERPRISE
• The landing of Apollo XI on the moon in1969
was great attribute to American technology.
• Here technology does not refer only to the
specific techniques and related technologies
involved, or to one of the activity forms-
technology- through which they where invented
or developed.
Four meanings of science
1. SCIENCE AS KNOWLEDGE

• With his germ theory of disease, Pasteur

made a seminal contribution to modern
medical science.
• Science refers to the organized, well-founded
body of knowledge of natural phenomena,
contributions to which have been made by
thousands of women/
2. SCIENCE AS FIELD SYSTEMIC INQUIRY INTO NATURE

• Science refer to particular field or domain of systemic

inquiry.
3. SCIENCE AS FORM OF HUMAN CULTURAL ACTIVITY

• Science will sometimes be used in what follows

to refer distinctive form of human cultural activity.
• Once practice by people now called scientists
4. SCIENCE AS A TOTAL SOCIETAL ENTERPRISE

• The complex of
knowledge,people,skills,organizations.facilities,tec
hnics,physical resources, methods and
technologies.
 HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Focused on how science and technology focuses on how

science and technology have changed across time.
It explores the impacts of science and technological
innovations on the prevailing social,cultural,political and
economic contexts throughout history.
ANTECEDENT

Is defined as a precursor to the unfolding or existence of

something.
Historical antecedent and science and technology are
factors that paved the way for the presence of advanced
and sophisticated scientific and technological innovations.
ANCIENT PERIOD

The rise of ancients civilization paved the way for

advances in science and technology.
Ancient period allowed civilizations to flourish by
finding betters way of communication,
transportation, self-organization and of living in
general
 ANCIENT WHEEL

People from ancient civilization used for

transportation long before the invention of the
wheel.
Ancient wheel is often credited to the sumerians
since no other ancient civilization used a similar
device at the time.
Shifting the potter’s wheel to a 90 degree angle
for the purpose of transportation of the wheel as
reinvented for this purpose.
1000 to 1500 years later that the wheel was the
first used on carts.
PAPER

Roughly around 3000 BC the ancient

egyptians began writing on
“papyrus”,material similar to thick paper
Made from the pith of the papyrus
plant”cyperus papyrus”.
Before the egyptians invented the papyrus
writing was done in the stone.
SHADOOF
Was an early tool invented and used by ancient
egyptians to irrigate land.
Invention introduced the idea of lifting thing using
counterweights,irrigation and farming became
much more efficient.
ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISM

invention of the antecendents of the modern

computer. discovered in 1902 and retrieved
from the waters of Antikythera Greece similar
to mantel clock.
One of the oldest known antecedents of modern
clock world,was invented by Greek scientists
between 150-100BC.
AEOLIPILE

Also known as the “Hero engine”,the aeolipile is

widely believed to be the ancient precursor of the
steam engine.
MIDDLE AGES

• These include steady increase of new inventions,

introduction of innovations in traditional
production, and emergence of scientific thinking
method.
 HEAVY PLOUGH
• It is one of the most important
technological innovations during the
middle ages in the invention of the
heavy plough.
• The Heavy plough stirred an
agricultural revolution in Northern
Europe marked by higher and healthier
agricultural yields and more efficient
agricultural practices.
GUNPOWDER
• Around 850 AD, Chinese alchemist
accidentally invented black powder
or gun powder.
• Chinese called it Huoyao, roughly
translated as “Fire Potion”
• Towards the end of 13th century, the
explosive invention crept into most
part of Europe and Asia.
PAPER MONEY

• The Chinese are credited for

the invention of paper money.
• Chinese in17th century AD
offshoot the invention of
block printing, which is
similar to stamping.
MECHANICAL CLOCK
• The development of mechanical
clockwork paved the way for
accurately keeping track of time.
• Devices for timekeeping and
recording from ancient times, such
as the Antikythera mechanism, it
was not until Middle Ages that
clockwork technology was
developed.
 SPINNING WHEEL

• Another important invention of the

Middle Ages is the spinning wheel, a
machine used for transforming fiber
into thread or yarn and eventually
woven into cloth on a loom.
 MODERN AGES

• Focuses utmost importance of increasing the

efficiency of transportation, communication, and
communication, and production.
COMPOUND MICROSCOPE
• Zacharias Janssen- Dutch spectacle
maker is credited for the invention
of the first compound microscope
in 1590.
• Janssen compound microscope was
an important progression from
single lens microscope.
TELESCOPE

• Invented by Galileo Galilei

• Single and most important
technological invention in
the study of astronomy
during Modern Ages was
practical telescope.
JACQUARD LOOM
• Considered as one of the most critical drivers
of the revolution
• Built by French weaver Joseph Marie
Jacquard
• Jacquard loom simplifies textile
manufacturing
• Prior to the invention draw loom was used
which required two individuals to operate the
Weaver and a Drawboy- a figured designs
on textiles were needed.
ENGINE-POWDERED
AIRPLANE
• Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright-
designed and successfully operated
the first engine-powered aircraft.
TELEVISION
• John Logie Baird- Scottish engineer
credited for the invention of the modern
television.
• Despite of being the first television
invented, It was later on criticized for
its fuzzy and flickering images,
primarily because it was mechanical
compared to electronic versions that
were developed much later.