Science, Technology, and Society Concepts

• This module explores general concepts and historical contexts where social factors influenced science and technology on global and local scales.
• Objectives include discussing the interaction of science and technology throughout history and improving critical thinking about how scientific and technological advances impact society and the environment.
• Carl Sagan suggests science helps improve human lives by enabling understanding and manipulation of the natural world.

Learning Plan Highlights—Week 2-3:

• Course packet module contains pretests, lessons, activities, readings, output activities, and assignments.
• Online platforms that are user friendly for teaching and include learning management systems.
• Expected outputs are Juxtaposition activities, STS Magic Cards, short essays, and pre/post-tests for assessment.
• Students will:
  • Discuss the interactions between science, technology and society
  • Discuss how scientific and technological developments have an affect
  • Identify paradigm shifts in history
• Key vocabulary:
  • Antecedents- Existing before
  • Science- Observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena.
  • Technology- Application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes
  • Society- A community of independent individuals

General Concepts:

• Science is the study of the nature and behavior of natural things and the knowledge from that study, based on the scientific method and research, by observing, experimenting and replicating natural phenomena.
• Organized knowledge is used to form testable explanations and predictions about nature and the universe.
• The natural world studied includes volcanoes, gravity, atoms, plants, animals, people, societies, and galaxies.
• Science attempts to discover facts and relationships for creating coherent theories.
• Technology is skills, methods, and processes to achieve goals by utilizing machines to resolve real-world problems and is a human-led initiative to change the world with material artifacts.
• Technology uses tools, techniques, and procedures to put scientific findings to practical use.
• Science drives technology forward in an attempt to systemize observation and experiment.

Science and Technology Interaction:

• Science drives technology by making new technology possible through scientific breakthroughs
• Science seeks knowledge about the natural world.
• Scientists use technology in all experiments.
• Technology applies scientifically-gained knowledge for practical use.

Role of Science and Technology:

• Science and technology change how people live, connect, communicate, and transact leading to economic development
• Scientific and technological revolutions underpin economic advances, improvements in health systems, education, and infrastructure
• The 21st century’s technological shift is emerging from new sectors like microprocessors, telecommunications, biotechnology, and nanotechnology; products transform business and lives
• The most remarkable breakthroughs will come from converging insights and applications of different technologies
• Benefits of science and tech converge to improve lives, enabling differentiation between countries effective in tackling poverty and economic growth
• Science and technology is the engine of growth

Science, Technology, and Society (STS):

• Technology uses science to solve problems, and science uses technology to make new discoveries even when they are contradictory.
• Science is the means to answering questions.
• Technology provides the solutions to the very practical problems.
• Societies consist of individuals in social interaction sharing spatial or social territory.
• Societies are subject to political authority and dominant cultural expectations.
• Relationships occur between Individuals sharing distinctive culture and institutions.
• Larger societies exhibit stratification or dominance patterns.
• STS is an interdisciplinary field that studies how scientific knowledge and technological systems are produced, distributed, and utilized, and the consequences of these activities across different groups.

How Science and Technology Affect Society:

• Science and technology significantly impact society, with impacts that continue to grow.
• Science makes life easier, to allow societal concerns like ethics, aesthetics, education, justice, culture, and human conditions.
• Science influences society through knowledge and world view, but its effects are neither entirely beneficial nor detrimental
• Science influences society through both knowledge and views
• Social needs affect the direction of technology
• The effect of science on society is neither entirely beneficial nor entirely detrimental.

Ancient Times—Sumerian Civilization:

• Primary concerns during during these times were transportation, communication, protection, health, aesthetics, and architecture.

• The Sumerians from Mesopotamia had strong cooperation and desire for great things

• Key inventions:

  • Cuneiform - The first writing system carving clay.
  • Uruk City - The first true city constructed with mud bricks.
  • The Great Ziggurat of Ur - A sacred temple.
  • Irrigation and Dikes - Created to control water to preserve water and prevent floods.
  • Sailboats - Transportation through waterways.
  • Wheel - Used for farm and food processing.
  • Plow - Digged to cultivate larger parcels of land faster.

Ancient Times—Babylonian Civilization:

• Emerged near Tigris and Euphrates
• Babylonian Key inventions and facts:
  • Hanging Gardens of Babylon - Said to be built by King Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife
  • Tower of Babel - Appears in biblical literature.
    • Meant to explain the various languages of the world.

Ancient Times—Egyptian Civilization:

• Civilization located in North Africa famous for its history Key Inventions:
  • Paper or Papyrus- a plant that grew along the Nile River to make transportable safe-keeping documents and communications.. .
  • Ink - Invented when the clay tablets were discarded
  • Hieroglyphics - A writing system that was believed to be provided by the gods.
  • Cosmetics - Used for aesthetic and preventative health reasons.
  • Wig - Used for health and wellness reasons. -Water Clock/Clepsydra - used to measure time accurately and efficiently using gravity.

Ancient Times- Greek Civilization:

• Greece is known as the birthplace of western philosophy
• Key inventions and facts:
  • Alarm Clock- used to tell an individual when to stop or when to start and to time the alarm.
  • Water Mill- Considered one of the most important contributions of the Greek civilization to milling grains and cereal for mass production which was necessary the for processing of food.

Ancient Times—Roman Civilization:

• Considered the cradle of politics and governance by the Romans
• Key inventions and facts:
  • Newspaper - Contained announcements of the Roman Empire on metal and stone tablets
  • Bound Books or Codex - Records of historical and newly legislated laws.
  • Roman Architecture - Considered a continuation to Greek architecture.
  • Roman Numerals - Devised to better meet the trading needs.

Ancient Times—Chinese Civilization

• Chinese Civilization is the oldest in Asia for trade by silk
• Key inventions and facts:
  • Silk - Harvested with technology used silk worms to produce paper and clothing.
  • Tea Production - A Chinese emperor drank for the first time tea developed for the use of machine
  • Great Wall of China - Built for safety and engineering.

Medieval/Middle Ages:

• Marked by massive invasions, migrations, wars, and the “Age of Exploration”.
• Key inventions
  • Printing Press - Invented by Johan Gutenberg and addressed the needs of publishing faster.
  • Microscope - Allowed organisms to be seen utilizing eyeglasses to prevent illnesses.
  • Telescope - an optical instrument and led to the invention of compasses, oars and rudders for easier sea travel.
  • War Weapons- Invention of crossbows, long bows, iron body armors and the chain mail.

Modern Times:

• Marked by population boom and food and processing becoming a bigger health concern.
• Key Inventions: -Pasteurization - Invented by Louis Pasteur, and solved the problem of manufactured food deterioration, especially for dairy products.
  • Petroleum Refinery - Invented when Samuel Kier invented kerosene.
  • Telephone - Allowed the government to administer their states well when Alexander Graham Bell developed and invented the telephone.
  • Calculator - Allowed arithmetic to be calculated easier.
• Philippine Inventions were built and crafted to adjust to the harsh tropical environment out of indigenous materials