Science, Technology, and Society Overview

Study Notes

An interdisciplinary course examining the relationship between science and technology and society, politics, and culture.
Explores the production, distribution, and use of scientific knowledge and technological systems.
Examines the impact of these processes on society.

A continually evolving body of knowledge based on theoretical explanations and experimental and empirical activities.
Aims to generate universal truths.

The application of science to create systems, processes, and objects designed to assist humans in their daily activities.

The sum total of human interactions, including those involved in understanding and creating things.
A group of individuals engaged in ongoing social interactions.
A large social group sharing a common geographical or social territory, often subject to the same political authority and cultural expectations.

Impacts economic development.
A key driver of progress, underpinning economic advancements, improvements in health systems, education, and infrastructure.
The 21st-century technological revolution is emerging from fields like microprocessors, telecommunications, biotechnology, and nanotechnology.
Transforms businesses across the economy and the lives of those who have access to it.
Promising breakthroughs from the combination of insights and applications derived from these technologies.
Has the potential to improve the lives of impoverished individuals in developing nations.
A differentiator between countries effectively addressing poverty through economic growth and development.
An engine of growth.
Used in interventions like cognitive enhancement, proton cancer therapy, and genetic engineering.

Understanding the history of science helps us understand how scientists think and understand the world.
Provides a deeper appreciation for the nature of science.

3,000 years before Christ, ancient Egyptians had sophisticated medical practices.
Their medicine relied on trial and error.
They would continue using remedies that were successful, and try new ones if previous ones failed.
Their medicine was considered advanced due to the invention of papyrus.
Papyrus, a form of paper made from the papyrus plant, allowed for written records and the preservation of medical knowledge.
Egyptians used papyrus to document their knowledge and understanding of medicine and other fields.
Ancient Egyptians were pioneers in the development of written records and the sharing of knowledge.