Historical Antecedents in Science and Technology: Middle & Modern Times PDF

Historical Antecedents in the Course of Science and Technology: Middle & Modern Times Consolidated by: Mrs. Lorna C. Aban Center for Natural Sciences School of Health and Natural Sciences  Middle Times (500–1500 CE) The sta...

Historical Antecedents in the Course of Science and Technology: Middle & Modern Times Consolidated by: Mrs. Lorna C. Aban Center for Natural Sciences School of Health and Natural Sciences  Middle Times (500–1500 CE) The start of Middle Ages was tainted by massive invasions and migrations. Wars were prevalent this time. As such, great technology was needed in the fields of weaponry, navigation, mass food and farm production, and health. The wars have resulted in population decline, but during the latter part of the period, there were significant rise in population. Trade and commerce among nations increased, which resulted in greater demands for transportation technology. Some of the most innovative minds came from this period Reference: McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & Beleno, R. (2018) Science, Technology, and Society. C & E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. All Rights Reserved Printing Press After the Chinese developed woodblock printing, Johann Gutenberg was able to invent printing press, a more reliable way of printing using a cast type. He utilized wooden machines that extracted juices from fruits, attached to them a metal impression of the letters, and pressed firmly the cast metal into a piece of paper, which then made an Reference: McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & Beleno, R. exact impression of paper. (2018) Science, Technology, and Society. C & E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. All Rights Reserved https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/printing- press Printing Press The printing press was invented to address the need for publishing books that would spread information to many people at a faster rate. This invention is also made accessible to individuals who could not even write (Streissguth, 1997). Book printing had existed in China since the 11th century, but Gutenberg was the first to produce serial standardized individual parts, which made the https://www.britannica.com/biography/Johannes-Gutenberg printing process faster and less https://www.britannica.com/video/171689/history-printing-press-work- expensive. discussion-Johannes-Gutenberg Microscope There is a growing population caused by massive migration and urbanization during the period More people transferred to polluted and populated areas which resulted in people getting sick and needing medical attention. To develop the proper medicines for He is associated with the illness, experts must understand the invention of the first optical telescope and/or the first sickness through an investigation. truly compound microscope Thus, they needed a device that could Reference: McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & magnify things invisible to the eye. Beleno, R. (2018) Science, Technology, and Society. C & E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zacharias_Janssen Microscope Guided by the principles used for inventions of eyeglasses in earlier years, Zacharias Janssen was able to develop the first compound microscope. Three Dutch spectacle makers—Hans With this device, people were able to Jansen, his son Zacharias Jansen, observe organism that were normally and Hans Lippershey—have received credit for inventing the compound unseen by naked eye. microscope about 1590. The microscope was the key in Reference: McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & Beleno, R. preventing and curing various (2018) Science, Technology, and Society. C & E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. illnesses (Davidson, 2015). https://www.britannica.com/technology/microscope/History- of-optical-microscopes#ref1255667 Telescope Since Middle Ages is also known as the Age of Exploration, the need for nautical inventions was high. Considering the vast and empty oceans that separated lands, ship captains One of Galileo's first telescopes. He needed to see far and wide for them to did not invent the telescope, but he navigate or to avoid dangers at sea. did make several improvements and The invention of telescope, an optical was the first to aim one at the stars. (Image: © NASA) instrument that helps in observation of Reference: McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & Beleno, remote objects, was greater help for R. (2018) Science, Technology, and Society. C & E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. navigators during this time. https://www.space.com/21950-who-invented-the- telescope.html Telescope Its invention is attributed to the lens- maker Hans Lippershey. In 1608, Lippershey laid claim to a device that could magnify objects three times. His telescope had a concave eyepiece aligned with a convex Hans Lippershey (or Lipperhey), a objective lens. Together with the Dutch eyeglass maker, is the first person to apply for a patent for a telescope, the invention of the telescope. compass, oars, and rudders made sea Reference: McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & Beleno, travelling easier and safer (Helden, R. (2018) Science, Technology, and Society. C & E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. 1989). https://www.space.com/21950-who-invented-the- telescope.html War Weapons Since wars were widespread during Middle Ages, great development in the weaponry technology occurred. All sides must develop weaponries not as only as offensive tool but also defensive instrument. the European warfare of the Middle For open-area battles, people developed Ages. Technological, cultural, and social developments had forced a cross bows and long bows so that they severe transformation in the could attack the enemies long ranges, character of warfare keeping themselves safe with the Reference: McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & Beleno, R. (2018) Science, Technology, and Society. C & E protection of walls and fortresses. Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. https://www.history.com/news/medieval-weapons- knights-middle-ages War Weapons in close range hand to hand combat, soldiers should wear something to protect themselves, a need addressed by the creation of iron body armors. However, body armors were heavy and limited their movements. The problem was eventually solved by Watch Overview of the Middle Ages at https://www.khanacademy.org/humanitie the inventions of chainmail. s/world-history/medieval-times/european- middle-ages-and-serfdom/v/overview-of- the-middle-ages Reference: McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & Beleno, R. (2018) Science, Technology, and Society. C & E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. http://www.medievalwarfare.info/weapons.htm  Modern Times The booming world population during 19th century onwards demanded that more goods be produced at faster rate. People needed efficient means of transportation to trade more Industrial Revolution started in 18th-century Great goods and cover larger Britain, where the pace of change appeared to distance. speed up. This acceleration in the processes of technical innovation brought about an array of Machines that required animals new tools and machines to operate must thus, McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & Beleno, R. (2018) Science, Technology, upgraded. and Society. C & E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/industrial-revolution-and- technology/ Modern Times Faster and easier means to communicate and compute should be developed to establish connections between and among all nations. However, due to massive The Industrial Revolution was the industrialization, the modern times transition to new manufacturing again faced more complicated processes in Europe and the United problems. Food processing and States, in the period from about 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840. medicine posed some bigger challenges since health was great McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & Beleno, R. (2018) Science, Technology, and Society. C & E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. concern. https://www.history.com/topics/industrial- revolution/industrial-revolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution Pasteurization As people were able to develop better means of production to meet needs of the population, food preservation and food safety became an issue. The challenge to keep manufactured food from deteriorating was greater than the dairy products, especially milk, since they Louis Pasteur, a French biologist usually spoiled faster. microbiologist, and chemist, These goods needed to be consumed found a way to solve the problem. almost immediately after production or they would cause illness like diphtheria, McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & Beleno, R. (2018) Science, Technology, and Society. C & E food poisoning and typhoid fever. Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis- Pasteur/Research-career Pasteurization He invented pasteurization, the process of heating dairy products to kill the harmful bacteria that allow them to spoil faster. Through this process, milk could be stored and consumed for a longer period. It also prevented illnesses caused by harmful bacteria (Macalester College, 2010). Other contributions of science, technology, and medicine included his work on molecular asymmetry, McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & Beleno, R. (2018) Science, Technology, and Society. C & E fermentation, and vaccination Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-Pasteur/Research-career Petroleum Refinery The modern times demanded better means of powering homes and transportation. At first, people used animal oils for generating light to illuminate their homes. Samuel Martin Kier was an However, the production of animal oils American inventor and businessman who is credited with could not keep up with the demand. founding the American petroleum Faced with this concern, Samuel M. refining industry. Kier was able to invent kerosene by McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & Beleno, R. (2018) refining petroleum. Science, Technology, and Society. C & E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Kier Petroleum Refinery Kerosene was later on referred to as the “illuminating oil” because it was used at first to provide lighting to homes. After some time, it was applied for heating purposes. The development of kerosene established the petroleum refinery industry (Skrabec, 2010). At present, petroleum is widely used in powering automobiles, factories, and McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & Beleno, R. (2018) Science, Technology, and Society. C & E power plants, among others. Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Kier Telephone The more people get connected by trade and exploration, the more they needed a way to easily maintain these connections and communicate with each other in real time. Government likewise needed some kind of communication Alexander Graham Bell revolutionized system which would allow them to communication. He secured exclusive rights to the technology and launched administer their states well. the Bell Telephone Company in 1877 the development of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell was McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & Beleno, R. (2018) one of the most important Science, Technology, and Society. C & E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. inventions at that time. https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/alexander- graham-bell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Graham_Bell Calculator In 1642, the Renaissance saw the invention of the mechanical calculator (by Wilhelm Schickard and several decades later Blaise Pascal), a device that was at times somewhat over-promoted as being able to perform all four arithmetic operations with Schickard’s design was preserved minimal human intervention. only in a few sketches and letters to the astronomer Kepler. They Although an earlier version of the calculator remained lost until 1935. had already been developed, circumstances McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & Beleno, R. (2018) in the modern times required a faster way to Science, Technology, and Society. C & E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_calculator compute more complicated equations. https://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/calculat ors/1/47 Calculator Blaise Pascal Wilhelm Schickard Computing devices must also be easy to carry since they would be utilized on a day-to-day basis. The creation of modern calculators did not only pave the way for easier arithmetic calculations, but also resulted in the development of more complex processing machines like computer. McNamara, D. J., Valverde, V. M., & Beleno, R. (2018) Science, Technology, and Society. C & E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_calculator https://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/calculators/1/47  Considering the S&T development in different period, what do you think will today’s priority be that may spark innovation?