Science, Technology and Society 1st Semester AY 2024-2025 PDF

Science, Technology and Society 1st Semester, AY 2024 – 2025 Andres, Reynold G. Introduction to Science, Technology and Society Describe the beginnings of STS education in the Philippines and elsewhere. Understand the significance of Paradigm shift in the development of Sci...

Science, Technology and Society 1st Semester, AY 2024 – 2025 Andres, Reynold G. Introduction to Science, Technology and Society Describe the beginnings of STS education in the Philippines and elsewhere. Understand the significance of Paradigm shift in the development of Science, Theories, Laws. University of the Assumption  What is Science? Science is a systematic and organized approach to acquiring knowledge about the natural world through observation, experimentation, and analysis. It involves the formulation of hypotheses, conducting experiments or making observations to test these hypotheses, and developing theories or laws based on the collected evidence.  What is Science? Science seeks to understand the underlying principles governing the behavior of the physical and natural universe, often leading to technological advancements and deeper insights into various phenomena.  What is Science? the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing of theories against the evidence obtained. Science is the human attempt to understand the natural world with or without concern for practical uses of that knowledge.  Examples of the Natural World: Volcanoes Gravity Atoms Plants Metals SCIENCE TRIES TO DISCOVER FACTS AND RELATIONSHIPS and then TRIES TO CREATE THEORIES THAT MAKE SENSE OF THESE FACTS AND RELATIONSHIPS.  Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely held to be one of the greatest and most influential scientists of all time. 1: He formulated a lot of mathematical equations. 2: He made scientific concepts, like in chemistry, physics, and astronomy  Technology the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry. Ex: machinery and equipment developed from the application of scientific knowledge. the branch of knowledge dealing with engineering or applied sciences. Give examples of technological devices you see inside this room.  Tools Techniques Procedures SCIENCE explores the purpose of knowing, while TECHNOLOGY explores the purpose of making something useful from that knowledge.  Science DRIVES technology by making new technology possible through scientific breakthroughs.  Engineers focus on using science to develop products. WITHOUT technology, some science experiments WOULD NOT be possible. Anton Van Leeuwenhoek and his microscope Modern Compound Microscope  Science is… Technology is… WITHOUT science, technology COULD NOT proceed. The very question that scientists ask is shaped by the available technology. Technology Enables Discovery: The tools and technologies available to scientists determine what they can observe, measure, and analyze. For example, the invention of the microscope allowed scientists to explore the world of cells and microorganisms, opening up entirely new fields of biology that were previously inaccessible. As technology advances, it often leads to new questions that were previously unimaginable or unanswerable.  Science, Technology and Society Thomas Samuel Khun The man who changed the way the world looked at science. Paradigm - pattern or example of He was an American historian and philosopher something of science whose 1962 book “The Structure of Paradigm Theory- general theory that helps to provide scientists Scientific Revolutions” was influential in both working in a particular field with broad theoretical framework academic and popular circles, introducing the A paradigm shift is a fundamental change in the basic concepts and term paradigm shift, which has since become experimental practices of a scientific discipline. an English-language idiom.  What causes a Paradigm Shift? Science can’t really get going until most of those working within a field Normal vs. revolutionary science agree upon a paradigm. Two types of science: Once a paradigm theory is Normal science – work within and extend the current paradigm established, those working within it (cumulative) can start doing what Khun calls Revolutionary science – make a new paradigm (non-cumulative: “normal science”. must re-invent everything) ARISTOTLE PHYSICS: MODERN TECHNOLOGY : The heavier the object it should FEATHER and ROCK fall at the naturally fall much faster than a same rate in a vacuum tube. lighter object. Contradiction by Galileo: Centuries later, Galileo Galilei challenged Aristotle's view by conducting experiments, most famously by dropping two spheres of different masses from the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Galileo showed that, in the absence of air resistance, objects fall at the same rate regardless of their mass. This marked a significant shift towards the modern scientific method, which relies on experimentation and evidence. Understanding Gravity: Today, we understand that the force of gravity acts on all objects equally, meaning that in a vacuum (where there is no air resistance), all objects fall at the same rate regardless of their mass. The apparent difference in falling speeds between objects of different masses, such as a rock and a feather, is due to air resistance, not because of a difference in gravitational acceleration. Nicolaus Copernicus Ptolemy Heliocentrism disproved Ptolemy’s geocentric model of the universe. Major event in history of S&T and Copernicus came to be seen as the initiator of the “Scientific Revolution”. Lesson of Paradigm Shift: Question everything! No scientific theory is so famous or so honored that it should not be questioned. What is STS? It is a relatively young field that combines previously independent and older disciplines such as History of Science, Philosophy of Science, and Sociology of Science. Its roots lie in the interwar period and continue into the start of the Cold War, when historians and sociologists of science, and scientists themselves, became interested in the relationship between scientific knowledge, technological systems, and society. What is STS? It is a result of Kuhn’s work classic 1962 study; systematic effort by social scientists to probe how scientific discovery and its technological applications link up with other social developments, in law, politics, public policy, ethics, and culture. STS, as practiced in academia today, merges two broad streams of scholarships; 1) Research on the nature and practices of Science and Technology 2) Impacts and control of Science and Technology (1) Research on the nature and practices of S&T This line of work addresses questions like the following: is there a scientific method? what makes scientific facts credible? how do new disciplines emerge? and how does science relate to religion? (2) Impacts and control of science and technology focus on the risks, benefits and opportunities that S&T may pose to peace, security, community, democracy, environmental sustainability, and human values. how should states set priorities for research funding?; who should participate, and how, in technological decision making? ; should life forms be patented? ; how should societies measure risks and set safety standards? ; and how should experts communicate the reasons for their judgments to the public? The Interactions between STS  WAVES OF STS ISSUES STS issues and controversies in Philippine national news in 2018 Dengvaxia vaccine There was the questioned Department of Health dengue immunization program. As of April 2018, 62 recorded child deaths have been popularly attributed to the administration of the Dengvaxia vaccine, and government’s inquiry on this issue continues unresolved. WAVES OF STS ISSUES Boracay Rehabilitation Unchecked development, insufficient waste water treatment facilities and overpopulation led to an emergency task force finding widespread environmental violations. The majority of sewerage facilities were draining waste into the sea and polluting the water. HOW STS STARTED STS, as it was d esig ned in 19 87 , is a critical exploration of the social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental factors interacting with science and technology (S&T). The course’s aim is to inculcate in its students not just critical and creative thinking on problems and issues concerning S&T, but more importantly, big-picture thinking of S&T with a commitment to nationalism and social justice. The STS Mindset According to Dr. Fidel Nemenzo, former Science and Society Program head and current vice chancellor for Research and Development of the UP Diliman “Students must be engaged not only in the S&T aspect of these problems, but also on the ethical and political issues concerning STS.” STS and National Development “Science does not concern science majors alone, it is also the concern of every individual because we live in world create by science and at the same time, science is shaped by social factors that we are part of.” Current National situation of the Philippines 1) lacks basic industries 2) has no program for rural industrialization and agricultural modernization 3) has no genuine infrastructure in energy, transportation, communication, information technology, and other basic services. ONLY 189 SCIENTISTS/ MILLION During the earlier months of 2017, a hearing on Senate Bill No. 1533, or Balik Scientist Bill, found that the Philippines only has 189 scientists per million. With a population of more than 110 million Filipinos, the country still needs more than 19,000 scientists to be a significant force in research and development.