Science, Technology and Society

Hand-out title : When Technology and Humanity Cross

Prepared by : Jennifer M. Sunga

The ever-growing society has made people see technology as some form of necessity. Tracing
back its origins, the word “technology” came from the Greek words techne and logos which mean
art and word, respectively. Taking the two words together, technology means a discourse on arts
(Buchanan, 2010). It first appeared in the 17th century where the concept was only used to talk
about the arts, specifically applied arts. However, as technology progressed, the concept also
started to have a wider range of meaning where art is no longer the only topic included. Concepts
like machine and tools were also attached to the word “technology” which is the more popular
sense of the concept nowadays.

The roles of played by technology these days are very crucial not only to a few but also to
everyone. Each person in the society is directly or indirectly affected by technology. Most people
survive their everyday lives with great reliance to the different technological advancements
already available to the masses. Technology is already an inevitable part of the society.

It is with great effort that people were able to achieve such great inventions. It makes life so much
easier and more convenient than ever before. It can clearly be seen from the simplest task at home
to the most complicated ones inside the office or laboratory.

Technology has many benefits to humans such as convenience, pleasure, happiness, and
communication. Almost all activities that humans perform require the assistance of some kind of
technological advancement. The act of pinpointing a single activity that does not in any way
require the use of technology has become very hard. Technology affects us everyday and has
become a necessity and no longer a want.

In general, technology keeps on progressing due to not only changing times and environment but
also to the ever progressing mind of mankind: brilliance, creativeness and power of the mind.
However, it is also important to note that anything too much is bad. The same problem is faced
by technology. Problems with technology:
 Anything too much is bad.
 Various ethical dilemmas involving the use of technological devices.
 Misuse or invention to produce bad results.

MOST COMMONLY USED TECHNOLOGICAL DEVICES:

Television sets
• According to Kantar Media that in the Philippine, 92% of urban homes and 70 % of rural
homes own at least one television set.
• Ultimate medium for advertisement placements (The Manila Times, 2014).
• Household with TV set reached 15.135M (Noda, 2012).
• Majority use this type of device.
• Television plays a great role in the lives of the people such as platform for advertisements
and information dissemination.

Paul Gottlieb Nipkow – a German student in the late 1800s.

• He was successful in his attempt to send images through wires with the aid of a rotating
metal disk (Nipkow disk).
• “electric telescope” – 18 lines of resolution.

Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton (English scientist) and Boris Rosing (Russian scientist)
• 1907
• created new system of television by using the cathode ray tube in addition to the
mechanical scanner system.
• they gave rise to two types of television systems, namely, mechanical and electronic
television.
Mobile Phones
• Filipinos love to use their mobile phones anywhere, anytime.
• More than half of the Filipino population own at least one mobile phone regardless of type.
• In 2010, Synovate declared 67 % product ownership in the country.
• 1 out of 3 Filipinos cannot live without a mobile phone – Ipsos Media Atlas Philippines
Nationwide Urban 2011-2012 survey. In other words, 30% of the Philippine urban
population nationwide said that mobile phones are necessities in life.

Martin Cooper - an American senior engineer at Motorola.

• On April 3, 1973, he made the world’s first mobile phone call. He called a rival engineer
to brag about his accomplishment.
• Mobile phone used by Cooper
-weighed 1.1 kg
-measured 228.6 x 127 x 44.4 mm
-30 minute talk time
-10 hours to charge
• In 1983, Motorola made their 1st commercial mobile phone - Motorola Dyna TAC 8000x

Computers and Laptops

• Not possible for all Filipino families to own at least one computer or laptop because of
higher cost.
• Most profits gained by computer and laptop manufacturers come from offices, business or
schools.
• Growing number of internet users in the Philippines, problems regarding the internet
providers.

Charles Babbage - 19th century English Mathematics professor.

• Designed the Analytical Engine – used as the basic framework of the computers even until
the present time.
• Released in April 1981 by the Osborne Computer Corporation, the Osborne 1 is considered
to be the first true portable, full featured computer.

A typical household owns at least 4 of the following devices (Philstar, 2013)

• Mobile phone – 89%
• Smartphone -53%
• Tablet – 14%
• Desktop – 39%
• Laptop or netbooks – 37%
• Smart TV 4%

Facts about Filipinos and their use of gadgets and the internet (Rappler, n.d.)
• mobile phone subscription is at 119 M.
• approximately 3.2 hours on mobile and 5.2 hours on desktop daily.
• Philippine has one of the highest digital populations in the world.
• 47M active FB accounts.
• Fastest growing application market in SEA.

ROLES PLAYED BY THESE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS

• Different technology have different functions and roles.

Television
• mainly as a platform for advertisement and information dissemination.
• The most used avenue by different advertising companies not only in the Philippines but
around the world.
• Still one of the most used technological devices.
• Serves as recreational activity and good stress reliever to most families.
 • Good platform for propaganda and advocacies.
• Good way to bond with one’s family member.

Phones
• communication – then many additional features included. It is an all in one device.
Smartphone microcomputer and a telephone.

Computer and laptops

 although they have functions found in other technological devices, they still offer their own
unique features that make them more attractive. It is just by preference ex wide keyboard
than using a mobile phone. Easy to maneuver because of the mouse, wide screen and
separate keyboards. For the young they allow them to play with comfort and convenience.

These roles have become so essential that more people, specifically Filipinos developed a strong
inclination toward technology and its product.

ETHICAL DILEMMA FACED BY THESE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS

While it is true that these technological devices are useful and beneficial, the fact remains that
there are several dilemmas faced by these “necessities.”
1. Most parents would argue that these devices make their children lazy and unhealthy.
2. People are freely exposed to different things on televisions, mobile phones, laptops or
computers.
• Ethics of responsibility
• What ought to be allowed?

The ethics of responsibility focuses on the positive rather than the negative. The people who are
part of the scientific development ought to let the public know the good in their respective
technological contribution/s. In this way, the people will have an idea how the devices ought to
be used in order to maximize their positive results. It is for this reason why there are people who
call for the establishment of ethics of technology - guide people on how technology ought to be
used in order to prevent abuse and other unfortunate results.

ROBOTICS AND HUMANITY

Another great product of the innovative minds. Robots are now widely used. Examples are the
service robots which do specific tasks but their focus is mainly in assisting their masters in their
everyday tasks.

Working Definition for Robots (IFR 2012)

• Robot – is an actuated mechanism programmable in two or more axes with a degree
of autonomy, moving within its environment, to perform intended tasks.

• Autonomy, in this context, is the ability to perform intended tasks based on current
state and sensing without human intervention.

A service robot is a robot that performs useful tasks for humans or equipment excluding
industrial application. A robot may be classified according to its intended application as an
industrial robot or a service robot.

A personal service robot or a service robot for personal use is a service robot used for
a non-commercial task, usually by laypersons. Examples are domestic servant robot,
automated wheelchair, personal mobility assist robot, pet exercising robot.

A professional service robot or a service robot for professional use is a service robot
used for a commercial task, usually operated by a properly trained operator. Examples:
cleaning robot for public places, delivery robot, firefighting robot, rehabilitation robot, and
surgery robot in hospitals.
The earliest conception of robots can be traced around 3000 B.C. from the Egyptians. Their water
clocks used human figurines to strike the hour bells. This mechanical device was built to carry out
a specific physical task regularly. From that time on, different machines were already built that
displayed the same mechanism and characteristics as the robots in the present.

GEORGE DEVOL
• An American inventor known for developing Unimate, the first material handling robot
employed in industrial production work.

Roles played by Robotics

• Ease the workload of mankind
• Make life more efficient and less stressful
• Perform complicated activities
• Pleasure, entertainment in parks or exhibits
• Toys, child friendly
• Used in movies

ISAAC ASIMOV
• American writer and professor of Biochemistry at Boston University.
• formulated the laws of robot in the 1940s.

“Three Laws of Robotics”

1. A robot may not injure a human being or through inaction, allow a human being to come
to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would
conflict with the First Law
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the
First or Second Law.

ETHICAL DILEMMA/S FACED BY ROBOTICS

1. Safety
• Who should be held accountable if someone’s safety is compromised by a robot
• Who should be blamed, the robot, the agent using the robot, or the maker/inventor of the
robot?
It is important to know who should be blamed and who should be held responsible if such thing
happens.

2. Emotional Component
 It is not completely impossible for robots to develop emotions.

In the field of robotics, there are so called partial autonomy and full autonomy. Partial autonomy
includes active human-robot interaction while full autonomy excludes active human robot
interaction. In other words, a robot with full autonomy can perform actions or activities even
without a master telling it what should be done or what should be performed next (IFR, 2012).
Using Asimov’s laws for robots, it can be concluded that robots are ethical but only if they strictly
follow the laws specified.

Notwithstanding the convenience and valuable characteristics of the different technological

advancements, there are still some problems being encountered. These problems are ethical in
nature that involve not only the machine but also mankind. It is now impossible for technology
and humanity not to cross paths because as some would argue, technology has become a necessity
for people. At the end of the day, ethics should be enforced in the field of technology so as to
ensure the safety and morality of these devices to people.

References:
Serafica, J. et.al. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. Rex Printing Company, Inc., First
Edition, 2018.