SCI 1 REVIEWER RJCD 😊

MODULE 1: Introduction to Science, Technology and Society

SCIENCE comes from the Latin word scientia, meaning ‘knowledge.’ It refers to a systematic and methodical activity of
building and organizing knowledge about how the universe behaves through observation, experimentation or both.

American science historian, John Heilbron (2003, p.vii), “Modern science is a discovery as well as an invention.”

TECHNOLOGY comes from the Greek root word techne, meaning ‘art, skill, or cunning of hand.’ It is the application of
scientific knowledge, laws, and principles to produce services, materials, tools, and machines aimed at solving real-world
problems.

Q&A in December 2014, one member of the audience asked Mark Zuckerberg what his definition of a technological tool
is, and the CEO of Facebook responded: “What defines a technological tool - one historical definition - is something that
takes a human’s sense or ability and augments it and makes it more powerful. So, for example, I wear contact lenses or
glasses; that is a technology that enhances my human ability of vision and makes it better.”

Wolpert (2005) made an interesting comparison between science and technology that is helpful in the study of their
interaction with society.

How the different aspects of society shape and influence the progression and further development of science and
technology is the area of concern of a relatively new academic discipline called Science, Technology, and Society.

Science, Technology, and Society (STS) is a relatively young field that combines previously independent and older
disciplines, such as the history of science, philosophy of science, and sociology of science. As an academic field, STS,
according to Harvard University’s — Kennedy School (2018), traces its roots from the interwar period and the start of
the Cold War. It was during this period when historians and scientists found interest in the interconnections of scientific
knowledge, technological systems, and society.

The John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values of the University of Notre Dame is responsible for listing
the ten emerging ethical dilemmas and policy issues in science and technology every year, below is the list for 2018:

1. Helix - a digital app store designed to read genomes 7. Google Clips - a hands-free camera that lets the user
capture every moment effortlessly
2. BlessU-2 and Pepper - first robot priest and monk
8. Sentencing Software - a mysterious algorithm
3. Emotion-Sensing Facial Recognition - a software designed to aid courts in sentencing decisions
being developed to assess your reactions to anything
such a shopping and playing games 9. Friendbot - an app that stores the deceased’s digital
footprint so one can still “chat” with them.
4. Ransomware - a way of holding data hostage through
hacking and requiring a ransom to be paid. 10. Citizen App - an app that notifies users of ongoing
crimes or major events in a specific area.
5. Textalyzer - a device that analyzes whether a driver
was using his or her phone during an accident.
6. Social Credit System - a system of scoring citizens
through their actions by placing them under constant
surveillance (which China plays to adopt)
MODULE 2: Historical Antecedents of Science And Technology
An antecedent is defined as a precursor to the unfolding or existence of something
ANCIENT PERIOD
The rise of ancient civilizations paved the way for advances in science and technology. These advances during the Ancient
period allowed civilizations to flourish by finding better ways of communication, transportation, self-organization, and of
living in general.
Ancient Wheel. People from ancient civilizations used animal, for transportation long before the invention of the wheel.
Paper. Roughly around 3000 BC, the ancient Egyptians began writing on papyrus, a material similar to thick paper.
Papyrus is made from the pith of the papyrus plant cyperuspapyrus.
Shadoof. The shadoof was an early tool invented and used by ancient Egyptians to irrigate land.
Aeolipile. Also known as the Hero’s engine, it is widely believed to be the ancient precursor of the steam engine.
MIDDLES AGES
Between the collapse of the Roman kmpire in 5th century AN) and the colonial expansion of Western Europe in late 15th
century AD, major advances in scientific and technological development took place.
Gunpowder. Around 850 AD, Chinese alchemists accidentally invented black powder or gunpowder.
Television. The Scottish engineer John Logie Baird is largely credited for the invention of the modern television. Baird
successfully televised objects in outline in 1924, recognizable human faces in 1925, and moving objects in 1926, and
projected colored images in 1928.
MODERN AGES
INVENTIONS BY FILIPINO SCIENTISTS
The Philippines boasts of, its own history and tradition of scientific and technological innovations. Filipinos have long
been known for their ingenuity. As with all other inventions, necessity has always been the mother of Philippine
inventions.
Electronic Jeepney (e-jeepney). The jeepney is perhaps one of the most recognizable national symbols of the Philippines
and the most popular mode of public transportation in the country. It is also perhaps one of the most enduring symbols
of Filipino ingenuity.
Erythromycin. Perhaps one of the most important inventions is the Erythromycin. The Ilonggo scientist Abelardo Aguilar
invented this antibiotic out of a strain of bacterium called Streptomyces erythreus, from which this drug derived its
name.
Medical Incubator. World-renowned Filipino pediatrician and national scientist, Fe del Mundo, is credited for the
invention of the incubator and jaundice relieving device.
Banana Ketchup. Filipino food technologist, Maria Orosa, is credited for the invention of banana ketchup, a variety of
ketchup different from the commonly known tomato ketchup. Her invention appeals particularly to Filipinos who love
using condiments to go along with their food.
MODULE 3: Intellectual Revolutions and Society

The Copernican Revolution refers to the 16th-century paradigm shift named after the Polish mathematician and
astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus. Copernicus formulated the heliocentric model of the universe. At the time, the belief
was that the Earth was the center of the Solar System based on the geocentric model of Ptolemy (i.e., Ptolemaic model).
Darwinian Revolution
The English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, Charles Darwin, is credited for stirring another important intellectual
revolution in the mid-19th century. His treatise on the science of evolution, On The Origin of Species, was published in
1859 and began a revolution that brought humanity to a new era of intellectual discovery.
Freudian Revolution
Austrian neurologist, Sigmund Freud, is credited for stirring a 20th-century intellectual revolution named after him, the
Freudian Revolution. Psychoanalysis as a school of thought in psychology is at the center of this revolution. Freud
developed psychoanalysis - a scientific method of understanding inner and unconscious conflict, embedded within one’s
personality, springing from free associations reams, and fantasies of the individual.
Amidst controversy, Freud’s psychoanalysis is widely credited for dominating psychotherapeutic practice in the early 20th
century. Psychodynamic therapies that treat a myriad of psychological disorders still remain largely informed by Freud’s
work on psychoanalysis.