vellichor STAS 111 – SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

A.Y. ’24 – ‘25

characterized chiefly by the replacement of hand tools with power-

driven machines such as the power loom and the steam engine, and
TOPIC OUTLINE by the concentration of industry in large establishments
A. Information Age
Communication During the Industrial Age
B. Biodiversity
• Samuel F.B Morse - invented the telegraph which became the
C. GMO standard for international communication with a modified code.
D. Nanotechnology • Alexander Graham Bell - patent the telephone, an electric tool
E. Global Warming transmitting analogue speech along wires.
• Thomas Edison - invented the phonograph, a device for the
mechanical recording and reproduction of sound.
INFORMATION AGE • Heinrich Hertz - identified and studied radio waves in 1886.
• Computer Age, Digital Age, New Media Age, Internet Age • Guglielmo Marconi - developed the first practical radio
• historic period in the 21st century characterized by the rapid transmitters and receivers.
shift from traditional industry that the Industrial Revolution • Philo Farnsworth - invented the first fully electronic television. It
brought through industrialization, to an economy based on became an important mass medium for advertising, propaganda
information technology. and entertainment

Early Developments of Information Age Electronic Age

• 1945 - Fremont Rider described the miniaturized microform
analog photographs, which could be duplicated on-demand for • began when electronic equipment and large technologies,
library patrons and other institutions. including computers came into use.
• 1965 - Moore’s law was formulated. It is an observation that the • The invention of the transistor ushered in the electronic age.
number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit doubles about • People harnessed the power of transistors that led to the
every two years. transistor radio, electronic circuits, and the early computers.
• Early 1980 - production of the smaller and less expensive • In this age, long distance communication became more efficient.
personal computers allowed for direct access to information. • Transistor - led to the creation of other media tool.
• 1995 - Nicholas Negroponte published his book, Being Digital, • Enigma machine - piece of spook hardware used as a way of
the similarities and differences between products made of atoms deciphering German signals traffic during World War Two.
and bits. • Transistor radio - became the most popular electronic
• Primary Information Age - newspaper, radio, television. communication and device in history.
• Secondary Information Age - Internet, satellite television and • EDSAC (Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator) -
mobile phones first stored program electronic computer.
• Tertiary Information Age - emerged by media of the Primary • ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) - first
Information Age interconnected with media of the Secondary electronic general purpose digital computer.
Information Age. • UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer) - line of electronic
digital stored- program computers.
Pre-Industrial Age • IBM - first mass produced computer with floating-point arithmetic
hardware.
• time before there were machines and tools to help them perform • Hewlett Packard 9100A -early computer or programmable
the tasks. calculator
• About 2.5 million years before writing was developed, • Floppy disk - removal magnetic storage medium.
technology began with the earliest hominids who used stone • Walkman - originally used for portable audio cassette players
tools, which they may have used to start fires, hunt, and bury
their dead.
• Communications were limited between communities. Information Age
• People used traditional paper and writing materials, signs or People advanced the use of microelectronics with the invention of
symbols to communicate with each other. For example, personal computers, mobile devices, and wearable technology.
Egyptians used papyrus scrolls. Sumerians used clay tablets Moreover, voice, image, sound and data are digitalized. We are now
• Pre-historic men used hand stencils and simple geometric living in the information age
shapes to create art on the walls of caves
• Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press during ➔YouTube
Renaissance period created by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim. It is an online
video-sharing platform.
Industrial Age allows users to view, upload, share, report, subscribe and comments
on videos.
encompasses the changes in economic and social organization that ➔Facebook Inc.
began around 1760 in Great Britain and later in other countries, founded by Mark Zuckerberg and his fellow roommates and students.

vellichor 1
vellichor STAS 111 – SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
A.Y. ’24 – ‘25

popular global social networking website. 1971: Intel introduced the first microprocessor chip.
offers other products and services such as Facebook Messenger, 1972: Philips and MCA developed the optical laserdisc.
Facebook Watch and Facebook Portal. 1974: MCA and Philips agreed on a standard videodisc encoding
➔MacBook format.
discontinued Macintosh portable computer developed and sold by 1975: The Altair Microcomputer Kit was released, marking the first
Apple Inc. personal computer available to the public.
includes a Retina display, fanless design and a shallower butterfly 1977: RadioShack introduced the first complete personal computer.
keyboard and a single USB-C port for power and data. 1984: Apple introduced the Macintosh computer.
➔Google LLC Mid 1980s: Artificial intelligence was separated from information
based on multinational technology company that specializes in science.
internet-related services and products, 1987: Hypercard was developed by Bill Atkinson, using the recipe
include software, hardware, online advertising, a search engine and box metaphor.
cloud computing 1991: A CD-ROM was released containing 450 complete works of
literature.
➔Microsoft Corporation
January 1997: The RSA (encryption and network security software)
develops, manufactures, licenses, supports and sells computer
48-bit internet security code was cracked.
software, consumer electronics, personal computers and related
services.
In his article “Truths of the Information Age”, Robert Harris
detailed some facts on the Information Age.
Timeline of the Information Age • Information must compete.
3000 BC: The Sumerian writing system used pictographs to • Newer is equated with truer.
represent words. • Selection is a viewpoint.
2900 BC: Beginnings of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing. • The media sells what the culture buys.
1300 BC: Tortoise shell and oracle bone writing were used. • The early word gets the perm.
500 BC: Papyrus roll was used. • You are what you eat and so is your brain.
220 BC: Chinese small seal writing was developed. • Anything in great demand will be counterfeited.
100 AD: The book (parchment codex) was created.
• Ideas are seen as controversial.
105 AD: Woodblock printing was invented by the Chinese.
• Undead information walks ever on.
1455: Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press using
movable metal type. • Media presence created the story.
1755: Samuel Johnson's dictionary standardized English spelling. • The medium selects the message.
1802: The Library of Congress was established, and the carbon arc • The whole truth is a pursuit
lamp was invented.
1824: Research on the persistence of vision was published. Computer
1830s: First viable design for a digital computer; Augusta Lady Byron • A computer is an electronic device that stores and process data
wrote the world’s first computer program.
1837: The telegraph was invented in Great Britain and the United Types of Computer
States. • Personal Computer (PC)
1861: Motion pictures were projected onto a screen.
• Desktop Computer
1876: The Dewey Decimal System was introduced.
• Laptops
1877: Eadweard Muybridge demonstrated high-speed photography.
1899: First magnetic recordings were released. • Personal Digital
1902: Motion picture special effects were used. • Assistants (PDAs)
1906: Lee De Forest invented the electronic amplifying tube (triode). • Server
1923: The television camera tube was invented by Zworykin. • Mainframe
1926: The first practical sound movie was created. • Wearable Computers
1939: Regularly scheduled television broadcasting began in the
United States. The World Wide Web
1940s: Beginnings of information science as a discipline.
• Historians often trace the origin of the Internet to Claude E.
1945: Vannevar Bush foresaw the invention of hypertext.
Shannon, an American mathematician known as the “Father of
1946: The ENIAC computer was developed.
Information Theory.” Shannon, who worked at Bell Laboratories,
1948: Claude E. Shannon proposed the field of information theory.
proposed in a paper at age 32 that information could be
1957: Jean Hoerni developed the planar transistor.
encoded quantitatively as sequences of ones and zeroes.
• The Internet is a global network of interconnected systems that
1958: The first integrated circuit was created.
enables data transfer between countless computers. Initially, it
1960s: The Library of Congress developed LC MARC (machine-
was primarily used by scientists for communication. Until 1984,
readable code).
the Internet remained under government control (Rouse, 2014).
1969: The UNIX operating system was developed, capable of
multitasking.

vellichor 2
vellichor STAS 111 – SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
A.Y. ’24 – ‘25

• A major early challenge for Internet users was speed, as phone ✓ Global Gateway: World Culture and Resources
lines could only transmit data at limited rates. The development ✓ Google Books
of fiber-optic cables, capable of transmitting billions of bits of ✓ Googlescholars.com
information per minute, addressed this issue. Companies like
Intel advanced microprocessor technology, allowing personal Gutenberg Era
computers to process data more quickly (Ushistory.org, 2017).
➔Space-based, controlled channels
• The rise of the Internet led to the rapid growth of companies
based on digitized information, resulting in powerful and wealthy ➔Limited access, institution-driven
figures like Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), and Mark ➔Mass, passive consumers
Zuckerberg (Facebook). ➔Precision, controlled messaging
• Critics argued that the Internet deepened the technological
divide, widening the gap between socioeconomic classes. Post-Gutenberg Era
Those unable to afford computers or monthly access fees were
excluded from opportunities. Others lamented the impersonal ➔Time-based, liberated content
nature of electronic communication compared to phone calls or ➔Accessible, process-driven
handwritten letters. ➔Micro, active “prosumers”
• The unregulated nature of the Internet has also led to ➔Authentic, transparent communication
challenges, such as the widespread distribution of inappropriate
content, including pornography, and the difficulty in protecting Content Acquisition
children from harmful influences or dangerous individuals. Gutenberg: You acquire customers via mass outreach
Today, the Internet is associated with various forms of crime, Post-Gutenberg: Customers find you using crowd intelligence
including cyberbullying, which is a global concern.
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Applications of Computers in Science and
Research • variety of all life on earth. It also pertains to the relative
abundance and richness of the different traits, species, and
• One of the significant applications of computers for science and
ecosystems in a particular area or region.
research is evident in the field of bioinformatics. Bioinformatics
is the application of information technology to store, organize, • The biodiversity we see today is the outcome of over 3.5 billion
and analyze vast amount of biological data which is available in years of evolutionary history, shaped by natural processes and
the form of sequences and structures of proteins. (Madan, n.d.) increasingly, by the influence of humans.
• forms the web of life of which we are an integral part and upon
How to Check the Reliability of Web Sources which we fully depend.
• The Internet contains a vast collection of highly valuable • The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (Earth
information but it may also contain unreliable, biased information Summit in Rio de Janeiro, brazil in 1992), of which Philippines is
that mislead people. The following can help us check the one of the 154 member countries who signed the declaration,
reliability of web sources that we gather. It is noteworthy to defines biodiversity as the variability among living organisms
consider and apply the following guidelines to avoid from all source, including inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other
misinformation. (Lee College Library, n.d.) aquatic ecosystems, and the ecological
• Who is the author of the articles/site? • Complexes of which they are part: this includes diversity within
species, between species and of ecosystems.
• Who published the site?
✓ .edu = educational • Zamora (1997) defined biodiversity as the ensemble and the
✓ .com = commercial interactions of the genetic, the species, and the ecological
✓ .mil = military diversity in a given place and at a given time.
✓ .gov = government • World Wild Fund for Nature (1989) defined it as the wealth of life
✓ .org = nonprofit on earth, the millions of plants, animals an microorganisms, the
• What is the main purpose of the site? genes they contain, and the intricate ecosystems they help build
into the living environment
• Who is the intended audience
• What is the quality of information provided on the website?
Types of Biological Diversity
Examples of Useful and Reliable Web Sources Genetic Diversity
✓ AFA e- Newsletter • variations among the genetic resources of the organisms.
✓ American Memory • A gene is a unit of hereditary information consisting of a specific
✓ Bartleby.com Great books Online nucleotide sequence in DNA.
✓ Chronicling America • High genetic diversity indicates populations that can more easily
✓ Cyber Bullying adapt to changing situations and environments, and also greater
✓ National Library of Medicine’s Medline Plus assortment of materials than can be found, increasing the
✓ Drugs.com chances of finding a useful compound (Bernhardt, 1999).
✓ PDRhealth

vellichor 3
vellichor STAS 111 – SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
A.Y. ’24 – ‘25

Species Diversity ➔ Supporting

• All different species or kinds of organisms on our planet. ➔ Provision
Ecosystem/Ecological Diversity ➔ Cultural and aesthetic services
• variety of different types of species found in a particular area. It ➔ Regulating
includes terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems.
• Food sources
• Ecosystem - unit of interaction between the biotic community
➔ Crop and vegetables
and its physical environment in a given area. It is a self-
contained community of microorganisms, animals and plants ➔ Poultry, meat, & fish products
that interact with each other and with their physical • Raw materials
environment.” • Medicines
➔ Herbal plants
Habitat is a place in which a particular species of organism lives. o Philippine setting
➢ DOH approved medicinal plants
Species By Numbers ➢ Proclamation No. 689, s. 2004 (November as the
Traditional and Alternative Health Month)
According to Census of Marine Life:
➔ 8.7 million total number of estimated species on Earth
Status of Philippine Biodiversity
➔ 6.5 million species on land
➔ 2.2 million species in oceans. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR
2009) claims that in terms of biodiversity, the Philippine was 5th in
Approximately 1.2 million – 1.6million species have been
the world as to number of plant species; 8th in the world list of
identified:
endemic plants; 4th in endemic birds; 5th in endemic mammals; and
➔ 950,000 species of insects 8th in endemic reptiles.
➔ 270,000 species of plants
➔ 19,000 species of fish Philippines – Megadiverse Country
➔ 9,000 species of birds ● Contains two-thirds of the earth’s biodiversity and between 70%
➔ 4,000 species of mammals and 80% of the world’s plant and animal species.
• There are still millions yet to be classified and named (National ● Ranks fifth (5th) in the number of plant species and maintains 5%
Geographic Society). of the world’s flora.
● More than 9,250 vernacular plants (33% of which are endemic).
• Insect and other vertebrates make up more than half of the
● There are 612 species of birds of which, 194 are endemic.
known species.
● 111 amphibian species and 270 reptile species live here.
Importance of Biodiversity List of Identified Endemic Species
➔ supports healthy ecosystems. ➔ Rafflesia manillana - world’s largest flower.
➔ essential part of the solution to climate change ➔ Vanda sanderiana (waling-waling) - world’s largest orchid
➔ good for the economy. species.
➔ integral part of culture and identity. ➔ Pithecophaga jefferyi (monkey-eating eagle) - largest bird
➔ provides raw materials like lumber, food, spices etc. ➔ Rhyncodon typus - largest fish
➔ provides opportunities for recreational activities, such as bird ➔ Tridacna gigas (giant clam) - largest seashell
watching, scuba diving, snorkeling, and nature photography. ➔ Pandaka pygmea (dwarf goby) - smallest freshwater fish
➔ serves as the source of medicine. ➔ Tarsius syrichta (tarsier) - smallest primate
➔ Tragalus nigricans - smallest hoofed mammal
What Do We Get From Biodiversity? ➔ Tylonycteris pachpus (bamboo bat) - smallest bat
➔ Oxygen ➔ Pisidum - tiniest shell in the world
➔ Food ➔ Connus gloriamaris - most expensive shells in the world
➔ Clean Water ➔ Cervus alfredi - most endangered deer
➔ Medicine ➔ Bubalus mindorensis (tamarau or dwarf water buffalo) - top
➔ Aesthetics ten most endangered species in the world and the largest
➔ Lumber endangered animal.
➔ Ideas
• A declining population is one sign that a species may be
endangered.
Benefits of Biodiversity • The list of endangered species continues to grow over time.
• Ecosystem functions
• Ecosystem services

vellichor 4
vellichor STAS 111 – SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
A.Y. ’24 – ‘25

• According to the 2000 Red List by the International Union for the GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 418 out of 52,177 species in the
• Worldwide, over 191 million hectares have been planted with
Philippines were categorized as threatened.
genetically modified crops as of 2018, particularly herbicide and
• The Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Priority-setting pest-resistant canola, cotton, corn and soybeans.
Program (PBCPP) identified 121 endemic mammal species as
• The United States had the largest area worldwide of GM crops,
critically endangered.
followed by Brazil, Argentina, Canada and India (Shahbandeh,
• BirdLife International reported that 116 bird species in the 2019).
country are either threatened or near threatened.
• The first commercially available GM food was called the Flavr
• A 2010 report from the Department of Environment and Natural Savr tomato that had an antisense gene that increased its shelf
Resources (DENR) revealed that 72% of the 584 documented life and delayed ripening ( Bruening and Lyons, 2000). Designed
wildlife species in the Philippines are at risk of extinction.
by researchers at Calgene (now a division of Monsanto, Inc.).
• Many species of plants, frogs, reptiles, and insects have yet to • Monsanto is the leading company in genetically modified crop
be documented. Unfortunately, some species are believed to based on revenue.
have disappeared before they could be identified.
• GMOs or Genetically Modified Organisms are organisms whose
genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering
Threats to Biodiversity techniques, which is a direct manipulation of an organisms
Environmental Pollution genome.
• Domestic agriculture and industrial wastes are poorly treated • According to the World Health Organization (WHO,2004) GMOs
and are often discharged into the sea, and to other bodies of are organisms, either plant or animal or microorganism in which
water, such as rivers and lakes. the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does
• Pollution can lead to diseases and pollution stresses, such as not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination.
coral bleaching on reefs. • The development of GMOs was perceived to help in the
Over-Exploitation/Over-Hunting/Over- advancement of technology for the benefit of humans in different
Harvesting/Over-Fishing industries like agriculture and medicine.
• Commercial logging, community logging, timber poaching, and
kaingin (slash and burn agriculture). Examples of Genetically Modified Foods (GMFs)
• In mangrove ecosystem, the extraction of fuel and construction ➔ Bt corn
materials leads to habitat destruction and the loss of critical o A type of corn genetically modified to produce proteins from
coastal protection. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a soil bacterium that produces Delta-
Habitat Loss/Habitat Destruction/Habitat toxins, which are toxic to certain insects but harmless to others.
Alteration o The discovery of Bt began in 1901 when Japanese scientist
• In coral reefs, coastal development, aquaculture, agriculture, Shigeta Ishiwata isolated it from silkworm larvae suffering from
and land-cover change increasing sediments and nutrients "sotto disease," which had devastated silkworm populations in
outflow onto reefs, and the muro-ami fishing technique. Japan.
• The development of fishponds (aquaculture) in mangrove forest. o In 1911, German scientist Ernst Berliner identified a similar
strain from dead Mediterranean flour moth larvae and named it
Climate Change
Bacillus thuringiensis after the German state Thuringia. Bt has
• Drastic changes in the atmosphere can have catastrophic
been used as an insecticide since 1938.
effects such as increase concentration of greenhouse gases
o Bt toxin must be ingested by insects to be effective, unlike
and destruction of forest.
chemical insecticides that target the nervous system. It works by
Invasive Species/Non-native Species producing a protein that blocks the insect’s digestive system,
• Invasive species are greater threat to native biodiversity than causing starvation and death within days.
pollution, harvest, and disease combined (Simberloff, 2000). o The toxin-producing Cry gene, found in Bt, is transferred to
• It can cause alterations either within species groups or within crops using Agrobacterium tumefaciens, a bacterium that forms
the environment. root nodules. The cry genes are known for their adaptability,
contributing to the wide range of insects they can target.
Underlying Causes of the Loss of Philippine o The toxin-producing Cry gene, found in Bt, is transferred to
Biodiversity crops using Agrobacterium tumefaciens, a bacterium that forms
root nodules. The cry genes are known for their adaptability,
• The underlying causes of Philippine biodiversity loss are: contributing to the wide range of insects they can target.
• Population growth and increasing resource consumption
• Ignorance about species and ecosystems • GMOs are part of a rapidly expanding industry marked by
• Poorly conceived policies and poor law enforcement controversy, fear, and skepticism.
• Effects of global trading systems • The impact of GM foods on human health must be carefully
• Inequity of resource distribution evaluated.
• Apathy or failure to account for the value of biodiversity

vellichor 5
vellichor STAS 111 – SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
A.Y. ’24 – ‘25

• One significant agricultural issue is the global damage caused • Nanotechnologies are the design, characterization, production
by weed infestations. GM crops have offered considerable and application of structures, devices and systems by controlling
benefits to farmers by addressing this problem. shape and size at nanometer scale.
• Key reasons for developing transgenic crops include enhancing • Nano refers to a unit meaning one billionth or ten raised to
nutritional value, such as protein-enriched maize and golden negative nine.
rice fortified with Vitamin A and iron. • Nanotechnology refers to the manipulation of matter on an
• GMOs have improved growth characteristics, increased yields, atomic or subatomic scale
enhanced color and taste, regulated enzyme production, and • Nanos = dwarf
extended shelf life. • Father of Nanotechnology – Richard Feynman
• The use of GMO crops can lead to reduced herbicide and
pesticide use, lower cultivation costs, and labor savings. They History of Nanotechnology
provide resistance to pests, viruses, drought, and herbicides,
allowing farmers to reduce fertilizer and pesticide use while • 1959 - Richard Feynman, an American Physicist discussed,
ensuring higher yields. “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom”.
• Despite these benefits, there is ongoing debate and concern • 1960 - Mohamed Atalla and Dawon Kahng fabricated the first
over whether GM foods are less healthy than their non-GMO MOSFET (metal –oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor)
counterparts. with a gate oxide thickness of 100nm, along with a gate length
• One major issue is the potential development of pesticide- of 20μm.
resistant pests. • 1974 - Norio Taniguchi, a Japanese scientist of Tokyo University
• Introducing GMOs into natural ecosystems may disrupt native of Science coined the term "nanotechnology” to describe
communities through competition. semiconductor processes such as film deposition and ion beam
• There is a risk that modified genes could transfer from GMO milling exhibiting characteristic control on the order of a
crops to wild relatives or soil organisms, potentially leading to nanometer.
new resistant pests and weed problems. • 1981 - The invention of Scanning Tunneling Microscope, an
• Concerns about allergenicity exist, as GMO consumption could instrument used for imaging surfaces at the atomic level. It was
impact human health by altering the body’s microbial balance or invented by Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer at IBM Zurich
producing harmful toxins. (Nobel Prize in Physics).
• GM crops can be costly and time-consuming to develop due to • 1985 - The discovery of fullerenes, an allotrope of carbon whose
their laboratory-based creation. molecule consists of carbon atoms connected by single and
• While the debate around GMOs continues, scientists and double bonds so as to form a closed or partially closed mesh,
researchers are exploring their potential benefits, which come with fused rings of five to seven atoms.
with critical questions about safety and long-term impact. • 1986 – Publication of the book Engines of Creation: The Coming
Era of Nanotechnology by Eric Dexler.
• 1991 - The discovery of carbon nanotubes by Sumio Lijima
• 2006 - The discovery of 3nm MOSFET, the worlds ‘smallest
nanoelectronic device was created by Korean Researchers from
the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and
the National Nano Fab Center.

Early Uses of Nanomaterials

• In Mesopotamia, nanoparticles were used for creating a
glittering effect on the surface of pots.
• In modern times, pottery from the middle Ages and Renaissance
often retains a distinct gold- or copper-colored metallic glitter.
• In Rome, Lycurgus cup is made of a glass that changes colour
NANOTECHNOLOGY when light gleamed through it.
• The engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. • In pre-columbian Mayan City of Chichen Itza, a corrosion
• It is a Hybrid Science combining Engineering, Chemistry and to resistant azure pigment known as “Maya Blue” contains
a certain extent Biology. nanopores to create an environmentally stable pigment.
• It deals with the creation of functional materials, devices, • In Middle East, Damascus steel swords contain oriented
systems through control of matter or nanoscale. nanoscale wire-and-tube-like structures
• It placed the footprints in the field of energy, medicine,
electronics, computing, security and materials. Classification of Nanomaterial
• Nanoscience is the study of phenomena and manipulation of
materials at atomic, molecular and macromolecular scales, ● Zero Dimensional :
where properties differ significantly from those at a larger scale. ➔ These nanoparticles are spherical in size and the diameter of
these particles will be in the 1-50 nm range.

vellichor 6
vellichor STAS 111 – SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
A.Y. ’24 – ‘25

● One Dimensional : • It’s hard to imagine just how small nanotechnology is. One
➔ These materials are long (several micrometers in length) but with nanometer is a billionth of a meter, or 10-9 of a meter. Here are
a diameter of only a few nanometres. a few illustrative examples:
● Two Dimensional : ➔ There are 25,400,000 nanometers in an inch
➔ These include different kinds of Nano films such as coatings and ➔ A sheet of newspaper is about 100,000 nanometers thick
thin-film-multilayers, Nano sheets or Nano-walls. The area of the ➔ On a comparative scale, if a marble were a nanometer, then one
Nano films can be large (several square micrometer), meter would be the size of the Earth.
but the thickness is always in Nano scale range
● Three Dimensional :
Different Approaches to Nanotechnology
➔ These include bulk materials composed of the individual blocks
which are in the nanometre scale (1- 100nm). • Nanotechnologies can be:
➔ Top-down
o Etching a block of material down to the desired shape
Carbon-Based Nanotubes
o Chips and processors
Types of Carbon Nanotubes ➔ Bottom-up
● Single Walled Nanotube (SWNT) o Building materials atom by atom - like lego
● Multi Walled Nanotube (MWNT) o Nanoparticles such as C60, carbon nanotubes, quantum dots

Properties of Nanotubes
Application to Nanotechnology
● Tensile & Compressive Strength :
➔ The tensile strength of” carbon nanotubes is Energy Source :
● Microbial Fuel Cell :
approximately 100 times greater than that of steel of the same
diameter”. ➔ Microbial fuel cell is a device in which bacteria consume water-
● Hardness : soluble waste such as
sugar, starch and alcohol and produce electricity plus clean water.
➔ SWNT nanotube hardness about 25× 109 Pa. It is higher than
● Anode Reaction: C12H22O11 + 13H2O ---> 12CO2 + 48H+ + 48e-
Diamond and Prepared
● Cathode Reaction: 4H+ + O2 + 4e- 2H2O
under high pressure and temperature. Nanotube is super hard phase
● Hydrogen Fuel cell :
and they
have bulk modulus of 465-546 GPa (1GPa=10 9) ➔ A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a
● Electrical Properties : fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction of positively charged
hydrogen ions with oxygen or another oxidizing agent.
➔ metallic nanotubes can carry an electric current density of 4 × 109
A/cm2, which is ➔ Hydrogen fuel cells power the shuttle's electrical systems,
more than 1,000 times greater than those of metals such as copper, producing a clean by- product - pure water, which the crew drinks. A
where for copper interconnects current densities are limited by fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat,
electro migration. It acts as Superconductivity up to 12 K. and water.
● Thermal Properties : Health Sector :
● Nano Robotics :
➔ SWNT has thermal conductivity 3500 W/ m.K while Copper has
385 W/m. ➔ His first useful applications of Nano machines may be in
Nanomedicine. For example, biological machines could be used to
➔ Thermal stability in vacuum up to 3100 K and 1000 K in air.
identify and destroy cancer cells.
➔ Another potential application is the detection of toxic chemicals,
Some Ancient Nanomaterial
● 1000 years ago different size “Gold Nanoparticles' 'were used to and the measurement of their concentrations, in the environment
produce stained glass windows. ● Nano Sponges :
● 2000 years ago “Sulphide Nanocrystals” were used by the Greek ➔ The development of new colloidal carriers called Nano sponges
and Roman for dyeing the has the potential to solve these problems. Nano sponge is a novel
hair. and
● Lycurgus Cup (Roman 4th Century) emerging technology that can precisely control the release rates of
➔ The glass contains gold-silver alloyed controlled drug delivery for topical use.
nanoparticles, which are distributed in such a way to make the glass
look green in reflected light but, when light passes through the cup, it Other Applications
reveals a brilliant red. • Catalysts
➔ EnviroxTM cerium oxide
Fundamental Concepts in Nanoscience and • Nanoremediation
Nanotechnology ➔ SAMMS technology to remove mercury.
• Paper
➔ Photographic paper

vellichor 7
vellichor STAS 111 – SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
A.Y. ’24 – ‘25

• Filters intensified weather extremes, and ecosystem transformations

➔ Nanofibers due to long-term climate shifts, while Global warming refers to
• Toothpaste the prolonged rise in Earth's average surface temperature,
caused predominantly by human-induced greenhouse gas
➔ To remineralize teeth
emissions. To summarize, global warming is a specific facet of
• Food climate change, highlighting temperature escalation, while
➔ Packaging climate change encompasses a more comprehensive array of
• Paint shifts occurring in Earth's climate system.
➔ Improved adhesion and antifungal qualities/anti-graffiti • Understanding and addressing climate change is crucial to
• Clothes protect the environment, human health, economies, promote
➔ Non-staining and anti-radiation social justice, foster global cooperation, and ensure a
• Batteries sustainable future for generations to come.
➔ (Black & Decker) phosphate nanocrystal technology
• Cleaning products Causes of Global Warming
➔ Greenhouse gases
Advantages of Nanotechnology • Carbon Dioxide (CO2) - This gas is primarily released through
• Protect drugs from being degraded in the body before they the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. It
reach their target also stems from deforestation and industrial processes.
• Enhances the absorption of drugs into tumors and into the • Methane (CH4) - A potent greenhouse gas, methane is emitted
cancerous cells themselves. during the production and transport of fossil fuels, livestock
• Allows for better control over the timing and distribution of drugs digestion, and the decay of organic waste in landfills.
to the tissue, making it easier for oncologists to assess how well • Nitrous Oxide (N2O) - This gas results from agricultural and
they work. industrial activities, as well as the combustion of fossil fuels and
• Prevent drugs from interacting with normal cells, thus avoiding solid waste.
side effects. • Water Vapor (H2O) - While not directly emitted by human
activities, changes in other greenhouse gases can influence
water vapor levels, amplifying the overall greenhouse effect
Disadvantages of Nanotechnology
• Human activities Contributing to Emissions
• Adverse health effects in humans from deliberate or accidental ➔ Energy production
exposure
• Fossil Fuel Combustion
• Adverse effects on the environment from deliberate or
accidental exposure • Alternative Energy Transportation
• Vehicles
• Potentially explosive properties of nanostructures
• Very difficult to detect without sophisticated equipment • Sustainable transportation Industrial processes
• Cement production
• Difficult to predict how particles will behave in the environment
(dispersed/clumped) • Technological innovation Agricultural
• Small size may result in particles passing into the body more • Livestock
easily (inhalation, ingestion, absorption) • Fertilizer
• May be more reactive due to surface area to volume ratio • Sustainable agriculture
• Potential to adsorb toxic chemicals
• Persistence - Longevity of particles in the environment and body ➔ Deforestation and Land-use Changes
are unknown • Deforestation
o Refers to the decrease in forest areas across the world that
are lost for other uses such as agricultural croplands,
GLOBAL WARMING
urbanization, or mining activities. Greatly accelerated by
• Global warming refers to the long-term increase in Earth's human activities since 1960, deforestation has been
average surface temperature, primarily attributed to human negatively affecting natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and
activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and the climate.
industrial processes. o Loss of carbon sink
• This is the result of the accumulation of greenhouse gases in o Biodiversity impact
the atmosphere caused by carbon emissions and release of • Land-use changes
cfc's, trapping heat and causing a rise in temperatures o Land use change is a process by which human activities
worldwide. transform the natural landscape, referring to how land has
• Difference between climate change and global warming; Climate been used, usually emphasizing the functional role of land
change refers to a broader spectrum of alterations in global for economic activities.
climate patterns, encompassing not only temperature rise but o Urbanization
also shifts in rainfall, sea level increase, melting ice caps, o agricultural expansion

vellichor 8
vellichor STAS 111 – SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
A.Y. ’24 – ‘25

events such as migration and flowering, disrupts food chains,

Other Contributing Factors and could lead to an imbalance in the relationship between
predators and prey.
➔ Aerosol - Aerosol particles also shape the climate as they ➔ Social and Economical
circulate in the atmosphere. Some of these particles can reflect • Agricultural - Heatwaves, storms, and droughts have an impact
sunlight, helping to cool the atmosphere. Other aerosol particles on the productivity of agriculture, which can cause food
absorb heat from sunlight. This causes the atmosphere to warm. shortages and economies to fall apart in areas where farming is
➔ Black Carbon - Black carbon is the sooty black material emitted the primary source of income
from gas and diesel engines, coal-fired power plants, and other • Human Health - Environmental factors such as air pollution,
sources that burn fossil fuel. It comprises a significant portion of heat waves, and changes in disease patterns can make people
particulate matter or PM, which is an air sick
pollutant. • Displacement and migration - People are forced to migrate
due to extreme weather events and rising sea levels, which
Evidence of Global Warming creates social, economic, and political challenges.
• Earth’s temperature has risen by an average of 0.14°
Fahrenheit (0.08° Celsius) per decade since 1880, or about 2° F Mitigation Strategy
in total.
➔ means an action or program to reduce or eliminate the risk
• The rate of warming since 1981 is more than twice as fast: 0.32° generated by a hazard.
F (0.18° C) per decade.
• 2022 was the sixth-warmest year on record based on NOAA’s Reduction of Greenhouse Emission
temperature data.
• Shifting to alternative technologies that either don’t need
• The 2022 surface temperature was 1.55 °F (0.86 °Celsius) gasoline
warmer than the 20th-century average of 57.0 °F (13.9 °C) and
• Transition to renewable energy – Refers to the global energy
1.90 ˚F (1.06 ˚C) warmer than the pre-industrial period (1880-
sector's shift from fossil-based systems of energy production
1900).
and consumption.
• The 10 warmest years in the historical record have all occurred
• Energy Efficiency measures – Any machine, software, system,
since 2010.
practice or retrofit that leads to a general reduction in energy
• Temperature is fundamental measurement for describing the usage, without significantly impacting level-of-service can be
climate, and the temperature in particular places can have wide- called an energy efficient measure.
ranging effects on human life and ecosystem.
Adaptation Measures
Consequences of Global Rising • Large-scale infrastructure changes, such as building defenses
➔ Increase in severe weather events to protect against sea-level rise, as well behavioral shifts, such
➔ Increase in the extinction of animals as individuals reducing their food waste.
• Building resilient infrastructure – Support states, local
communities, tribes and territories as they undertake hazard
Effects of Global Warming mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters
➔ Sea level rise and natural hazards.
➔ Extreme weather events • Sustainable land-use planning – The use of land to meet
➔ Human cause changing human needs (agriculture, forestry, conservation)
while ensuring long-term socioeconomic and ecological
➔ If people keep adding greenhouse gases into the atmosphere at functions of the land.
the current rate, the average temperature around the world could
increase by about 4 to 12°F by the year 2100.
International Agreements/Initiatives
➔ If we make big changes, like using more renewable resources
instead of fossil fuels, the increase will be less —about 2 to 5°F. ➔ Montreal Protocol (1987 – 1989)
• Its primary goal was to address the status and the slow but
Impacts of Global Warming immense depletion of the ozone layer at the time of its creation
by effectively targeting, suppressing, and presenting to the
➔ Environmental limelight or publicizing the harmful effects of continuous use of
• Biodiversity loss - It encompasses the reduction in the number CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbons), halons, and other substances
of species, their genetic diversity, and the variety of ecosystems collectively named as ODS (ozone depleting substances).
they inhabit. The change of habitats due to rising temperatures • UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
creates a challenge for many different species trying to adapt, (MAY 9, 1992)
eventually resulting in a loss of biodiversity. • The convention sets the framework for annual conferences of
• Changes in Ecosystem - Global warming affects natural the parties (COP) where nations discuss and negotiate actions
ecosystems. This means it modifies the timing of seasonal to combat climate change. It recognizes that both the developed

vellichor 9
vellichor STAS 111 – SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
A.Y. ’24 – ‘25

and developing countries plays a role and has different

responsibilities in addressing climate change.
➔ KYOTO Protocol (February 6, 2005)
• It introduces market-based mechanisms such as emissions
trading and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to help
countries meet their targets more cost-effectively.
➔ Paris Agreement
• Agreed on December 12, 2015 and was adopted on November
4, 2016
• Its main goal is to limit global temperature increase to well below
2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit
the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, where each country sets its
own nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.

Opportunities
➔ Unified goal towards global warming
➔ Same identity and attitude in engaging threats
➔ Recovery and anticipation on what might be
➔ Common but differentiated responsibilities

Challenge
➔ Common but differentiated responsibilities

Roles of Individuals
➔ Sustainable lifestyle choice
• Being committed to sustainability will reduce your carbon
footprint and the amount of toxins released into the
environment, making it safe. When we focus on sustainability,
the entire world benefits and gets to live in clean, more healthy
living conditions.
✓ Become a member of a community garden
✓ Recycle
✓ Save water
✓ Drive less
✓ Avoid burning our waste
✓ Use reusable shopping bags

➔ Advocacy and Awareness

• Community Engagement
➢ How to get involve?
✓ Seminar about Global Warming
✓ Recyclable materials exchange to school supplies
✓ Creation of Environmentally Friendly Homes
✓ Engage people to use eco-friendly materials

vellichor 10