1.

1 Introduction to Science, Technology and from the interwar period and the start of the cold
Society war. It was during the period when historians and
scientist found interest in the interconnections of
Good day! Today, we will be discussing science, scientific knowledge, technological systems, and
technology and society (STS) as a field of study. society. The rise of STS as an academic field
After defining science and technology, we will trace resulted from the recognition that many schools
the historical roots of STS as an academic field. today do not really prepare students to respond
For us to be guided, let me give to you the following critically, reflectively, and proactively to the
ILO's for this meeting. challenges posed by science and technology in the
contemporary world.
At the end of the discussion, you are expected to:
1. Define science, technology and society; In general, STS applies methods from history,
2. Explain the scope of the study of science, philosophy, and sociology to study the nature of
technology and society; and science and technology and ultimately judge their
3. Demonstrate preparedness in the study of value and place in society. As an interdisciplinary
science, technology and society. field, the emergence of STS was a result of the
question about science and technology's dynamic
interaction with various aspects of society and was
Moving on, to give you more information about the thus viewed as a socially embedded enterprise,
topic please click the link below and understand it. Thus, STS seeks to bridge the gap between to
The link entitled "What is STS?" is all about an traditionally exclusive cultures-humanities and
introduction of science, technology and society and natural science-so that humans will be able to better
its scope. confront the moral, ethical, and existential dilemmas
brought about by the continued developments in
Moreover, I would like to give you a background and science and technology.
some examples of ethical dilemmas in science and
technology. Please click the link entitled "Emerging Examples of Dilemmas
Dilemmas in Science and Technology" below. 1. Helix- a digital app store designed to read
After reading the link, try to ponder why is it genomes.
important to question the moral and ethical issues in 2. BlessU-2 Popper- first robot priest and monk
science and technology. 3. Emotion-Sensing Facial Recognition- a
software being developed to assess your
Definition of Terms reactions to anything such as shopping and
playing games.
Science- the word came from the word "scientia," 4. Ransomware- a way of holding data hostage
meaning "knowledge." It refers to systematic and through backing and requiring a ransom to be
methodical activity of building and organizing paid.
knowledge about how the universe behaves through 5. Textalyzer- a device that analyzes whether a
observation, experimentation or both. driver was using his or her phone during an
accident.
Technology- it is the application of scientific 6. Social Credit System- a system of scoring
knowledge, laws, and principles to produce citizens through their actions by placing them
services, materials, tools, and machines aimed at under constant surveillance.
solving real world problems. 7. Google Clips- a hands-free camera that lets the
user capture every moment effortlessly.
Society- it is composed of group of people living 8. Sentencing Software- a mysterious algorithm
together in a more or less ordered community. designed to and courts in sentencing decisions.
Science and Technology and Society is a relatively 9. Friendbot- an app that stores the deceased's
young field that previously independent and older digital footprint so one can still chat with them.
disciplines, such as the history of science, 10. Citizen App- an app that notifies users of
philosophy of science, and sociology of science. As ongoing crimes or major events in a specific
an academic field, STS, according to Harvard area.
University's Kennedy School (2018) traces its roots
Even though several items in the list sound
unfamiliar to many, it can be a useful springboard in Some Inventions During Ancient Times
the study of science and technology. The list points Ancient time
to the ever-growing challenges, questions, and
issues that need to be addressed and resolved People were concerned with transportation and
when science and technology and humanity navigation, communication and record-keeping,
intertwine. mass production, security and protection, as well as
health, aesthetics, and architecture.
To give you more background about this topic, the
link under Instructional Materials entitled "Ethical 1. Ancient Wheel- People from ancient civilizations
Dilemmas in Science and Technology and Their used animals for transportation long before the
Implications." invention of the wheel. No one knows who exactly
invented the wheel and when. There is, however, a
1. 2 Historical Antecedents in the Course of general agreement that the ancient wheel grew out
Science and Technology of a mechanical device called the potter's wheel- a
heavy flat disk made up of hardened clay which was
Good day! Just keep the enthusiasm in learning! At spun horizontally on an axis.
the end of the discussion, you are expected to
1. Demonstrate preparedness in the study of
science, technology and society.
2. Identify invention and discoveries that
changed the word over the course of history.

This topic tackles how social contexts shaped and

were shaped by science and technology across
three periods. By introducing the historical 2. Paper- Roughly around 3000 B.C., the ancient
antecedents of science and technology , it explores Egyptians began writing on papyrus, a material
the dynamic interactions between different societal similar to thick paper. Papyrus is made from the pith
factors and science and technology. Let us be of the papyrus plant cyperus papyrus.
guided with our ILO.

To further understand and to appreciate the

changes in the world today, the need to have a
background of how people had invented and
discovered things needs to be traced. To
understand the inventions today, it is essential for
3. Shadoof- The shadoof was an early tool invented
us to to know the "Historical Antecedents in Science
and used by Egyptians to irrigate land. Please click
and Technology " that paved way to the new
the link to watch the how shadoof is being made
inventions in science and technology. The link
and used
under Instructional Materials will give you some
examples of inventions during ancient times up to
the present.

What is Antecedent?
Antecedent- it is defined as a precursor to the
unfolding or existence of something. Thus,
historical antecedents in science and technology are
factors that paved way for the presence of the
4. Antikythera Mechanism- Even before the
advanced and sophisticated scientific and
invention of the antecedents of the modern
technological innovations today. Knowledge of the
computer, the Greeks had already invented the
history of science and technology in useful in
ancient world's analog computer orrery.
appraising these innovations today.
3. Paper Money- Although it was not until the 17th
century that bank notes began to be used in
Europe, the first known versions of paper money
could be traced back to the Chinese in 17th century
5. Aeolipile- Aslo known as the Hero's engine, the AD as an offshoot of the invention of block printing,
aeolipile is widely believed to be the ancient which is similar to stamping.
precursor of the steam engine.

4. Mechanical Clock- Although devices for

timekeeping and recording sprung from the ancient
times, such as the Antikythera mechanism, it was
not until the middle ages that clockwork technology
Medieval Age
was developed. The development of mechanical
Between the collapse of the Roman Empire in 5th
clocks paved the way for accurately keeping track
century AD and the colonial expansion of Western
the time.
Europe in the late of 15th century AD, major
advances in scientific and technological
developments took place. The Middle Age was not
as stagnant as alternate terms such as the Medieval
Period of Dark Ages.
Some Inventions During the Medieval Times

1. Heavy Plough- This is one of the most important 5. Spinning Wheel- A machine used for the
technological innovations during the middle ages. transforming fiber into thread or yarn and eventually
The heavy plough turned European agriculture and woven into cloth on a loom. Please click the link to
economy on its head. watch the video about Spinning Wheel of India.

Modern Age
As the world population steadily increased,
people of the Modern Ages realized the utmost
importance of increasing the efficiency of
transportation, communication, and production.
2. Gunpowder- Around 850 A.D., Chinese Industrialization took place with greater risks in
civilizations alchemists accidentally invented black human health, food safety, and environment which
powder or gunpowder. Multiple accounts suggest had to be addressed as scientific and technological
that the gunpowder might have been an unintended progress unfolded at an unimaginable speed.
byproduct of attempts made by the Chinese to
invent the exilir of life, which is why the Chinese Some Inventions During the Modern Age
called it huoyao or translated as "fire potion."
1. Compound Microscope- A Dutch spectacle
maker named Zacharias Jansen is credited for the
invention of the first compound microscope in
1590. Together with his father Hans, Zacharias
began experimenting with lenses by putting together
several lenses on a tube. This led to an amazing and moving objects in 1926, and projected colored
discovery that an object, when placed near the end images in 1928.
of the tube, can be magnified far larger than what a
simple magnifying lens can do.

1. 3 Philippine Technologies and Inventions

2. Telescope- Perhaps the single, most important
technological invention in the study of astronomy Good day! Now let's move on to the new topic
during the Modern Ages was the practical telescope which is about the Philippine inventions. So, our
invented by Galileo Galilei. This invention could ILO is
magnify objects 20 times larger than the Dutch
At the end of the discussion, the students are
perspective glasses.
expected to
1. explain how Philippine scientific and
technological inventions shaped and were
shaped by various social contexts.
Please click this Filipino Inventions and
Discoveries Link (Links to an external site.) to
3. Jacquard Loom- As the industrial Revolution watch the video about the Filipino discoveries
reached full speed, the Jacquard loom was and inventions. be ready for an interactive
considered as one of the most critical drivers of the discussion about this topic.
revolution. Built by French weaver Joseph Maxie Please also read the Science, Technology and
Jacquard, the Jacquard loom simplifies textile Nation - Building found in Instructional
manufacturing. Below is a video for Jacquard Materials below to know understand and learn
Loom. more abou this.
Inventions by Filipino Scientists
4. Engine- Powered Airplane- Orville Wright and
Wilbur Wright are credited for designing and 1. Electronic Jeepney (e-jeepney)- The
successfully operating the first engine-powered jeepney is perhaps one of the the most
aircraft. The Wright brothers approached the design recognizable national symbols of the Philipines
of powered aircraft and flight scientifically. Orville and the most popular mode of transportation in
and Wilbur proved the air crafts could fly without the country. It is also perhaps one of the most
airfoil-shaped wings. enduring symbols of Filipino ingenuity. Jeepneys
were designed and improvised from scratch out
of military jeeps that the Americans left in the
country after WW II.
2. Erythromycin- One of the most important
medical inventions is the Erythromycin. The
Ilonggo scientist Abelardo Aguilar invented the
antibiotic out of the strain of bacterium called
Streptomyces erythreus, from which this drug
5. Television- The Scottish engineer John Logie derived its name.
Baird is largely credited for the invention of modern 3. Medical Incubator- World-renowned Filipino
television. Baird successfully televised objects in pediatrician and national scienctist, Fe del
outline in 1924, recognizable human faces in 1925, Mundo, is called for the invention of the
incubator and jaundice relieving device. Del the belief was that the earth was the center of
Mundo was the first woman pediatrician to be the solar system based on the geocentric model
admitted in the prestigious Harvard University's of Ptolemy.
School of Medicine. Del Mundo's incubator was
particularly outstanding as it addressed the state Copernicus introduced the heliocentric model in
of Philippine rural communities that had no a 40 page outline entitled Commentariolus. he
electricity to aid the regulation of body formalized his model in the publication of his
temperatures of new born babies. treatise, The Revolution of Celestial
Spheres in 1543. In his model, Copernicus
4. Mole Remover- In 2000, a local invention that repositioned the earth from the center of the
had the ability to easily remove moles and warts Solar System and introduced the idea that the
on the skin without the need for any surgical earth rotates on its own axis. The model
procedure shot to fame. Rolando Dela Cruz is illustrated the earth, along with the other
credited for the invention of a local mole remover heavenly bodies, to be rotating around the sun.
that made use of extracts of cashew nuts, which Below is the Copernicus Theory
are very common in the Philippines.
5. 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

1.4 Intellectual Revolutions and Society

INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTION

Intellectual revolution had changed the way

people perceive the influence of science on As you can see from the image, the sun is the
society in general. It focuses on three of the center of the solar system instead of the earth
most important intellectual revolutions in history: by Ptolemy.
Copernican, Darwinian, and Freudian. By
discussing these intellectual revolutions in the The Darwinian Revolution
context of science, technology, and society, the Famous for his theory of evolution, which posited
attention of students are drawn again toward the that populations pass through a process of
complex interplay of the various social contexts natural selection in which only the fittest would
and the development of modern science. survive. He published his book The Origin of
Species in 1589. His book presented evidence
Now, let us proceed to the three prominent on how species evolved over time and presented
scientists who contributed in the field of science traits and adaptation that differentiate species.
and technology.
In his book The Descent of Man, he introduced
One of these three famous scientists is Nicolaus the idea of all organic life, including human
Copernicus, who is known for his model, known beings, under the realm of evolutionary thinking.
as "heliocentric model." To give you a little His unorthodox way of pursuing science gave
background about the biography of Copernicus more value to evidence-based science. It is a
and his model, please click the video below. science marked by observation and experiment.

The Copernican Revolution

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,
3. Philippine inventions from ancient to
modern
4. intellectual revolution which includes
Copernicus, Darwin and Freud.

In summary, the concepts of science,

technology and society are interrelated with one
another for science is defined as body of
knowledge whereas technology is the application
of knowledge and society is composed of group
The Fraudian Revolution
of people where they are involved in
experimenting and applying the knowledge.
Sigmund Freud is known for his school of
thought known as "Psychoanalysis" which is an
Also, this module traces the historical
in- depth study of the personality of an individual.
antecedents of science and technology. There is
This school of thought is a scientific method of
a need to study such for it unfolds the existence
understanding inner and unconscious conflicts
of something such as inventions.
embedded within one's personality, springing
Moreover, the inventions of the Filipinos are
from free associations, dreams, and fantasies of
emphasized. We discussed the influence of
the individual . Psychonalytic Also, To learn
science and technology in the development of
more about his contributions, please click the link
the Philippines as a country. Even before the
below.
time of the Spanish colonization in the
Philippines, various people and communities
Psychoanalysis is the study that explains
already practiced science.
human behavior. In his theory, Freud explained
that there are many conscious and unconscious
Furthermore, the contributions of Copernicus,
factors that can influence behavior and
Darwin and Freud are discussed as they
emotions. He also argued that personality is a
influenced the changes in the society. Nicolaus
product of three conflicting elements:
Copernicus developed the model of the universe
in which everything moved around a single
• id
center at unvarying rates. he placed the sun in
• ego
the center of the universe and all the planets
• superego
were surrounding or orbiting it. Charles Darwin
made significant contribution in the field of
We can conclude that the three revolutionizing
evolutionary biology and philosophy of science.
theories are just some of the many scientific
His theory of evolution by natural selection is
ideas that transformed and molded societies and
very useful in many fields today. Sigmund Freud
beliefs. The changes they brought to the
developed the idea of psychoanalysis that
perspectives and perceptions of the scientific
helped in understanding human behavior
community and the public are evidence of
especially neurological conditions.
science and technology's link to humanity.
Through scientific research and experimentation,
people will continue to deepen their
understanding of the world and the universe.

Module 1 Summary
In order to understand the whole module, here
are the following discussion points:
1. concepts related to science, technology and
society, factors that led to dilemmas,
2. historical antecedents in the course of
science and technology