NATURE OF STS AND THEIR IMPACTS-SEMI FINALS

By. MICHELLE L. BORROMEO, LPT

INSTRUCTOR

Nature of Science
Scientific results are linked to the development of new products and new technologies, and contribute greatly to
economic and medical progress, and to other real social and economic activities. When the question is raised about what
science and technology for society really means, one important viewpoint is whether or not scientific results are linked to the
development of technologies that can create real, utilizable products and services.
Science is believed to be a systematic study of nature. Those who study science are called scientist. What is peculiar
about scientist is that :
 They do not accept any information as fact until they gather evidences and other scientist came up with this same
finding, in this scientists are said to be skeptical (Skepticism).
 They like to look into everything asking why and how questions (Curiosity).
 They work and keep on working at whatever they suspect will give then a clue to what they are looking for
(Perseverance/Persistence).
 They take things step by step and they aim at accuracy (Systematism). It is very easy for them to discover things and
even the unexpected because of this alertness.
 They do not like to work in isolation, even if they do they show each other what they have found (Cooperation).
 Scientists are objective, open-minded, honest, restrained, and willing to change opinion (Critical minded)
Because of these attributes of Scientists, science is said to be dynamic, constantly moving, and the knowledge
changes. What you know yesterday and today may not be an acceptable fact tomorrow because a theory may have to change
when new observations are made. Science is therefore tentative.

Scientific Method
The statement that a rose plant does not bear any flower because of lack of carbon dioxide and water is called a
hypothesis, which is a tentative solution or generalization to a problem. A big part of science is to attempt to disprove
hypothesis. If, over time, the hypothesis survives all attempts to disprove it, it becomes accepted as a theory that is a general
truth about the natural world but not yet universally accepted. In biology, one example is the Theory of Evolution. Once the
theory is universally accepted, it becomes a scientific law. Examples of scientific laws are the Law of Inertia, Law of Gravity
and Law of Interaction.
The Scientific Method is a combination of the creative reasoning and testing of hypothesis. It occurs in a step by step
procedures outlined below:
1. Carefully ldentify the Problem under study based upon observations of the natural world. To identify is to specify the
problem for the purpose of gathering specific data or information.
2. Gather Specific Data or Information about the specific problem. These information are used to formulate hypotheses as a
tentative solution to the specified problem.
3. Formulate a Hypothesis as a possible answer or solution to the problem. This hypothesis will be tested in the
experimentation process.
4. Plan and conduct an Experiment and Series of Observation to test and verify the validity of the hypothesis or tentative
solution to the problem. It is a controlled attempt to verify and test the hypothesis.
5. Formulate Conclusion/ Generalization based on the facts discovered from the experimentation/laboratory activity.
6. Communicate the Result through television, radio, magazine, and science journal for future application.
7. Apply the Result of the process for the formulation of theory and/ or scientific law.

Other Values and Attitudes

A scientific attitude is a way of looking at things governed by facts based on observations. The scientific attitudes
are very useful in any career particularly in Science. The following are attitudes that one should possess in order to become
more successful in the chosen field like biological sciences (Modified from Bronowski, Taken from The Kansas School
Naturalist, Vol. 35, No. 4, April 1989.,
1. A belief that Problems have Solutions. Major problems have been tackled in the past, like sending a man to the
moon. Other problems such as pollution, war, poverty, and ignorance are seen as having real causes and are therefore
solvable -- perhaps not easily, but possible.
2. A Respect for Power of Theoretical Structure. A scientist is unlikely to adopt the attitude: "That is all right in theory
but it won't work in practice." Theory is "all right" only if it does work in practice. Indeed the rightness of the theory is in the
end what the scientist is working toward; no science facts are accumulated at random. Theory guides observation; and
observation modifies theory.
3. A thirst For Knowledge, an "Intellectual Drive." Scientists are addicted puzzle-solvers. Scientists are willing to live
with incompleteness rather than "...fill the gaps with off-hand explanations."
4. Ability to Separate Fundamental Concepts from the Irrelevant or Unimportant. Beginning science students get
bogged down in observations and data that are of little importance to the concept they want to investigate. Levels of analysis
vary, and keeping focus on the "big picture" can be difficult.
5. Ability to Suspend Judgment. A scientist tries hard not to form an opinion on a given issue until he or she has
investigated it, because it is so hard to give up opinions already formed. Willingness to act on the best hypothesis that one has
time or opportunity to form.
6. An Appreciation of probability ,and Statistics. Correlations do not prove cause-and-effect, but some pseudoscience
arises when a chance occurrence is taken as "proof." Individuals who insist on an all-or-none world and who have little
experience with statistics will have difficulty understanding the concept of an event occurring by chance, or the relationship of
a sample to a population
7. Automatic Scientific Preference for An Explanation. No scientist can know all of the experimental evidence
underlying current science concepts and therefore must adopt some views without understanding their basis. A scientist
rejects non-scientific explanations and prefers science paradigms out of an appreciation for the power of reality based,
testable knowledge.
8. An Understanding that All Knowledge has Tolerance Limits. All careful analyses of the world reveal measurements
that scatter at least slightly around the average point; a human's core body temperature is about so many degrees and objects
fall with a certain rate of acceleration, but there is some variation. There is no absolute certainty, nor is it required in science.
9. Awareness of Assumptions. A good scientist starts by defining terms, making all assumptions very clear, and
reducing necessary assumptions to the smallest number possible. Often we want scientists to make broad statements about a
complex world. But usually scientists are very specific about what they "know" or will say with certainty: "When these
conditions hold true, the usual outcome is such-and-such."
10. Determinism. "Cause-and-effect" underlies everything. In simple mechanisms, an action causes a reaction, and
effects do not occur without causes.
11. Empathy for the Human Condition. The practice of science is bounded by ethical constraints, and good scientists
are aware of, and often deeply involved in, other moral and ideological domains.
12. Empiricism. A scientist prefers to "look and see." You do not argue about whether it is raining outside-- just stick a
hand out the window.
13. Loyalty to reality. Ability to accept a model that matched reality better. A scientist would never have considered
holding to an opinion just because it is associated with his name.
14. Parsimony. Prefer the simple explanation than the complex.
15. Precision. Scientists are impatient with vague statements. Scientists are very exact and very "picky."
16. Respect for Quantification and Appreciation of Mathematics as a Language of Science. Many of nature's
relationships are best revealed by patterns and mathematical relationships when reality is counted or measured.
17. Respect for Scientific Paradigms. A paradigm is our overall understanding about how the world works. It means a
framework or structure is working at things.
18. Scientific Manipulation. Any idea, it may be simple and conform to apparent observations, must also be confirmed by
work that teases out the possibility that the effects are caused by other factors. Don't jump to conclusions, especially if you
found what you were looking for in the first place!
19. Skepticism. Nearly all statements make assumptions of prior conditions. A scientist often reaches a dead-end in
research and has to go back and determine if all the assumptions made are true to how the world operates. Be particularly
skeptical of assumptions that come from non-science domains IF they claim scientific truth. In short, harness a questioning
mind about things said to be the truth.
20. Willingness to Change Opinion. Scientists are willing to immediately throw away old fashion ideas that are no
longer applicable to scientific endeavor.

Nature of Technology
Technology is the product of Science. Technologists are scientists. Have you seen a technologist who is not a
scientist? Because of this connection, technology can be said to dynamic and tentative. Do you agree with this statement? It is
true, that is why we have technological advancement. Think of how much changes have taken place around you.
Where technology has developed in close relationship to the convenience and prosperity of human life since before
the advent of recorded history, science originated from natural philosophy and was supported by people's intellectual
curiosity. The main objective of science has been elucidation of how nature is put together and operates, and it has developed
as a separate entity from technology. Of course, while technological progress was backed up by various scientific advances,
this does not mean that scientific research was conducted for the purpose of developing new technologies, rather, scientific
knowledge was utilized only because it was available. In fact, it was more common for new technologies to be developed in
order to pursue scientific research. After the Industrial Revolution, the separate paths taken by science and technology began
to move closer together. Significantly, the concept of linking scientific results to technology for utilization in society became
prevalent after around 1850, which is when a chemical industry began to develop based on utilization of knowledge about
chemistry, and electrical technologies arose based on knowledge about electromagnetism. Nevertheless, science has moved
away from being the business of the intellectual world, with scientific results now pioneering the frontiers of human activities
in terms of both space and time, and expanding the potential of human activities. Science also has become a major influence
on people's sense of values, changing the nature of society and becoming the engine driving society's progress from the
viewpoint of civilization.
The IT revolution of recent years is the culmination of many developments in computer technology, including the
concept of the computing machine proposed by Alan Turing, and the invention of the transistor by William Shockley, John
Bardeen, and Walter Brattain, as well as the advent of the Internet advances other in information and communications
technology. The IT revolution, however, does not consist merely of the development of new products or improvement of
people's convenience, but is also greatly changing people's modes of behavior and lifestyles, through the possibilities it has
opened up for the people of the world to use cyberspace for instantaneous exchange of information and opinions. The effects
of the revolution have changed the nature of society in many dimensions, from the education, medical and welfare, transport,
finance, and manufacturing sectors to modes of work and play.
Elsewhere, the television has become a major factor shaping our modern society, as the communications medium
with the greatest influence. This device, as well, is the culmination of various scientific results over the years, beginning with
the invention of wireless communication by Guglielmo Marconi in 1895, the invention of the Braun tube in1897, the
invention of the Yagi-Uda antenna in 1925,and Kenjiro Takayanagi's successful transmission of an electronic image using a
Braun tube in 1926.

Nature of Society
The Sociologist will tell you that their main job is to study society. The society is made up of community of people.
Among these people are scientists and technologists. What proceeds from the work of the scientists and technologists are
used up by the society? When for instance a plane is developed by the scientist and technologist, the recipients (users) are the
people in the society. Society itself is not stagnant. Society is dynamic. Look back to your village that you were growing up. It is
possible that you have electricity now, pipe borne water, road that connects your village to their own etc. There are more
plans to turn your village to a much better place than what you currently have. It is like science and technology-dynamic and
tentative.
Thus, scientists and technologists abode in a community (society) they see the need of the society. As one grows, the
other grows. If one is stunted the other will be stunted. Any factor that affects the other will be stunted. Society has effect on
the scientist and the technologist who are also part of the society.
There are probably no end of examples of scientific progress having a major effect on people's sense of values, and
changing the nature of society itself, the following is an introduction to just a few of the more famous examples. Albert
Einstein, one of the premier scientists of the 20th century, issued in rapid succession a theory of the photon, a theory of
Brownian motion, and the Special Theory of Relativity, all of which served to overthrow the then-prevailing views of physics.
Einstein's Theory of Relativity became the foundations for all later physics, contributing greatly to progress in various fields of
science. At the same time, it altered people's concepts of space and time, and had a huge effect on philosophy and thought.

In the field of astronomy, Nicolaus Copernicus developed a theory, later bolstered and refined by Johannes Kepler
and Galileo Galilei, which had a great effect on the development and reform of society, over throwing Europe's medieval
sense of values and driving it into the modern age. In recent years, however, examples of such society-changing advances
have become increasingly common. For example, Edwin Hubble's discovery in 1929 that the universe was expanding led
directly to the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe (1946) by George Gamow and others. In 1965, Arno Penzias and
Robert Wilson detected cosmic background radiation pervading the universe, providing powerful evidence for the Big Bang
theory. These discoveries gave people a new "sense of the universe." Moreover, advances in space development have greatly
expanded the space available for possible human activities, and opened up new frontiers for humanity where people can
dream. At the same time, images of Earth taken from space have given people all over the world a new "view of the Earth"
vividly revealing its beauty and irreplaceability.

Furthermore, the revelation in 1974 by Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina that chlorofluorocarbon gases were
causing depletion of the ozone layer, followed in 1985 by the discovery of an ozone hole, and had a huge effect on efforts to
protect the global environment.

The Impacts of Science on Society

If social forces have an ongoing impact on science, it's equally true that science, through its practices and outcomes,
has an ongoing impact on society too. Consider the following:

 role in advancing access to food and in supporting health outcomes in the developing world;
 impacts on sustainable environments and biodiversity;
 role in supporting a growing global human population;
 impacts on human health, from nutrition to allergens to indirect environmental impacts;
 nature of economic and legal landscape related to intellectual property and ownership of genetic information;
 extent of increased pesticide use in support of pesticide-resistant crops;
 potential for water-efficient and pesticide/herbicide free crops; and
 extent of impacts on non-target species.

For each of these areas, scientific research continues to lead to a changing epistemic landscape in which scientific knowledge
and local knowledge butt up against each other. Despite epistemic claims from the scientific community that genetically
engineered food is safe for consumption and poses little threats to traditional farming practices, the local epistemic context-
informed politically, socially, and ethically does not allow for a reconciliation of that scientific knowledge within the local
context. Despite great potential for significant broader impacts of science of society, most of the impacts to date have been
indirect. Environmentally, the implementation of genetically engineered species stands at odds with the un known risks to
existing species and ecosystems directly and to human health indirectly. Consideration of the diverse range of intersecting
issues and values at play in discussions about genetic engineering of organisms can help to identify and examine such broader
impacts of this research.
 The Impacts of Technology on Society

Technology and human life cannot be separated; society has a cyclical co-dependence on technology. We use
technology; depend on technology in our daily life and our needs and demands for technology keep on rising. Humans use
technology to travel, to communicate, to learn, to do business and to live in comfort. However, technology has also caused
us concerns. Its poor application has resulted in the pollution of the environment and it has also caused a serious threat to our
lives and society. This calls for the proper use of technology. The biggest challenge facing people is to determine the type of
future we need to have and then create relevant technologies which will simplify the way we do things.

Positive Impacts

Agriculture. Modern agricultural technology allows a small number of people to grow vast quantities of food in a
short period of time with less input which results into high yields and RIO "return on investment". The use of technology in
agriculture has also resulted in the manufacturing of genetic crops which can grow fast and they can be resistant to many
pests and diseases. Also, farmers have access to artificial fertilizers which add value to the soil and boost the growth of their
crops and enable them to produce high-quality yields. Farmers in dry areas have been in a position to grow healthy crops, they
use advanced water pumps and sprinklers which derive water from rivers to the farms, the all process can be automated to
save time.

Transportation. Transportation is one of the basic areas of technological activity. Both society and businesses have
benefited from the new transpiration methods. Transportation provides mobility for people and goods. Transportation, like all
other technologies, can be viewed as a system. It is a series of parts that are interrelated. These parts all work together to
meet a certain goal. Transportation uses vehicles, trains, airplanes, motorbikes, people, roads, energy, information, materials,
finance and time. All these parts I have mentioned work together to move and relocate people and goods. Technology has
helped in advancing all the four types of transportation and these include; (1) road transport used by automobiles,(2) air
transport which is used by airplanes, (3) water transportation which is used by ships and speed boats and (4) space
transportation used to go to the moon. The most used of all these is Road transportation, this one facilitates the movement
of goods and people. Technologies like automobiles, buses, and trucks have improved the way humans move and how they
transport their goods from place to another. Also, developing countries are getting funds from wealthy countries to improve
their road transport which has resulted in the development of rural remote areas.

Communication. Both society and organizations depend on communication to transfer information. People use
technology to communicate with each other. Electronic media like radios, televisions, internet, and social media have
improved the way we exchange ideas which can develop our societies. In many countries, radios and televisions are used to
voice the concerns of the society, they organize live forums where the community can contribute through mobile phones or
text service systems like tweeter. During political elections, leaders use radio, television and internet media to reach the
people they want to serve. Communication technologies like Televisions, radios, and internet can be used to persuade,
entertain and inform the society. Small businesses have also used the internet and mobile communication technology to grow
and improve their customer service.

Education and Learning Process. Education is the backbone of every economy. People need well and organized
educational infrastructures so that they can learn how to interpret information. Many schools have started integrating
educational technologies in their schools with a great aim of improving the way students learn. Technologies like smart
whiteboards, computers, mobile phones, iPads, projectors, and internet are being used in classrooms to boost student's moral
to learn. Visual education is becoming more popular and it has proved to be the best method of learning in many subjects like
mathematics, physics, biology, geography, economics and much more. The business community in various has invested money
educational technologies which can be used by both teachers and their students. For example, on iTunes, you will find many
educational applications which can allow students and teachers exchange academic information. Also, at any time, this has
made learning mobile programs like Long distance learning have opened boundaries too so many scholars around the world.

Negative Impacts

Resource Depletion. The more demand for new technologies advancement and of current technologies, the more
pressure we put on earth's natural resources. Look at the total number of mobile phones and computers being manufactured
today, our population is increasing every day and all these billion consumers demand either a mobile phone or a computer in
their homes or offices. This is good news for the manufactures, like Apple or Samsung, the demand for their gadgets is high,
but to sustain this demand, they have to exploit Mother Nature for resources like aluminum, once these resources are
extracted from the earth plates, they will never return back because it took these a billion years to mature. That means that at
one time, we shall be left with no natural resource which can be a problem to the future generation and economy. Likewise,
the intensive farming practices will deplete the soil. This makes heavy applications of commercial fertilizers necessary to yield
healthy harvests, but also these fertilizers have chemicals which are dangerous to the soil and human lives.
 Increased Population. Technology has helped us live longer by improving health facilities and aiding in the research
for solutions for most health problems which affect humans. This is good news for developed countries but is bad news for
developing countries which have not been in a position to access these health care benefits brought by technology. In
developed countries population growth is controlled by advanced birth control methods, this has helped them balance their
population in relation to natural are sources and other opportunities which come with a planned population. This is different
in developing countries, the rate at which people produce is very high, the mortality rate is high, food is scarce and healthcare
is poor.

Increased Pollution. Pollution affects the land we grow crops on, the water we drink and the air we breathe. The
increased demand for new technologies and advancement of technologies has resulted in many manufacturing and processing
factories. As they work so hard to create the best technologies for both society and business, they release harmful chemicals
and gasses which have polluted our environment and this has resulted in climate changes (global warming). So the more
technology we enjoy, the more we harm our environment. Experts have tried to implement ways of reducing this impact by
encouraging factories to go green, to a small extent, this has been achieved through the development of green technologies
like; green cars, green computers, but a great effort is still needed to reduce the pollution of the air and the earth.

The Impacts of Society on Science

One sense of the broader impacts of research is on what societal values and social interests can have on the practice
of science. More than we might regularly recognize, the social norms under which we function in our cultural and political
settings impact the sorts of research that happens through funding, regulation, and criticism. Public interest in genetically
engineered organisms has already had just such a significant impact on the research science in that area (Mortensen, Franklin,
Bruce, Matthew, & Smith, 2012).

From a social perspective, genetic engineering of organisms raises a cross section of issues. These technologies and
issues are relevant across applications: such ethical issues prevalent in the public debates about genetic engineering are not
necessarily even specific to GE crops, but perhaps to questions of crops more generally as well as to other GE organisms .For
example, if agricultural impacts on human health are ethically-relevant, then they're relevant not only in the context of GE
crops but also in "traditional" food crops more generally which have their own significant impacts. The important space for
ethical work is in determining why and under what conditions GE crops are uniquely relevant.

Social concern has impacted the science of genetic engineering in at least three ways: through concern about
environmental and health risks, through questioning epistemic reliability and access, and through institutional impacts on the
practice of science. Concern for environmental harms and risks to human health stand as central themes and pose a central
conflict value conflict in debates around genetic engineering of organisms. Direct non-target effects ,like on native organisms
who ingest pollen of GE plants, could be one example of potential environmental harms. Indirect effects, such as potential
decreased food availability for seed specialists in a GE agricultural monoculture, can be another. Increased use of pesticides
coupled with pesticide resistant GE crops have been a major concern (Mortensen et. al. 2012).

From a human health perspective, recombination and transference of genetic materials by and through GE species
open questions about the possibility of new viral diseases. Given the variability and unexpected results of introduction of
novel GE species into ecosystems, other questions about risks to human health and environmental wellbeing remain central in
the debate about ethical issues in genetic engineering.

In fact, these institutional inputs play a major role in the research process and as social influences on scientific
practice and research. Regulatory bodies reflect both social concern and scientific interest in research practices and constrain
the ways in which research can be done.