LESSON 8: INFORMATION SOCIETY

● Information
➔ A word is a combination of sounds that represents something. It is this significance which makes words
distinct from just any kind of vocal utterance. Words are made up of sounds and yet they transmit
something more significant. They transmit messages. The words are “informed” because they carry
“information” Chaisson, 2006; Ben-Naim, 2015). Words are informed with the meaning given by the
speaker and intended for the listener. Simply put, they communicate meaning.

● The role of Language

➔ In the human quest for understanding the natural world, the ability to name and classify objects found
in nature was seen as a first step in knowing. Thus, the scientific search for truth early on recognized
the usefulness of language and the ability it gave to make sense of nature. For the ancient Greeks,
language was an object worthy of admiration. Words have power.
➔ This kind of knowing sprang from the Greek fascination and wonder at the power of words and
language. How is it possible that one’s idea can simultaneously exist in his/her mind and in another’s?
How is it possible that human beings can communicate through words and thus form a community?
Does the power of the communicated word come from the speaker, who is the thinker and the source,
or from the listener, who is the recipient of the communication? However you answer these points, it is
clear that thinking in terms of a common system being generated by the speaker and received by the
listener is useful in the pursuit of knowledge. Science, from the Latin word scire (meaning to know), is
one kind of knowledge the Greeks wanted to understand.
➔ The idea of comprehending words as more than just combinations of sounds led the Greeks to seek out
the principles of everyday language. When talking to other people, for example, a meaningful message
is created using ordinary sounds. Its meaning is also not diminished by multiplication---- the speaker
can use the same words over and over again to talk to ten, a hundred, or even a thousand people
separately or at the same time. Nevertheless, the same message will be received by everyone. Words,
therefore, can function across space and time without reducing their meaning.
➔ The first philosophers, as they thrashed about groping for and seeking a unifying principle in nature,
sometimes hit upon things such as fire or water. But they believed that something was common in all of
these. The many seemingly different things in the natural world must have a unifying factor. There was
an inside to be “understood”. They sought for this meta phusis, literally meaning “after nature” (De
Chardin, 1965)
➔ Plato’s principle of “One and the Many” refers to the underlying unity among diverse beings in the
natural world. For Plato, there is a common intrinsic nature shared by different objects, which
determines their real sense. Biologists devised a way to illustrate this principle using a system
differentiating between genus and species. Many species belong in one genus.
➔ In the 21st century, we are aware more than ever that there is rich diversity in nature, which technology
has allowed us to discover (BANWA Natural Science, 2008)

● MATHEMATICS AS THE LANGUAGE OF NATURE

➔ Technology in the modern world is the fruit of science. Because the scientific method helped people
discover how nature behaves, they were able to control nature with technology. A more accurate
statement is: Since people have discovered the laws and language of nature, they can develop
technology that uses these laws and language for their benefit. This language is, of course,
mathematics, the great contribution of Isaac Newton. Nature can be understood because it speaks in the
language of mathematics and the human brain, to a certain extent, can comprehend this language
(Weigner, 1960). Unfortunately, this fact is not always appreciated.
● TECHNOLOGICAL WORLD
➔ The ability to think and conceptually comprehend nature and the principles it follows eventually leads
to science. Even in ancient times, Western thinkers harnessed the forces of nature after understanding
them better. Lost in antiquity is the first sailing vessel that worked through the power of the wind.
Similarly, it was never recorded when the early people realized that fire has its own power and energy.
Not all early inventions are lost in time, however. Hero of Alexandria, for instance, would invent a
primitive steam engine in the first century (Paul Davies, 1990)

● THE PRINTING PRESS

➔ The power of the eidos, or idea, would be witnessed in the succeeding centuries of development in the
West. The ancient fascination with language gave rise to the preservation of the words of earlier people
at the same time as the West weekend itself due to internecine warfare and conflicts. Throughout this
dark period, the importance of the word-----the power to be informed as a human being-- led to the
transmission of ideas through hand-copying. From this manual action would arise the technology that
would transform cultures---the printing press. The development of the printing press, which may be
regarded as the beginning of a true revolution, could be dated to the 15th century. Through this
technology, the ancient Greek idea that knowledge should be shared and communicated among humans
would actually be pressed on a scale unimagined by its thinkers. Using the printing press, people on
different sides of the world could share their thoughts and ideas with each other, forming communities
of thinkers across space and time (Connell, 1958)
➔ The world has never looked back. This technological invention allowed words and scientific ideas to
establish a view of nature anchored in scholarly works and studies. For instance, new discoveries about
the phenomenon of electricity were eagerly absorbed by fellow scientists who then utilized the science
to create other technological products. The radio was built upon the wave nature of electricity and
magnetism, and from there, television followed.
➔ In the age of information, the transmission of ideas has undergone changes. Meaning and depth are no
longer conveyed strictly by rhetoric but rather by its electronic replacement, the digital signal or digit.
Such a digital world is a direct offspring of the progressing world of technology built upon the many
advances in science (Toffler, 1984).

● Computer
➔ Computers are among the most important contributions of advances in the Information Age to society.
A computer is an electronic device that stores and processes data (information). It runs on a program
that contains the exact, step-by-step directions to solve a problem (UShistory.org, 2017).

Types of Computer
➔ Computers are associated with numerous terms and descriptions. Most people suggest the
dimensions, intended use, or the computer's power. While the term "computer" can apply to
virtually any device that has a microprocessor in it, most people think of a computer as a
device that receives input from the user through a mouse (hand-guided directions tool) or
keyboard, processes it in some fashion, and presents the result on a screen.

1. Personal Computer (PC)

➔ It is a single-user instrument. PCs were first known as microcomputers since they were a
complete computer but built on a smaller scale than the enormous systems operated by most
businesses.
2. Desktop Computer
➔ It is described as a PC that is not designed for portability. The assumption with a desktop is
that it will be set up in a permanent spot. A workstation is simply a desktop computer that has a
more powerful processor, additional memory, and enhanced capabilities for performing special
 groups of tasks, such as 3D graphics or game development. Most desktops offer more storage,
power, and versatility than their portable versions (UShistory.org, 2017).
3. Laptops
➔ These are portable computers that integrate the essentials of a desktop computer in a
battery-powered package, which are somewhat larger than a typical hardcover book. They are
commonly called notebooks.
4. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)
➔ These are tightly integrated computers that usually have no keyboards but rely on a touch
screen for user input. PDAs are typically smaller than a paperback, lightweight, and battery-
powered (UShistory.org, 2017).
5. Server
➔ It refers to a computer that has been improved to provide network services to other computers.
Servers usually boast powerful processors, tons of memory, and large hard drives
(UShistory.org, 2017).
6. Mainframes
➔ These are huge computer systems that can fill an entire room. They are used especially by
large firms to describe the large, expensive machines that process millions of transactions
every day. The term "mainframe" has been replaced by enterprise server. Although some
supercomputers are single computer systems, most comprise multiple, high-performance,
parallel computers working as a single system (UShistory.org, 2017).
7. Wearable Computers
➔ They involve materials that are usually integrated into cell phones, watches, and other small
objects or places. They perform common computer applications such as databases, email,
multimedia, and schedulers (UShistory.org, 2017).

● THE WORLD WIDE WEB

➔ A more modern example of technology feeding upon itself is the 20th century tour de force: the World
Wide Web through the internet. Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented it as a way of addressing data processing
and information sharing needs among scientists for the European Organization for Nuclear Research
(CERN). CERNS’s atoms smash a huge amount of scientific data every second. It thus required better
data analyzers to work on the gathered information in coordination with each other. While the
telegraph and telephone had allowed the transmission of information to transcend physical boundaries,
processing a veritable ocean and mountain of scientific data generated by the atom smasher needed a
new medium.
➔ With the ease of sharing information at present, its reliability becomes compromised. Anyone with a
connection to other people can produce contents which are showing half-truths or even lies, giving rise
to disinformation. Social media also encourages building a community of like-minded people. The
creation of these groups often reinforces biases and beliefs based only on the content that they allow
within the community, forgoing the variation and clash of ideas provided in real life. Worse, these
communities can be tapped by people in power who may take advantage of these
mechanisms---controlling public opinion and harassing those who present opposing views--- for their
own advantage. Meanwhile, the easy access to personal information makes one susceptible to online
predation, identity theft, and scamming, among others. Thus, it pays to be vigilant in utilizing these
modern devices at all times.
➔ The technology applied when a sailor up a piece of cloth to catch the wind is the same one that
produces modern machines and devices, albeit less complex. Nevertheless, human beings have always
found a way to address their needs and discover new frontiers with scientific thinking. Considering the
many benefits we get from these technologies, we must also be responsible in utilizing them to avoid
harming others and ourselves.

Reference;
McNamara SJ, D., Valverde, V & Beleno III, R. (2018). Science, Technology and Society (pp. 86-95).