RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

RIZA
Cities of LMandaluyong
TECHNO LO
and GICAL UNIVERSITY
Pasig
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

LESSON 1:
Historical Antecedent
which Changed the
Course of Science
and Technology

Student Name
Section
Schedule
Program
College
Professor

GE07 – Science, Technology, and Society

1ST SEMESTER I 2021 - 2022
0
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

Historical Antecedent which Changed the Course of

Science and Technology

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this section, the students should be able to:

1. Discuss the interactions between science, technology, and society throughout
history.
2. Discuss how scientific and technological developments affect society and the
environment.
3. Explain how Philippine scientific and technological inventions shaped and were
shaped by various social contexts.

Topic Presentation

INTRODUCTION

“If we lived on a planet where nothing ever changed, there would be little to do.
There would be nothing to figure out. There would be no impetus for science. And if
we lived in an unpredictable world, where things change in random or very complex
ways, we would not be able to figure things out. But we live in an in between universe
where things change but according to patterns, rules, or as we call them, laws of
nature. If I throw a stick up into the air, it always falls down. If the sun sets in the
west, it always rises again the next morning in the east. And so, it becomes possible
to figure things out. We can do science, and with it we can improve our lives.” (Carl
Edward Sagan).

From the beginning of time, man has tried to improve his way and quality of
life. The caveman discovered how to make and used tools, developed a logical
sequence of activities, and evolved processes that added value to his life. The totality
of the use and the application of his knowledge, skills, tools, and materials, constitute
what we today describe as “technology”. The development of Science and
Technology does not only leave indelible impact in the history, but its trail can be
traced by its influence in our society and country as a whole.

The history of the development of science and technology is one of the

important concerns in studying the subject Science, Technology, and Society. It
reveals how the scientific and technological innovations have changed across time
and explores its impacts on the prevailing social, cultural, political, and economic
contexts. Moreover, it also shows the conditions that shaped it that pertains to the
historical antecedents of science and technology development.

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

Antecedents pertains to the precursor to the unfolding or existence of

something. Meaning, historical antecedents in science and technology are the
factors that paved the way for the presence of advanced and sophisticated
innovations. Background insights in the history of science and technology allow us
to assess these innovations. Understanding the causes (how previous generations
influenced the innovations) and effects (how innovations influenced the previous
generations), we can have proper decision and determine its appropriate application
in our daily life. Necessity is the mother of inventions and innovations. Although
science and technology affect the society through addition of existing knowledge and
changing the view of how natural world works, society also influences the product of
science and technology.

I. Science and Technology in Ancient Times

Ancient period (estimated 3000 BC to 500 AD) is the start of early civilization
that also gave rise to the major advancement of science and technology. These
advances also allowed the civilization to flourish through establishing better ways
of transportation and navigation, communication and record keeping, mass
production, security andprotection, as well as health, aesthetics and architecture,
and of living in general. Science and Technology keeps on advancing in order to
meet the growing needs of people along these areas. Due to the constant
innovation introduced by Science and Technology, which has the end goal of
improving lives and making the work easier, faster and efficient, oursociety respond
by changing as well. These changes are evident as each ancient civilization keep
on creating technology that has been modified and that is being used today.

The Ancient Times were divided into three periods:

1. Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic)

2. Bronze Age
3. Iron Age

Examples of some technologies or invention from the Ancient Period:

a. Ancient Wheel
- People from ancient civilization used animals as means
of transportation.
- The invention of ancient wheel is credited to the
Sumerians.

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

b. Paper
- Around 3000 B.C., the ancient Egyptians began
writing on a papyrus.
- It is made up from a pith of plant called Cyperus
papyrus.
- Before the invention of papyrus, writing and record-
keeping is done on stones and tablets.

c. Shadoof
- A tool used and invented by ancient Egyptians
to irrigate land.
- It is a hand-operated device used for lifting
water
- Its invention introduced the idea of lifting things
using counterweights.

d. Antikythera Mechanism
- Discovered in 1902 and retrieved from the
waters of Antikythera, Greece.
- It is a mechanism similar to a clock for it has a
circular face and rotating hands.
- It is believed that this mechanism is used to
predict astronomical positions and eclipses.

e. Aeolipile
- It is also known as the Hero’s engine.
- It is a steam-powered turbine which spins as the
water container at its center is heated.
- At first, it doesn’t serve any practical purpose. It is
believed to be one of the “temple wonders” at that
time.

II. Science and Technology in Middle Ages

The start of the Middle Ages was marred by massive invasions and migrations.
Wars are prevalent during this time. As such, great technology was needed in the
fields of weaponry, navigation, food and farm production, and health. The wars
haveresulted to population decline. However, in the later part of this period, there
was significant increase in population. Trade and commerce among nations
increased, which resulted in greater demands for transportation technology. The
major advances in scientific and technological development took place in this
period.

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

Examples:

a. Printing Press
- Johann Gutenberg managed to invent the
printing press after the Chinese invented
woodblock printing, a more efficient method of
printing using a cast type.

a. Telescope
- Invented by Galileo Galilei that can magnify 20
times larger than a regular glass.
- This is used to discover important astronomical
discoveries such as craters and mountains in
moon.

b. Compound Microscope
- Invented by a Dutch Zacharias Janssen in 1590’s
- Nowadays, microscope is used in many scientific
studies in the area of medicine, forensics and
genetics.

c. Heavy plough
- “The heavy plough turned European agriculture
and economy on its head. The fields with heavy,
fatty soil became those that gave the greatest
yields.” - Prof. Thomas Andersen
- Because of the invention of heavy plough,
northern Europe saw rapid economic prosperity.

d. Gun powder
- Around 850 A.D., Chinese alchemists accidentally
invented the gunpowder.
- Prior to the invention of gunpowder, swords and
spears were used in battles and wars.
- The invention of gunpowder has allowed
advanced warfare such as fiery arrows, cannons,
and grenades.

e. Paper Money
- Paper money was first used by Chinese in 17th
century.
- Before the introduction of paper money, merchants
and traders used precious metals such as gold
and silver.
- They realized that using paper money brought
advantages because it is easier to keep and
transport.

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

f. Mechanical clock
- The development of mechanical clock helped
the people in accurately keeping the track of
time.
- The sophistication of clockwork technology
drastically changed the way of spending the day
and work patterns were established.

III. Science and Technology in Modern Ages

The booming world population during the nineteenth century onwards

demanded that more goods be produced at faster rate. People needed efficient
means of transportation to trade more goods and cover a larger distance.
Machinesthat required animals to operate must thus be upgraded. Faster and
easier means to communicate and compute should be developed to establish
connections between and among nations. All these needs resulted in the
development of industries. However, due to massive industrialization, the modern
times again faced more complicated problems. Food processing and medicine
posed some of the bigger challenges since health was of great concern.

Examples:

a. Pasteurization
- Louis Pasteur, a French biologist,
microbiologist and chemist invented
pasteurization, the process of heating
dairy products to kill the harmful
bacteria that allow them to spoil faster.
- Through this process, milk could be
stored and consumed for a longer period.
- Other contributions of Pasteur to Science and Technology and Medicine
included his works on molecular asymmetry, fermentation, and
vaccination.

b. Telephone
- The more people got acquainted through
trade and discovery, the more they wanted
a way to keep these links securely and
communicate with each other in real time.
- Thus, Alexander Graham Bell 's telephone
development was one of the most
significant developments at the time.

c. Engine powdered airplane

- Invented by Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright.
- They demonstrated that slightly tilted wings
are the key features of a flying aircraft.

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 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

d. Television
- Invented by Scottish engineer John Logie
Baird in 1920s.
- British Broadcasting Corporation used this
for its earliest television programming in
1929.
- This first television is mechanical and not
the same as the television we have
nowadays.

References

• Aldea K., Caronan H., Candido M. (2018) Science, Technology, and

Society(OBE Ready). Mnadaluyong City: Books Atbp, Publishing Corp.

• McNamara, D., Valverde, V., & Beleno, R. (2018). Science, Technology, and
Society (1st ed., pp. 1-128). Quezon City: C&E Publishing Inc.

• Ratnasiri, N., 2006. The role of Science and Technology in nation

building. Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka, 34(3),
p.113. DOI:http://doi.org/10.4038/jnsfsr.v34i3.3640

GE07 – Science, Technology, and Society 6

Intellectual Revolutions

and Society
Prof: Rose Elaine Lim
 By the end of the lesson, you should
be able to:

o Identify the intellectual revolutions

that shaped society across time;
o Explain how intellectual revolutions

Lesson
transformed the views of society
about dominant scientific thought;
j e c ti ve s and
Ob o Research on other intellectual
revolutions that advance modern
science and scientific thinking.
 What is
Intellectual
Revolutions?
It is the series of events that led to the
emergence of modern science and the
progress of scientific thinking across critical
periods in history.
 It is the series of events that led to the
emergence of modern science and the
progress of scientific thinking across

Intellectual Revolutions critical periods in history.

Copernican Freudian
Revolution Revolution

Darwinian Others
Revolution
 02
Paradigm
Shift
It is the universally recognized scientific
achievements that, for a time, provide
model problems and solutions for a
community of researchers.
 Paradigm
Shift
It is the universally recognized scientific
achievements that, for a time, provide model
problems and solutions for a community of
researchers. A paradigm describes:

o What is to be observed and scrutinized.

Thomas Kuhn o The kind of questions that are supposed to
Further reading: The be asked and probed for answers in relation
Kuhn’s Cycle to this subject.
https://www.thwink.org/su o How these questions are to be structured.
stain/glossary/KuhnCycle.htm o How the results of scientific investigations
should be interpreted.
Copernican Revolution
o In the past, people believed
that the Earth was the center
of the Solar System based on
the geocentric model of Ptolemy
(Ptolemaic model)
o During the 16th century,
Copernicus formulated the
heliocentric model of the
universe.
Nicholas Copernicus
o The model illustrated the
Earth, along with other (1473-1543)
heavenly bodies, to be rotating Polish mathematician and
around the sun. astronomer.
 Darwinian Revolution
o Charles Darwin states that
evolution happens by Natural
Selection.
o Natural Selection – an
evolutionary process by which
organisms, including humans,
inherit, develop, and adapt
traits that favored survival
Charles Darwin and reproduction. These traits
are manifested in offsprings
(1809-1882) that are more fit and well-
suited to the challenges of
English naturalist, geologist, survival and reproduction.
and biologist
Let’s watch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcpB_986wyk
Freudian Revolution
o Psychoanalysis is at the center
of this revolution.
o It is a scientific method of
understanding inner and
unconscious conflicts embedded
within one’s personality,
springing from free association,
dreams, and fantasies of the
individual. Sigmund Freud
o Scientists believed that this
was more of ideological stance (1856 - 1939)
than a scientific one. Austrian neurologist
Let’s watch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vFf5CS27-Y
 https://www.verywellmind.com/the-id-ego-and-superego-2795951

Elements of Personality

ID EGO SUPEREGO
o According to Freud, The o According to Freud, the
o According to Freud, the
ego develops from the superego begins to
id is the source of all
id and ensures that the emerge at around age
psychic energy, making
impulses of the id can five.
it the primary
be expressed in a o The superego holds the
component of
manner acceptable in internalized moral
personality.
the real world. standards and ideals
o The id is the only
o The ego functions in that we acquire from our
component of
the conscious, parents and society (our
personality that is
preconscious, and sense of right and
present from birth.
unconscious mind. wrong).
o This aspect of
o The ego is the o The superego provides
personality is entirely
component of guidelines for making
unconscious and
personality that is judgments.
includes instinctive and
responsible for dealing
primitive behaviors.
with reality
Preliminary
Examination
 Intellectual Revolution
and Society
● To further understand what exactly happened during the scientific revolution, it is important to
examine the different individuals whose ideas have shaken and contested the dominant theories and
ideas during this period – the truths of their time. There were also some developments across the world
that changed how humans see the world. These were the people or groups of people behind these
upheavals that permanently changed the course of history of science.
○ Meso-American
○ Asian
○ Middle Eastern
○ African
● In this activity, you will have to create a Video Presentation of not more than 10 minutes that discusses
the intellectual revolution that shaped the society. Use the following guide questions for your
presentations.
○ What is the intellectual revolution all about?
○ Who are the key figures in the revolution?
○ How did the revolution advance modern science and scientific thinking at the time?
○ What controversies met the revolution?
 o Give an example of paradigm
shift in society/ethics,
TODAY’S ACTIVITY: natural science, human
sciences, or the arts.
Paradigm o Why do you think most
intellectual ideas are

Shift
controversial?
o Why did people accept these
new discoveries despite being
contradictory to what was
widely accepted at that
time?