Historical Antecedents

Antecedents
An antecedent is described as a precursor to the unfolding of something, or
life. Historical backgrounds in science and technology are therefore
influences which paved the way for advanced and sophisticated
advancements in science and technology that are present today.
Awareness of science and technology history is useful in today 's evaluation
of such inventions. Through recognizing how previous generations affected
and were affected through scientific and technological advances, today's
generation will come up with educated decisions on the correct application of
science and technology to everyday life.
In the ancient, times, people were concerned with transportation and
navigation, communication and record-keeping, mass production, safety and
protection, as well as hygiene, aesthetics, and architecture.
 Communication was also important for
At that time transportation was their attempts to explore new places and
important as people wanted to go to places to occupy them. They needed a way to
and explore new horizons. They traveled communicate with the inhabitants of the
to find food, and to find better places for areas they were visiting to promote trade
their settlements. They even traveled in and avoid future conflicts.
return for items they needed to sell their Record-keeping was also important, as
surplus goods. Navigation helped them on they needed to remember the places
their journeys to exotic and unknown they had been to and record each other's
areas of the world trades they had made.
Guns and armors have also been Different diseases and illnesses,
important in exploring new places or in
forming new alliances with other tribes.
both natural and man-made,
There was also a chance of hindered a human being's full
confrontation at that moment, when ability. Science and technology
people interacted with different played a significant role in the
cultures and orientations. Conflicts development of treatments for, if
were popular particularly if cultures
not the prevention of.
and orientations differed
 In the ancient times intricate
People moved into what is now architectural structures were
known as the engineering sector in signs of a particular
order to combine their needs – for civilization's technical
better transportation, the development.
Architecture will be seen as a
establishment of systems to defend
status symbol among nations
against human attacks and natural in future generations of how
disasters and the development of advanced their technology is.
larger and stronger infrastructures This can also form a nation's
identity.
Having all this in mind, you may infer that, aside from influencing
people's lives, the advances in science and technology were the product
of many prior precedents. People in ancient times were able to discover
and invent inevitably things that would affect modern people's lives.
You will encounter in this module the various great technological
developments of the ancient times, including some of the early
civilization accomplishments such as the Sumerians, Babylonians, and
Egyptians. It explains the incremental application of knowledge up to the
present time.
Ancient Times

CUNEIFORM. The invention of the first writing system known as cuneiform is one of the
Sumerians' main contributions. It is a device that makes use of word representations and
triangular symbols carved on clay using wedge instruments and left to dry. Cuneiform enabled
the Sumerians to keep records of historically important items, or their daily lives.

WHEEL. The Sumerians have been able to invent the wheel in the latter part of their history, as
the advanced tools required to build it were already available. The first wheels were not designed
for transport but mass manufacturing with the use of the wheel and axle. Farmers managed to
mill grain in less time with less effort.
Ancient Times
PAPER OF PAPYRUS. A welcome advancement was the Egyptian discovery of a paper or papyrus. Papyrus was
a plant in Egypt which grew abundantly along the river Nile. They were able to process the plant to create thin
sheets that one could write stuff down on. Because papyrus was lighter and thinner than clay tablets, the carrying
and storage was simple.

HIEROGLYPHICS. Like the Sumerians, the Egyptians also established a writing system that used symbols, known
as hieroglyphics. Some claim that hieroglyphics were adapted from the early writing system that formed by
Mesopotamia as a result of trade between civilization. The Egyptians claimed that their gods provided this writing
system to them. Hieroglyphics was a language which tells the modern world of the ancient Egyptians' history and
culture. Their documents were well-preserved as they were carved at pyramid walls and other important structures
of Egyptians.
Ancient Times
WATERMILLS. Watermills were considered one of the greatest contributions of the Greek civilization to the
world. They were widely used in agricultural processes such as the milling of grains, a type of food
processing. The use of watermills made milling possible, mass production of grains, cereals, flours and the
like. Watermills were considered better than farm animal-powered mills because the less effort and time
needed to operate because the farmer had no chance to raise animals..

NEWSPAPER. One of the Romans' greatest contributions is newspaper. The first articles,
known as gazettes, published people's reports of the Roman Empire. Such gazettes, made
before the invention of paper, were etched in metal or stone tablets and then displayed in
public. When paper was invented, it became easier for the Romans to "publish" matters which
required the Roman 's
Ancient Times
CODEX. With the advent of paper, civilizations were made easier to write down anything that
happened in their time. Record-keeping was much simpler because paper didn't crack easily,
was lightweight, and didn't take a lot of space. As a result, societies were fond of
record-keeping, in particular recording past events and newly passed legislation. The ancient
Roman Empire was able to produce the first books or codex, with the papyrus pages bound
together and covered with animal skin.
Medieval Period
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. He used wooden machines which extracted fruit juices, attached a metal impression
of letters to them, pressed the cast metal firmly into a piece of paper and then made an
exact impression on paper.

MICROSCOPE. Another optical innovation of the Middle Ages. Growing immigrants have
during this time triggered significant migration and urbanization. More and more people
were heading to dirty and crowded urban areas, contributing to more people becoming ill
and seeking medical care. Experts need to understand the condition through an
examination to establish the best drugs for illnesses. They wanted a tool capable of
magnifying objects that were invisible to the eye. In earlier years, Zacharias Janssen was
able to create the first compound microscope, led by the principles used for the invention
of eyeglasses.
Medieval Period
TELESCOPE. The need for nautical innovations was strong, as the Middle Ages was also
regarded as the Age of Discovery. Given the vast and barren oceans that divided the
countries, it was important for ship captains to see far and wide for them to navigate or
escape danger at sea. The telescope's invention, an optical instrument that helps to view
distant objects, has been of great benefit to navigators

WAR WEAPONS. Since wars during the Middle Ages were widespread, there was also
great progress in the technology of guns. Both sides need to grow weapons not only as
offensive instruments but also as defensive instruments. People built cross bows and
long bows for open-area battles so that they could target the enemy at long distances,
keeping themselves protected with the defense of walls and fortifications
Modern Period
PASTEURIZATION. People must establish better production means to meet the needs of
the population, food security and food safety became an issue. With dairy products,
particularly milk, the challenge to keep processed food from rotting was greater because
they typically spoiled faster. Such products had to be consumed almost immediately after
delivery, or they would cause disease such as diphtheria, food poisoning and typhoid
fever. French biologist, microbiologist, and chemist Louis Pasteur has found a way to
solve the problem. He developed pasteurization, the method of heating dairy products to
destroy harmful bacteria, which helps them to spoil more easily.

PETROLEUM REFINERY. Animal oils production could not keep up with the demand. In
the face of this problem, kerosene was invented by Samuel M. Kier by refining petroleum.
Kerosene was later referred to as the "illuminating oil," since at first it was used to provide
home illumination. It was applied for heating purposes after a certain time. The petroleum
refinery industry was founded with kerosene production (Skrabec, 2010). Petroleum
currently is widely used, among others, in powering automobiles, factories, and power
plants.
Modern Period
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.
Governments also required some form of communication system that would enable them to
better administer their states. Relevant day-to-day decisions need to be discussed and
answered as soon as possible. Thus, Alexander Graham Bell 's telephone development was
one of the most significant developments at the time.

CALCULATOR. Calculator had already been built, and circumstances in modern times
demanded a quicker way of calculating more complex equations. Computing tools do
need to be easy to handle, because they can be used every day. The invention of
modern calculators not only paved the way for simpler arithmetical calculations, but
also created more complicated processing machines
Filipino Inventions
SALAMANDER AMPHIBIOUS TRICYCLE.
Converting transport vehicles to something more useful has become
commonplace for Filipinos. An example is the conversion of American military
jeeps used in World War II to jeepneys, adding a sidecar to a vehicle, turning it
into a tricycle with more passengers to handle. In several parts of the world
flooding is a normal occurrence during the rainy season. Tricycles have a really
hard time navigating the streets. Victor Llave and his team at H2O Technologies have
been able to develop the Salamander, but also rivers and lakes, to answer the problem.
This can also be used for Island-to-Island travel. Since the Philippines is an archipelago,
the Salamander is a useful innovation with much promise

SALT LAMP. As a developing country, one of the big needs in the Philippines is
electrification. Electricity powers different machine types, including light sources.
Activities in many rural areas of the world will stop when it is dark. Traveling too
becomes more dangerous. Luckily, a young scientist from Philippines named Aisa Mijeno
was able to develop a lighting device using a plentiful resource in the
Philippines-saltwater. She developed the Sustainable Alternative Lighting (SALt) lamp,
an environmentally friendly source of light that works and does not emit harmful gases.
Apart from people living in coastal areas, it can also help those from far-flung barrios
because by adding two tablespoons of salt and a glass of tap water, they can make their
own saltwater.
Filipino Inventions

MEDICAL INCUBATOR. High mortality rates of newborn babies are a major issue in
the Philippines. One explanation for this problem in the 20th century was the lack of
available incubators, due to a lack of resources and electricity, particularly in far-flung
rural areas. Dr. Fe del Mundo, a pediatrician from the Philippines and the first Asian
women admitted to Harvard Medical School, built a medical incubator made of
indigenous and inexpensive materials that do not operate on electricity. The incubator
was made by Dr. del Mundo by placing a native laundry basket inside a larger one. In
order to provide ventilation, hot water bottles were placed between baskets and an
improvised hood to allow oxygen circulation. Its main purpose was to maintain
suitable conditions for a newborn, normally a preterm baby
Filipino Inventions
MOSQUITO OVICIDAL/ ARVICIDAL TRAP
SYSTEM.In 2010, the Institute for Development of Science and Technology-Industrial
Technology (DOSTI-ITDI) was able to introduce the Mosquito Ovicidal / Larvicidal Trap
System, also known as OL Trap. This trap device consists of naturally occurring
components that are deadly to mosquitoes but safe for people and climate.

E-JEEPNEY. The Jeepney ruled the streets of the Philippines and is known as the
primary form of transportation for most Filipinos. Nevertheless, the diesel-powered
jeepney emits huge amounts of black smoke, and due to its rudimentary exhaust
system is typically a major contributor to noise pollution. The electric Jeepney
(ejeepney) was developed to combat these disadvantages. This new method of
transportation uses electricity rather than costlier diesel. It is environmentally friendly
because there is no smoke ad noise it releases.