General Concept and Historical Developments in Science and Technology

Science

The search for knowledge that explores for the purpose of understanding.

Technology

The practical application that explores for the purpose of making something useful from knowledge.

Historical Antecedents in Science and Technology

Early precursors, foundational discoveries, and societal shifts that paved the way for modern innovations.

Cuneiform

One of the earliest known writing systems, developed in Mesopotamia by pressing wedge-shaped marks into clay tablets.

Feudalism

A social system during the Middle Ages where kings gave land to nobles in exchange for loyalty and military service.

Manorialism

An economic system in the Middle Ages based on self-sufficient agricultural estates.

Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen)

A medieval scholar who authored the Book of Optics, explained that light reflects off objects into the eye, was the first to use the scientific method, and invented the camera obscura.

Jabir ibn Hayyan (Geber)

A medieval scholar who shifted chemistry from mystical alchemy to experimental science and discovered sulfuric, nitric, and hydrochloric acids.

Al-Biruni

A Persian scholar who traveled to India, authored Kitab al-Hind, and is considered an early anthropologist.

Scientific Revolution

A radical shift in the Modern Age in how scientists understand the natural world, replacing old models with new frameworks that better explain observations.

Industrial Revolution

The historical transition from manufacturing goods by hand to using machines, factories, and new energy sources.

Nicolaus Copernicus

An astronomer who proposed the heliocentric model, asserting that the Sun is the center of the solar system.

Johannes Kepler

A German astronomer who discovered the three laws of planetary motion, proving that planets move in elliptical orbits.

Galileo Galilei

An Italian scientist who improved the telescope to observe Jupiter's moons and Venus's phases, providing evidence for the heliocentric model.

Isaac Newton

An English physicist and mathematician who formulated the laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation.

Kaingin System

A slash-and-burn agricultural method used for forest cultivation in pre-colonial Philippines.

Vinta (Pilang or Dapang)

Double-outrigger vessels constructed in the Sulu Archipelago and Zamboanga for fishing, habitation, and maritime trade.

Laboratorio Municipal

A public health institution established during the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines to address health and sanitation needs.

Bureau of Science

The primary center for scientific research in the Philippines, created in 1905 by reorganizing the Bureau of Government Laboratories during the American colonial period.

National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP)

An organization established on December 8, 1933, to promote and coordinate national scientific research initiatives.

Science Act of 1958 (RA 2067)

A foundational policy that established the National Science Development Board (NSDB) to coordinate national science and technology.

Department of Science and Technology (DOST)

The executive department of the Philippine government established in 1987 via Executive Order No. 128 to provide central leadership and coordination of scientific and technological efforts.

DOST Scholarship (RA 7687)

The Science and Technology Scholarship Act of 1994, which provides financial support and scholarships to deserving students pursuing S&T careers.

Magna Carta for Science and Technology Personnel (RA 8439)

A law enacted in 1997 that provides support, benefits, and career incentives for government S&T personnel.

Philippine Technology Transfer Act of 2009 (RA 10055)

A law providing a framework for managing and commercializing intellectual property derived from government-funded research.

Balik Scientist Program (RA 11035)