STS Chapter 1: General Concepts and Historical Events in Science, Technology, and Society

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the definitions, key concepts, historical antecedents, and prominent innovations discussed in Chapter 1 of Science, Technology, and Society.

Science

An evolving body of knowledge based on theoretical expositions, experimental activities, and empirical observations that generates universal truths.

Technology

The practical application of scientific knowledge and the creation of systems, processes, and objects designed to assist humans in their daily activities.

Society

The sum total of human interactions, including the collaborative relationships formed to comprehend the natural world and create tools and systems.

Science, Technology, and Society (STS)

An interdisciplinary course that examines how science and technology shape, and are shaped by, society, politics, and culture.

The STS Triad

A conceptual framework demonstrating how science informs technology, technology makes societal life easier, and society demands advancements from both science and technology.

Transportation (Driving Concern)

A primary impetus for technological development aimed at enabling humans to travel, explore, transport commodities, and access resources more efficiently.

Communication (Driving Concern)

A driving motivation for technology that focuses on enhancing information exchange, interpersonal interaction, commercial trade, and access to knowledge.

Food Production, Agriculture, and Industry (Driving Concern)

A development area centered on improving farming methods, cultivation, and manufacturing to satisfy growing human nutritional and material needs.

Military (Driving Concern)

The development of weapons, armor, and tactical systems engineered for defense, territorial expansion, and warfare.

Conservation of Life, Medicine, and Health (Driving Concern)

Scientific and technological pursuits directed toward improving medical care, prolonging human longevity, and preventing or treating diseases.

Engineering and Architecture (Driving Concern)

The design and erection of structural infrastructures that embody technical advancement and express societal cultural identity.

Power and Energy (Driving Concern)

The discovery and exploitation of energy sources to operate machinery, sustain industries, and power human transportation.

Observation and Measurement (Driving Concern)

The fabrication of specialized tools such as clocks, calendars, telescopes, and microscopes to quantify time, distance, and phenomena beyond human sensory limits.

Aesthetics (Driving Concern)

The application of scientific and technological innovations to personal grooming, ornamentation, and cosmetic enhancement.

Cuneiform

One of the earliest known writing systems, developed by the Sumerians using wedge-shaped impressions pressed into clay tablets.

Uruk City

Considered one of the earliest major urban centers in human history, built by the Sumerian civilization.

The Great Ziggurat of Ur

A monumental tiered temple structure constructed by the ancient Sumerians for religious and civic worship.

Sumerian Irrigation and Dikes

Hydraulic engineering works engineered by the Sumerians to mitigate unpredictable river flooding and provide reliable water supplies for agriculture.

Sumerian Sailboat

An early nautical innovation developed by the Sumerians to facilitate riverine transport, commerce, and long-distance trade.

Sumerian Wheel

A mechanical invention appearing around $3000\text{ BC}$; early Sumerian wheels were solid and heavy, engineered primarily for load-bearing rather than speed.

Sumerian Plow

An agricultural implement invented to break up compacted soil and accelerate the pace of seed planting.

Sumerian Roads

Constructed transportation routes introduced by the Sumerians to organize overland travel, trade logistics, and troop movements.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

An architectural and engineering marvel celebrated as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, attributed to the Babylonian civilization.

Papyrus

An ancient Egyptian writing surface manufactured by processing the pith of the papyrus plant into durable sheets.

Egyptian Ink

A dark fluid compound developed in ancient Egypt to record text and pictorial symbols onto papyrus.

Hieroglyphics

The formal, sacred writing system of ancient Egypt composed of pictorial and logographic symbols.

Egyptian Cosmetics

Preparations developed by ancient Egyptians for aesthetic embellishment, religious reasons, and protection from solar radiation and eye infections.

Egyptian Wigs

Artificial hairpieces worn in ancient Egypt for personal ornamentation, cleanliness, and shielding the scalp from excessive sunlight.

Clepsydra (Water Clock)

An ancient timekeeping device developed by the Egyptians that tracked time through the measured, regulated flow of water into or out of a graduated vessel.

Greek Alarm Water Clock

A modified water clock created in ancient Greece equipped with a mechanical mechanism designed to produce a timed auditory alert.

Greek Water Mill

A hydraulic mechanical apparatus created by ancient Greeks that utilized flowing water to grind grain and process agricultural food yields.

Acta Diurna

An early Roman publication system of engraved public notices displayed across common areas, recognized as a forerunner of the modern newspaper.

Codex

A Roman innovation consisting of bound pages of papyrus or parchment enclosed between covers, replacing traditional continuous scrolls.

Roman Numerals

A standard numerical notation system developed by the ancient Romans that uses Latin alphabetic characters to represent quantitative values.

Silk (Chinese Civilization)

A lustrous natural fiber harvested from silkworm cocoons, processed into luxurious textiles that established global overland trade networks.

Tea Production (Chinese Civilization)

The agricultural and processing technique of harvesting, curing, and steeping tea leaves into a widespread medicinal and cultural beverage.

Great Wall of China

A vast, continuous fortification system erected to protect Chinese empires against military incursions and foreign invasions.

Gunpowder

An explosive chemical mixture invented by ancient Chinese alchemists that transformed military tactics, weaponry, and siege craft.

Acupuncture

A therapeutic practice in traditional Chinese medicine involving the shallow insertion of specialized fine needles into specific body points to manage ailments.

Printing Press (Middle Ages)

A mechanical movable-type printing device that enabled the mass reproduction of books, democratizing information dissemination across Europe.

Compound Microscope (Middle Ages)

An optical magnification system utilizing multiple lenses to view biological matter and physical structures invisible to the unassisted human eye.

Telescope (Middle Ages)

An optical device designed to magnify distant celestial and terrestrial objects, fundamentally transforming navigation and astronomical observation.

Thomas Newcomen's Steam Engine

The first viable atmospheric steam engine, developed to pump water out of deep mines and facilitate modern industrial steam power applications.

Pasteurization

A thermal preservation process developed by Louis Pasteur that destroys pathogenic microorganisms in beverages such as milk and wine without altering taste.

Petroleum Refinery

An industrial facility associated with Samuel M. Kier that refines crude petroleum into usable fuels like kerosene and other industrial derivatives.

Telephone

An acoustic-electrical telecommunication device patented by Alexander Graham Bell that transformed long-distance voice communication.

Handheld Calculator

An electronic computing device that replaced manual mathematical tabulations, dramatically increasing speed and numerical computation efficiency.

Department of Science and Technology (DOST)

The central government agency in the Philippines tasked with coordinating, financing, and directing national science and technology development programs.

Banaue Rice Terraces

Hand-hewn agricultural terraces constructed by pre-Spanish indigenous Filipinos that illustrate advanced civil engineering and hydraulic irrigation.

Science and Technology in the Spanish Era (Philippines)

The historical period marking the establishment of formalized schools, hospitals, and scientific institutions in the Philippines, though constrained by church influence.

Science and Technology in the American Period (Philippines)

The era characterized by the introduction of the public education system, the founding of the University of the Philippines, and public health campaigns against tropical diseases like malaria, cholera, and tuberculosis.

Salamander Amphibious Tricycle

A dual-mode utility vehicle invented by Dominic Chung, Lamberto Armada, and Victor Atoy Llave that operates on terrestrial roadways and navigates floodwaters.

SALT Lamp

An eco-friendly alternative lighting device invented by Alisa Mijeno that runs on saline solution or salt water.

Bamboo Incubator

A non-electric, low-cost medical infant incubator fashioned from native bamboo, invented by Dr. Fe Del Mundo to aid rural premature infants.

Dr. Fe Del Mundo

A pioneering Filipina pediatrician, National Scientist, and founder of the first pediatric hospital in the Philippines who invented the bamboo medical incubator.

Mosquito Ovicidal/Larvicidal Trap (OL Trap) System

A surveillance and vector-control trap system developed by DOST to attract, trap, and kill dengue-carrying Aedes mosquitoes and their larvae.

E-Jeepney

An electric-powered public utility vehicle deployed in the Philippines to replace diesel-fueled jeepneys with an environmentally sustainable transportation model.