Science, Technology, and Society: Historical Developments and Impact

Flashcards testing core historical facts, key figures, dates, inventions, and concepts from the provided Science, Technology, and Society lecture material.

What is the primary scope of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) studies?

STS is the study of how social, political, and cultural values affect scientific research and technological innovation, and how these in turn affect society.

When and where was the wheel invented, and what was its original purpose?

The concept of inventing the wheel came during 3500 B.C. in Mesopotamia, where it was initially used for pottery making before being adapted for transport.

Who invented the mechanized printing press around 1440, and what materials were used for the ink?

Johannes Gutenberg, a German, invented the mechanized printing press using ink made from linseed oil and soot.

How did James Watt improve the efficiency of the steam engine in 1765?

James Watt improved efficiency by adding a separate condenser and converting linear motion into rotary motion.

Who discovered Penicillin in 1928, and what organism produced it?

Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin, which was produced by the mold fungus Penicillium.

Who invented the first compass between the 9th and 11th centuries, and what material was used?

The Chinese invented the first compass using lodestone, a naturally magnetized iron ore.

What network built by the U.S. Defense Department's ARPA in the 1960s served as the predecessor to the Internet?

ARPANET, which used a data transmission method called packet switching.

What distinguishing features characterize Stone Age tool development compared to Bronze Age tool development?

Stone Age tools were made by chipping or shaping stones like flint, chert, and basalt into cutting edges and blades, whereas Bronze Age tools required metallurgy to smelt copper and alloy it with tin or arsenic.

What writing system and numerical counting system were developed by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia?

The Sumerians created cuneiform writing (using pictograms) and the sexagesimal system of counting in units of 60.

Which Neo-Babylonian Emperor ordered the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon?

Nebuchadnezzar II.

Who devised the first 365-day calendar in ancient Egypt during the Old Kingdom?

Imhotep.

What were the two major planned cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, and how were their buildings designed?

Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro; their buildings were constructed of oven-baked mud bricks arranged in a grid pattern.

What major astronomical and mathematical contributions were made by Aryabhata in 500 AD?

Aryabhata proposed that Earth spins on its axis, planets move elliptically around the sun (heliocentric), approximated Earth's circumference and diameter, explained solar/lunar eclipses, and propounded the heliocentric theory of gravitation.

What agricultural technique was practiced by the Cretan (Minoan) civilization to preserve soil fertility?

Polyculture, which involves planting more than one crop at the same time.

Who is regarded as the father of medicine in ancient Greece, and what is the oath associated with his name?

Hippocrates is regarded as the father of medicine and is associated with the Hippocratic Oath taken by physicians.

Which ancient Greek philosopher is considered the father of Biology and introduced the "scala naturae"?

Aristotle.

Who invented the earthquake-detecting tool called the seismoscope in ancient China?

Zhang Heng.

What was the qanat system invented in Persian Civilization used for?

It was a water management system used to provide drinking and agricultural water for irrigation.

How much water did the eleven limestone aqueducts supply to the city of Rome daily?

Over 1 million cubic metres of water each day.

Which Islamic scholar wrote Hisaab-Al Jab-Wal Muqaabala and introduced trigonometric concepts such as sine, tangent, and co-tangent?

Ibn Moosaa.

Which mathematician wrote early algebra works and provided the root for the word "algorithm"?

Muhammad bin Moosaa Al-Khawaarizmi.

What universal clock was designed by Japanese inventor Hisashige Tanaka in 1851?

The Myriad year clock, which belongs to the Wadokei category of Japanese clocks.

How did the ancient Olmec civilization create rubber as early as 1600 BCE?

By extracting latex from Castilla elastica (a rubber tree) and mixing it with the juice of the local vine Ipomoea alba.

What is the Badianus Manuscript created by Aztec artists in 1552?

It is the earliest treatise on Mexican medicinal plants and native remedies.

What mnemonic device consisting of knotted strings was used by the Incas to record numerical data and history?

Quipo (or Quipu).

How does an artesian well function without pumping, and where was the first one drilled in 1126?

A thin rod with a hard iron cutting edge is struck into a borehole, allowing underground water pressure to force water up; the first was drilled by Carthusian monks in Artois, France.

What public health practice was introduced by the Republic of Ragusa to control the spread of the Black Death?

Quarantine, which was initially established for a 40-day period.