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STS

Science, Technology & Society

What is STS?

- It is an interdisciplinary field of study

- Explores how science & technology shape culture, values, institutions — and how society shapes science & technology

- Examines: how science/tech emerge → enter society → change via social processes → how society changes in response

Science

- From Latin scientia = "knowledge"

- Systematic, methodical activity to build/organize knowledge about the universe

- Done through observation, experimentation, or both

From Latin scientia

"knowledge"

Technology

- From Greek root techne = "art, skill, or cunning of hand"

- Application of scientific knowledge, laws, principles

- Used to create services, materials, tools, machines

- Purpose: solve real-world problems

From Greek root techne

"art, skill, or cunning of hand"

Society

- From Latin societas, derived from socius

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- A group of people living in a definable community, sharing the same cultural components

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- Broad scale: includes people, institutions, shared beliefs, and cultural ideas

From Latin societas

derived from socius

How do Science, Technology & Society interact?

- Science → informs → Technology

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- Technology → benefits → Society → makes life easier

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- Society → demands more → Science → seeks to guide it

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- Technology → demands more → Science

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- All three influence and depend on each other continuously

How do STS work together to solve problems?

- Analyze current societal problems

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- Look for solutions

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- Suggest ways science + technology can be used to improve society

Science and technology

- Existed from the beginning of time

- Evolved from everyday efforts of people to improve their way of living

- Early use: tools, machines, techniques — often without understanding how/why they worked

- Earliest evidence: shaped stones for chopping/scraping

400 B.C. – Mesopotamia

Scientific development: documented diseases, chemicals, celestial bodies

Egypt (Nile Valley)

• Knowledge: medicine, mathematics, engineering (pyramids)

3000 B.C. – Bronze Age

• Discovery of bronze → stronger tools & weapons

• Wheel invented → revolutionized transportation

• First cities & Egyptian pyramids = proof of era’s capabilities

400 B.C. – Mesopotamia

Egypt (Nile Valley)

Scientific development: documented diseases, chemicals, celestial bodies

3000 B.C. – Bronze Age

Knowledge: medicine, mathematics, engineering (pyramids)

Discovery of bronze

→ stronger tools & weapons

Wheel invented →

→ revolutionized transportation

First cities & Egyptian pyramids

proof of era’s capabilities

Middle Ages

• Often seen as scientific decline

• Still had warfare technology advancements

Renaissance

• Renewed learning period

• Inventions: printing press

• Key figure: Leonardo da Vinci

• Geographical discoveries + better navigation tools

MIDDLE AGES & RENAISSANCE

Middle Ages

• ⚠ Often seen as scientific decline

• ✅ Still had warfare technology advancements

Renaissance

• ✅ Renewed learning period

• ✅ Inventions: printing press

• ✅ Key figure: Leonardo da Vinci

• ✅ Geographical discoveries + better navigation tools

Prehistoric

Stone tools (3.5M years ago)

Ancient

Wheels (3500 BCE), Papyrus (3000 BCE), Antikythera Mechanism (150–100 BCE), Gunpowder (850 AD)

Middle Ages

Spinning Wheel (India, 11th c.), Paper money (China, 17th c.)

Early Modern

Microscope (1590), Mercury Barometer (1644)

Modern

World Wide Web (1990), Automobile (1886), Telephone (1876)

Antecedent

precursor/pathfinder to something’s existence

Historical antecedents in S&T

• Factors that paved the way for today’s advanced scientific and technological innovations.

• Knowledge of S&T history helps in appraising modern innovations.

• Understanding past influences helps today’s generation make informed decisions on applying S&T in daily life.

Pre-Spanish Period

Used simple stone tools or weapons; developed techniques for sawing, drilling, and polishing hard stones.

Spanish Regime

Development of S&T was greatly shaped by the role of religious orders.

American Regime

Established a system of secularized public school education when the civil government was set up in the islands.

Japanese Occupation

Brought educational and scientific activities.

S&T Since Independence

Lack of government support; dearth of highly trained scientists; low scientist morale; lack of public awareness of Science.

INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTIONS

• Historical changes in thoughts, beliefs, and social institutions caused by new ideas and principles.

• Includes: Copernican Revolution, Darwinian Revolution, Freudian Revolution.

INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTIONS AS PARADIGM SHIFTS

Paradigm shifts: new, enlightened understanding of how the universe behaves.

• Challenged long-held views about the nature of the universe.

• Faced great resistance and controversy when first introduced.

COPERNICAN REVOLUTION

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543), astronomer.

• Proposed heliocentric system — Sun at the center of the Solar System.

• Marked birth of modern astronomy and sparked the scientific revolution; changed societal views of the universe.

• Faced strong church resistance; his work De Revolutionibus was banned.

• Later accepted by scientists like Galileo; completed by Isaac Newton.

DARWINIAN REVOLUTION

Charles Darwin (1809–1882), British naturalist.

Developed Theory of Evolution based on natural selection.

• All species arise and develop through natural selection of small, inherited variations that improve ability to compete, survive, and reproduce.

• Natural Selection: process where organisms inherit, develop, and adapt traits that favor survival and reproduction.

• Biology and evolution follow lawful systems explainable by scientific thought.

FREUDIAN REVOLUTION

Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) — Father of Psychoanalysis.

Psychoanalytic Theory: human behavior influenced by unconscious memories, thoughts, and urges.

• Proposed Id, Superego, Ego; humans are pleasure-seekers.

• Identified Oedipus Complex and Electra Complex.

• 5 Stages of Psychosexual Development: Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital.

IMPACT OF THE THREE REVOLUTIONS

• Copernicus: Heliocentric model challenged geocentric view → defied established religious and cultural norms.

• Darwin: Evolution challenged traditional beliefs on life’s origin → sparked science-religion debates.

• Freud: Psychoanalysis sparked discussions on sexuality, childhood, and therapy → reshaped societal views.

• All three were pivotal moments that reshaped society’s understanding of the world.

NATION BUILDING

• Process aimed at establishing common interests, goals, and preferences among citizens.

• Forms a unified nation where people have no intention of separating from one another.

ROLES OF S&T IN NATION BUILDING

• Increase agricultural productivity

• Conserve and protect the environment

• Produce good qualities

• Secure peace, order, and stability

• Ensure quality healthcare

• Manage natural disasters

• Efficiently deliver social services

• Develop good infrastructure

• Increase economic productivity

• Generate jobs for workers

HOW S&T CONTRIBUTES TO NATION BUILDING

• S&T played a crucial role in the Philippines’ national development.

• Philippine S&T was shaped by different cultures and colonial powers throughout history.

• 1987 Constitution, Article XIV, Section 10: Science and Technology are essential for national development and progress.

• S&T enables Filipinos to develop products and industries.

GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN S&T

• Department of Science and Technology (DOST): Leads and coordinates the country’s scientific and technological development.

• Mandate: Provide central direction, leadership, and coordination; ensure results benefit the people (EO 128, 1987).

• DOST Composition:

1. Sectoral planning councils

2. Collegial and scientific bodies

3. S&T services

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (DOST)

• Mandate: Advance the country’s S&T capacity; provide central direction, leadership, and coordination; ensure results deliver maximum economic and social benefits (EO 128, 1987).

• Composition:

1. Sectoral planning councils

2. Collegial and scientific bodies

3. S&T services

4. Research and development (R&D) institutes

• Target Outcomes:

1. Stimulation of innovation

2. Promotion & acceleration of technology adoption

3. Develop globally competitive S&T human resources

4. Boost productivity & efficiency of MSMEs

5. Build resilience to disasters & climate change

6. Reduce inequality in S&T capacities & opportunities

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE PHILIPPINES (NRCP)

Collaborated with DOST to create strategies & policies for ASEAN 2015 goals.

• Policy Clusters:

◦ Social sciences, humanities, education, international policies & governance

◦ Physics, engineering, industrial research, earth & space sciences, mathematics

◦ Medical, chemical & pharmaceutical sciences

◦ Biological sciences, agriculture & forestry

• DOST Existing Projects:

1. Research, patent & S&T funding

2. Scholarships for S&T students

3. Philippine Science High School campuses

4. S&T parks for academic–industry partnerships

5. Balik Scientist Program

6. National Science & Engineering Complexes

MAJOR S&T DEVELOPMENTS (USAID × DOST)

1. Storm surge modeling, training, & study visits at NOAA scientific centers

2. Registered 1.3 million fisherfolk for basic services & fisheries conservation

3. Promoted renewable & eco-friendly energy — "Energy Access for More"

4. Addressed urban emissions via mapping & geographic systems for energy, transport, flood planning

5. Assisted Batangas City in sustainable local planning

6. Strengthened disaster & climate response — installed Early Warning Systems (EWS) in flood/landslide-prone areas

7. Introduced mobile & web-based applications technology

8. Promoted digital literacy

9. Built electronic medical record system — served 300,000+ patients, 700,000+ consultations

10. Supported research on oxytocin in Uniject to reduce postpartum hemorrhage & maternal deaths

11. Funded research on childhood TB & tobacco–TB relationship

Reina ReyeS

— Astrophysicist Created "Pinoy Scientists" blog featuring young Filipino scientists worldwide

• Irene Crisologo

— Radar Meteorologist Based in Potsdam, Germany; develops open-source methods for weather radar data

• Andreia Carillo

— Astrophysicist From Bulacan; pursuing doctorate at University of Texas, Austin, USA

Julius Sempio

— Geoinformatics & Remote Sensing Specialist

• Develops archive/database for Diwata-1 & Diwata-2 microsatellite images

• Used for mapping, environmental monitoring, land-use & land-feature change detection

Kamela Ng — Molecular Epidemiologist

• Affiliated with Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp, Belgium) & University of Amsterdam (Netherlands)

• Research: early detection of drug-resistant tuberculosis transmission

Migs Canilao — Anthropologist & Archaeologist

Specializes in environmental & urban geography; studies at University of Illinois Chicago

• Research: uses high-res satellite imagery to track ancient gold trading trails & settlements in Northwestern Luzon

Sarah Oliva — Geophysicist

• Based in Tulane, New Orleans, USA; from Naga City (Camarines Sur)

• Background in physics & material science; chose geology because her father is a geologist

3D Laser Scanning

• Captures detailed spatial data; creates 3D representations of cultural heritage sites & artifacts

• DigiScript Philippines uses 3D laser scanning to digitally preserve UNESCO World Heritage Sites

• Includes four Baroque churches from the Spanish colonial period