Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Review

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering the historical, conceptual, and philosophical foundations of Science, Technology, and Society, including intellectual revolutions and Philippine S&T initiatives.

Cuneiform Writing

An innovation from Mesopotamia and Babylon used for early record-keeping and governance.

Hammurabi's Code

One of the earliest legal codes, developed in Mesopotamia and Babylon to provide legal structuring.

Papyrus

A writing material from Ancient Egypt used for the durable dissemination of knowledge.

The Wheel

An invention primarily intended to improve transportation and commerce/trade.

Ancient Astronomy

A field of study maintained primarily for agricultural planning, such as determining planting seasons.

Gutenberg Printing Press

A revolutionary invention that made information globally accessible and significantly contributed to the advancement of modern science.

Science

The systematic study of nature and natural phenomena with the goal of understanding the underlying laws of reality.

Technology

The application of scientific knowledge to solve practical human problems.

Telemedicine

The use of technology to provide remote clinical services in the healthcare sector.

Intellectual revolutions

Critical historical periods that fundamentally transform how people understand the world, reality, and human behavior by challenging long-held assumptions.

Heliocentric Theory

The concept proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus placing the Sun at the center of the solar system, challenging geocentrism.

Galileo Galilei

The scientist who supported and proved the heliocentric theory through rigorous observations using a telescope.

Natural Selection

The core theory of Charles Darwin that explains biological diversity and challenged the belief in 'specially created' unchanging species.

Psychoanalysis

A field pioneered by Sigmund Freud that explored the influence of the conscious and unconscious mind on human behavior.

Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Knowledge developed by local communities through generations, based on local experiences and transmitted via oral traditions.

Department of Science and Technology (DOST)

The primary Philippine agency responsible for supporting research, innovation, and scientific advancement for national development.

Balik Scientist Program

A program in the Philippines that encourages Filipino scientists abroad to return home to contribute their expertise.

Martin Heidegger

A philosopher who focused on the essence of technology as a mode of revealing rather than just a collection of tools.

Aletheia

A Greek term meaning truth, unconcealment, or revealing; used by Heidegger to describe how technology uncovers hidden aspects of reality.

Gestell (Enframing)

The essence of modern technology that forces reality into a rigid box by demanding nature be ordered, measured, and extracted.

Standing reserve

The Heideggerian concept of viewing the natural world merely as a stockpile of resources available for human use and control.