Understanding Technology and Science

These flashcards cover key concepts related to technology and science as discussed in the lecture notes.

technology

this encompasses technics or technology

science

this refers to knowledge and a field of systematic inquiry into nature

similarities of science and technology

a form of human cultural activity & a total societal enterprises.

Who defined 'technics' and what does it refer to?

Acc. to Lewis Mumford, it refers to material artifacts or hardware produced by a person, group or society.

technology as technics 

refer to generic types or kinds of devices or machineries - e.g. watch, axe, recorder, computers, bicycles, contact lenses, hammers, etc. 

technology as technology

refers to the complex of knowledge, methods, materials and if applicable, constituent parts used in making a certain technic 

technology as technology

singular or plural - 2 or more technologies (e.g. manufacture of automobile - brake, carburetor, engine, transmission, etc.)

What is the significance of technology as a form of human cultural activity?

It is a distinctive type of endeavor by craftsmen, technologists, and engineers.

How does technology function as a total societal enterprise?

a complex interrelationship of knowledge, skills, organizations, and physical resources devoted to research, development, production and operation of technics

technology as technics 

most fundamental

technology as a total societal enterprise

most general and encompassing 

science as knowledge

organzied well-founded body of knowledge of natural phenomena

science as field of a systematic inquiry into nature

particular field or domain of systematic inquiry in which such knowledge - e.g. science of physics or social science 

sought

science in the first sense

science as form of human cultural activity

“natural scientists”

important aspects of technology and science as forms of human activity:

inputs, outputs, functions, transformative resources, practitioners, processes

What is one root function of technology regarding human capacity?

Technology aims to decrease human vulnerability by extending perceptual, mental, and physical abilities.

What aspect of the human condition does technology attempt to compensate for?

Technology compensates for human finitude; humans are not omnipotent or immortal.

expand the realm of practical human possibility

root function or purpose of technology as an activity

ignorance of the realties of the natural world

makes humans more vulnerable

What does the process of technology start with?

1. identification of a specific need, desire, or opportunity, to be met, satisfied, or exploited by means of a projected technic

2. design phase

3. production phase

4. use phase

What are the main steps involved in the process of science?

1. identification of an aspect or phenomenon of nature of interest to the practitioners

2. formulation of a hypothesis

3. application

4. assessment

5. adoption or rejection

Why do humans engage in science according to the notes?

Science compensates for human ignorance and the inability to be omniscient, reducing vulnerability.

what makes humans enable to thrive and survive?

power