Comprehensive Study Guide for Science, Technology, and Society (STS)

Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society

• Societal Context: A fundamental observation made regarding modern living is that "We live in a society absolutely dependent on science and technology and yet have cleverly arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. That’s a clear prescription for disaster."

• Etymology and Definition of Science:

  • Origin: Derived from Old French, from the Latin word scientia, which comes from scire, meaning "to know."

  • General Definition: Knowledge about or the study of the natural world based on facts learned through experiments and observation.

  • Specific Contexts: Refers to a particular area of scientific study (such as biology, physics, or chemistry) or a particular branch of science.

• John Heilbron's Perspective:

  • Profile: Famous American science historian.

  • Core Assertion: "Modern science is a discovery as well as an invention."

  • Discovery: Science is the discovery of regularity in nature, sufficient for natural phenomena to be described by principles and laws.

  • Invention: Science required invention to devise techniques, abstractions, apparatuses, and organizations to describe these natural regularities and their law-like descriptions.

• Mark Elliot Zuckerberg on Technology:

  • Profile: American Computer Programmer, born $\text{May 14, 1984}$, Co-founder and CEO ($2004$–Present) of Facebook.

  • Technological Inquiry: "How can Facebook make users more social in real life?"

  • Historical Definition of Tech: Something that takes a human’s sense or ability and augments it, making it more powerful.

  • Example: Zuckerberg cites contact lenses or glasses as technology that enhances the human ability of vision and makes it better.

• Lewis Wolpert's Philosophy:

  • Profile: South African-born British developmental biologist, born $\text{October 19, 1929}$. Author of popular science books and known for work on intracellular positional information.

  • The Medawar Lecture $1998$: "Is Science Dangerous?"

    • Common Perception: The belief that science is dangerous is pervasive in society and literature.

    • Science vs. Technology: Science aims to understand the world, while technology applies scientific knowledge for practical use; they are distinct entities.

    • Value-Free Knowledge: Scientific knowledge itself is value-free, possessing no inherent moral or ethical value.

    • Responsibility of Scientists: Scientists are not directly responsible for how discoveries are used because future applications are unpredictable. However, they have a responsibility to inform the public about possible social impacts and technological applications.

    • Neutrality: Science is neutral; societal benefit or harm depends on human application through technology.

• Carl Edward Sagan:

  • Profile: $\text{November 9, 1939}$ – $\text{December 20, 1996}$. American astronomer, cosmologist, and astrophysicist.

  • Achievements: Created the public TV series "Cosmos." The accompanying book was on The New York Times bestseller list for $70$ weeks. Adviser to NASA for Mariner, Voyager, and Viking missions.

• Science and Technology Studies (STS):

  • Institution Context: Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School ($2018$).

  • Definition: A relatively new academic field examining the relationship between science, technology, and society.

  • Historical Timeline: Originated during the interwar period and developed further at the beginning of the Cold War.

  • Interdisciplinary Nature: Connects sociology, science, law, anthropology, philosophy, environmental science, and political theory.

  • Analytical Focus: Studies how S&T shape society and how society, in turn, influences S&T developments. It helps in critically evaluating benefits, risks, ethical issues, and social impacts.

Top $10$ Ethical Dilemmas in Science and Technology ($2018$)

Released by the John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values at the University of Notre Dame:

1. Helix: An app designed to help individuals read their own genome.

2. The Robot Priest: Featuring BlessU-$2$ and Pepper, representing the first robot priest and monk.

3. Emotion-Sensing Facial Recognition: Used to optimize retail experiences by assessing customer reactions.

4. Ransomware: Software that holds data hostage until a payment is made.

5. The Textalyzer: A tool allowing police to determine if a driver was using their phone prior to an accident.

6. Social Credit Systems: Systems that rank citizens based on behavior and data.

7. Google Clips: A camera that watches all day to capture picturesque moments automatically.

8. Sentencing Software: The use of mysterious algorithms to assist in sentencing Americans in the justice system.

9. The Rise of Robot Friendship: The creation of chatbots based on the old texts and social media posts of loved ones.

10. The Citizen App: A live crime reporting app that may inadvertently lead to vigilante justice.

Historical Antecedents of Science and Society

Ancient Period

• Context: Growth of ancient civilizations where technology resulted from engineering advances. These developments occurred before the Middle Ages, which started around the fall of the Western Roman Empire in AD $476$.

• Islamic Innovations: Significant contributions to science, engineering, and Fiqh (Islamic law).

• Three-Age System: Proposed by Christian Jurgensen Thomsen for classifying ancient societies.

Africa

• Holds one of the oldest histories of technology, dating to the earliest human tool use.

• Iron-working: Developed early in the Aïr Mountains (present-day Niger).

• Monuments: Built pyramids and towers in Egypt, Nubia, and North Africa.

• Kingdom of Kush/Nubia: Advanced the use of glazed quartzite and brick construction.

• The Haya People (Tanzania): Developed ancient methods for producing high-quality carbon steel via high-temperature blast furnaces.

Specific Ages

1. Stone Age: Contemporaneous with the genus Homo. Notable artifact: Obsidian Projectile Point.

2. Bronze Age: Characterized by bronze use, proto-writing, and urban civilization.

   • Artifacts: Harrapann face (Indus Valley), Bronze mirror with female figure ($18\text{th}$ dynasty Egypt, $1540-1296\text{ BC}$), Sphinx-lion of Thutmose III ($1479-1425\text{ BC}$), Master of Animals (Jiroft culture, c. $2500\text{ BC}$).

3. Iron Age: Final epoch of the three-age division. Notable artifacts: Silla chest and neck armor (Korea), Lingling-o earrings (Luzon, Philippines).

Civilizations

• Mesopotamia: Early Bronze Age people using copper, bronze, and gold; later iron for armor and weapons (swords, daggers, spears, maces). Artifacts: Large cuneiform inscription, Ljubljana Marshes Wheel with axle.

• Egypt: Invented simple machines like ramps. Pioneers in large-scale gold mining using fire-setting. Created the first recognizable map (Turin Papyrus showing mines in Nubia). Notable: Great Pyramid of Giza, Papyrus, Bronze Chariot.

• 1Greece: Relied on heavily armed foot soldiers (hoplites) due to rocky terrain. Chariots were status symbols used in sports (Olympic/Panathenaic Games) and ceremonies.

• Ancient China: Home to the "Four Great Inventions": Compass, Gunpowder, Papermaking, and Printing. Other inventions include the Seismograph, matches, cast iron, iron plow, seed drill, suspension bridge, natural gas as fuel, magnetic compass, crossbow, south-pointing chariot, block printing, movable type, and spinning wheel. (Source: Joseph Needham).

• Roman Empire ($753\text{ BC}-476\text{ AD}$): Known for engineering skills, improving on Greek, Etruscan, and Celtic technologies. Relied on human, animal, and water power.

The Middle Ages

A period characterized by great invention and innovation:

1. The Printing Press: Revolutionary for communication.

2. The Coffee House: Ahead of its time socially.

3. The Heavy Plow: Led to the Agricultural Revolution.

4. Verge Escapement/Mechanical Clocks: Replaced hourglasses.

5. Paper "Money": Older than commonly thought.

6. The Hourglass: Effective timekeeping method.

7. Gunpowder: Changed global warfare.

8. The Blast Furnace: First appeared in Switzerland and Germany.

9. Liquor: A medieval development.

10. The Wheelbarrow: Invented during this period.

11. The Flying Buttress: Iconic architectural development.

12. The Spinning Wheel: Invented in India during this era.

13. The Tidal Mill: First appeared in Ireland.

14. Pintle-and-gudgeon Stern-Mounted Rudders: Shrink the world by improving navigation.

15. Eyeglasses: Corrected vision.

16. Treadmill Cranes: Facilitated building.

17. Cannon: Revolutionized warfare.

18. The Astrolabe: Functioned as an early computer.

Modern Ages: The Philippines

Notable cultural and technological artifacts/traditions:

• Weapons: Panabas (curved-blade), Balisong, Kampilan, Lantakas.

• Architecture: Torogan.

• Transport: Jeepneys around Manila.

• Cuisine: Chicken Adobo, Sinigang, Halo-halo, Puto, Taho.

Intellectual Revolutions

Copernican Revolution

• The Shift: From the Ptolemaic (geocentric) model—Earth at the center—to the Heliocentric model—Sun at the center.

• Ptolemaic Model: Earth was stationary; Sun, Moon, and stars revolved around it. Ptolemy used epicycles and nested spheres to explain planetary motion.

• Heliocentric Model: Sun at the center; Earth is a planet rotating on its axis (day/night) and revolving around the Sun (yearly cycle).

• Nicolaus Copernicus ($1473-1543$): Polish mathematician/astronomer. Published De revolutionibus orbium coelestium ($1543$), dedicated to Pope Paul III.

• Galileo Galilei ($1564-1642$): Supported Copernicus through scientific observation and evidence.

• Giordano Bruno: Executed (burned at the stake) for defending the heliocentric theory.

Darwinian Revolution

• Genesis: Began in $1859$ with Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species.

• Natural Selection: Individuals with variations best suited to their environment are more likely to survive, find food, avoid predators, resist diseases, and reproduce.

• Five Main Ideas of Darwinism:

  1. Evolution as Such: Species change over time.

  2. Common Descent: All organisms share ancestors.

  3. Gradualism: Evolution occurs via small changes over long periods.

  4. Population Speciation: New species arise from diverging populations.

  5. Natural Selection: Advantageous traits are passed on.

• Resistance: Faced opposition from the Church, which viewed organisms as manifestations of God.

Freudian Revolution

• Psychoanalysis: A scientific method for understanding inner/unconscious conflicts embedded in personality.

• Sigmund Freud ($1856-1939$): Austrian neurologist who argued human behavior is influenced by the unconscious mind and inherent pleasure-seeking.

• Theory of Personality:

  1. Id: Instinctive part seeking immediate pleasure.

  2. Ego: Rational part balancing Id with reality.

  3. Superego: Moral part representing conscience and societal rules.

• Key Concepts: Unconscious mind, Dreams (hidden desires), Infantile sexuality, Libido (psychological energy), Repression, Transference.

• Limitations: Controversial; modern psychology finds limited empirical evidence for several theories (e.g., Oedipus and Electra complexes).

Science, Technology, and Nation Building in the Philippines

• Economic Impact: According to PIDS, adopting Fourth Industrial Revolution ($4\text{IR}$) technologies could increase the Philippine economy by about $10\%$ through higher productivity.

• Department of Science and Technology (DOST): Responsible for national S&T programs, scientific research, public awareness, and supporting innovation.

Historical Development

• Pre-Colonial: Indigenous Filipinos used herbal medicine, Baybayin alphabet, number systems, calendars, weighing systems, and weather prediction by stars. Notable: Banaue Rice Terraces (advanced engineering/irrigation).

• Spanish Colonial: Introduced formal education, parish schools, colleges, and modern construction (roads, bridges, churches). The Galleon Trade introduced new crops and tools. Progress was hindered by religious dogma.

• American Period: Focused on agriculture, food processing, medicine, and pharmacy. Founded the University of the Philippines ($1908$) and the Bureau of Science. WW II destroyed much progress.

• Marcos Era: S&T became a national priority ($1973$ Constitution, Article XV, Section $9$). Established PAGASA and NAST. NSTA was reorganized (later became DOST).

• Fifth Republic ($1986$-Present): Corazon Aquino elevated NSTA to DOST, giving it Cabinet-level representation. Focused on economic recovery.

Government Policies and Programs

• National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) Priority Areas:

  1. Biological Sciences, Agriculture & Forestry: Biodiversity, biosafety, food safety.

  2. Medical, Chemical & Pharmaceutical Sciences: Drug standards, human genome research.

  3. Social Sciences, Education & Governance: ASEAN awareness, mother tongue education.

  4. Engineering, Mathematics, Earth & Space Sciences: Career development, procurement modernization.

• Major DOST Programs: Scholarships, Research Grants, Patent Assistance, S&T Parks, Philippine Science High School (PSHS) System, Balik Scientist Program.

• PAASE (Capacity Building): Focused on producing PhD graduates and regional research centers.

Science Education

• Philippine Science High School (PSHS): Established by RA $3661$ ($1963$). Specialized in Science and Math.

• Manila Science High School: First science high school in the country ($1963$).

• Higher Education: PICARI (Philippine–California Advanced Research Institutes) focuses on climate change, health, and energy.

Indigenous Science

• Recognized by UNESCO ($1999$ Declaration). Core values include respect for Mother Earth and stewardship. Includes ethnobiology, ethnomedicine, and folk astronomy.

Notable Filipino Scientists and Inventors