STS
CHAPTER 4 | Science and Technology and the Human Condition
Martin Heidegger - “The Question Concerning Technology” - modern technology and its essence as an instrumental way of revealing the world and as conceived as a means to achieve ends
Essence - the essence of technology is not something we make; it is a mode of being or of revealing
Challenging - the mode of revealing of modern technology
Physis - arising of something from itself, a bringing-forth or poieses
Expediting - the challenging that brings forth the energy of nature; make an action or process that is 100% accomplished
Standing in Reserve - term used by Heidegger to name the things that are revealed in modern technology
Objects - things that “stand against us” as things with autonomy
Enframing - the essence of modern technology
Frame - the network of interlocking things standing in reserve
Eudaimonia - “good fortune”; “material prosperity”; a situation achieved through virtue, knowledge, and excellence
Eudaimonia - constituted not by honor or wealth power but by rational activity in the virtues of character, the intellectual virtues, mutually beneficial friendships, and scientific knowledge
Plato’s Three Motivating Parts of the Soul - Rational, Spirited, Appetitive
Aristotle’s View - all humans seek to flourish - the proper and desired end of all of our actions
Four Aspects of Human Nature - Physical, Emotional, Social, and Rational
Living Rationally (Consciously) - means dealing with the world conceptually and implies respect for the facts of reality
CHAPTER 5 | The Good Life
Plato and Socrates - emphasized on virtue
Epicurus - emphasized on pleasure
Aristotle - views the good life as happiness
Christian Martyrs - went singing to their deaths confident that they would soon be in heaven
Hindus - expect that the law of karma will ensure that their good deeds and intentions will be rewarded
Hedonism - view that pleasure is what makes life worth living
Epicure - someone who is especially appreciative of food and drink
Hedonist - suggests that they are devoted to what some have called the lower pleasures such as sex, food, drink, and sensual indulgence in general
Hedonistic Conception - arguably dominant in Western Culture. It emphasizes subjective experiences. In this view, to describe a person as happy means that they feel good.
Happiness - something we value not as a means to some other end but for its own sake. It has intrinsic value rather than instrumental value
Michael Soupios and Panos Mourdoukoutas - written the Ten Golden Rules on Living a Good Life
Theory of Forms - proposes that universals do not physically exist like objects but as heavenly forms
Platonism - the meaning of life is attaining the highest form of knowledge which is the Idea of the Good
Public Good - public in the sense that the beneficiaries are the general public
CHAPTER 6 | When Technology and Humanity Cross
Robot - “androids”; a combination of different attributes such as mobility, intelligent behavior, sense, and manipulation of environment
Robota - work from Slavic language
Mechanical Human (Ancient Time) - as depicted in Greek Mythology
Servants of Greek God Hephaestus (God of Fire and the Forge) - built robots out of gold which where his helpers and life-sized golden handmaidens who helped around the house
Pygmalion - carefully crafted a statue of Galatea that would come to life
Leonardo da Vinci (1495) - sketched plans for a humanoid robot
Social Robot - infant versions, at best, of the long-hoped-for androids
Materialism - organisms are made simply of various types of matter; a philosophical system which regards matter as the only reality in the world
Three Laws of Robotics - (1) May not injure a human being; (2) Must obey any orders given to it by human beings; (3) Must protect its own existence
South Korea - considered one of the most high-tech countries in the world and they are leading the way in the development of the Robot Ethics Charter
Aibo - Sony’s higher-end robot which sold well
30% - the risk of human extinction according to Philosopher John Leslie
Happiness - the exercise of vital powers along lines of excellence in a life affording them scope.
CHAPTER 7 | Specific Issues in Science, Technology, and Society
The Information Age - brought about a time period in which people could access information and knowledge easily which began in 1970s
Pre-Gutenberg Period - most people lived in isolated villages and news passed from one person to another, often in the form of rumor
Latin - the universal language of scholarship, the law, and the Roman Catholic Church
The Gutenberg Press - movable type printing used metal stamps of single letters that could be arranged into words, sentences, and pages of text
Gutenberg Revolution - the printing press made it possible to produce books much more quickly and cheaper than ever before.
Post- Gutenberg Period - The Gutenberg printing press caused a dramatic social and cultural revolution. The sudden widespread dissemination of printed works – books, tracts, posters, and papers – gave direct rise to the European Renaissance. It led to the Protestant revolution, the Age of Enlightenment, the development of Modern Science, and Universal Education.
Twitter - a microblogging and social networking service on which users post and interact with messages known as tweets.
Instagram - a photo and video-sharing social networking service
LinkedIn - a business and employment-oriented online service that operates via websites and mobile apps
Facebook - originally designed for college students. Facebook makes it easy for people to connect and share with family and friends online.
TikTok - a video-sharing social networking service
YouTube - an online video-sharing platform
Paradoxes of Technology:
Empowerment vs Enslavement:
Connectedness vs Threat to privacy.
Independent vs Dependence:
Autonomy vs Dependency on gadgets.
Fulfills needs vs Creates needs:
Resolving problems vs Introducing new ones.
Competence vs Incompetence:
Access to information vs Decline in memory and articulation.
Engaging vs Disengaging:
Engagement with technology vs Less engagement with family.
Public vs Private:
Blurring lines between public and private communication.
Illusion vs Disillusion:
More communication doesn't always mean better communication.
CHAPTER 8 | Biodiversity and Healthy Society
Biodiversity - the variety of life and refers collectively to variation at all levels of biological organization
Habitat Loss - humans rely on technology to modify their environment and make it habitable. Elimination of other species’ habitats will kill them.
Overharvesting - overhunting, overfishing, and overharvesting contribute greatly to the loss of biodiversity, killing off numerous species over the past several hundred years
Invasive Species - can threaten other species through competition for resources, predation or disease
Exotic Species - species that have been intentionally or unintentionally introduced by humans into an ecosystem in which they did not evolve
Climate Change - recognized as a major extinction threat, particularly when combines with other threats such as habitat loss.
Biotechnology - a set of techniques that involves biological processes and living organisms for industry, agriculture, or other activities. Its purpose is to modify the natural and biological processes of living organisms without necessarily altering the genes or genetic construct of the living organisms.
Genetically Modified Organisms - the common term used for genetically engineered organisms
Longer-Lasting Papayas - Institute of Plant Breeding in UPLB developed delayed-ripening papaya that is resistant to ring-spot virus (PRSV)
Protein Enriched Copra Meal (PECM) - feed protein for tilapia, milkfish, and shrimp aquaculture
Tomato-Leaf Curve Virus (ToLCV) Resistant Variety - IPB of UPLB has developed tomato breeding line resistant to ToLCV in the hope of reviving tomato’s robust production in the country
Bt Corn - engineered to be specifically resistant to the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis, the most devastating corn pest in the country.
Genetic Contamination - introduced GMOs may interbreed with the wildtype and the novel trait may disappear in wild types unless it confers a selective advantage to the recipient
CHAPTER 9 | The Nano World
Nanotechnology - applies science and materials at the nanoscale
Single Electron Transistor (SET) - spin valves and magnetic tunnel junctions
Smart Sensors - nanomaterials-based sensors that are able to detect and rectify problems
Nanocylinders - storage of hydrogen gas in vehicles that uses hydrogen as fuels
Nanoliposomes - used as a vesicular delivery system. Liposomes are concentric bilayer vesicles. The first liposomal cosmetic was the anti-aging cream “Capture” manufactured by Dior.
Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLNs) - are nm-sized particles with a solid lipid matrix. SLNs are tested in perfume formulations.
Dendrimers - were used in a formula patented by L’Oreal that forms a thin film when deposited on a substrate
Atherosclerosis - can be treated by nanotechnology through nanoparticles that mimic the body’s good cholesterol
Antimicrobial Resistance - a big problem because bacteria are no longer susceptible to the treatments developed to kill the and outbreaks can occur that cannot be managed
Nanocomposite Films - aims to extend the self-life of fresh and processed produce, aid the clarification of juices, and improve whey protein production
CHAPTER 10 | Gene Therapy
Cells - the basic building blocks of all living things
Genes - small segments of deoxyribonucleic acid that are considered the biological units of heredity
Gene Therapy - one of the emerging scientific advances that provides a new treatment paradigm for genetic disorders and diseases
Gene Augmentation Therapy - involves adding DNA that contains a functional version of the lost gene back into the cell
Gene Inhibition Therapy - used to transfer a gene whose product either inhibits the expression of another gene or interferes with the activity of the product of another gene.
Killing of Specific Cells - the aim of this approach is to insert a gene into a diseased cell that causes the cell to die
Suicide Gene - produces highly toxic products that ultimately kill the cell
Stem Cells - cells capable of developing into many different types of cells in the body and play a vital role in the repair system of the body.
Stem Cell Therapy - any treatment that uses cells for the treatment of several diseases or disorders
CHAPTER 11 | Climate Change, Energy Crisis, and Environmental Awareness
Climate Change - a broad range of global phenomena created predominantly by burning fossil fuels, which ass heat-trapping gases to Earth’s atmosphere.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) - adopted as the basis for a global response to the problem