UNR040: History of Science and
Technology
Mohamed Mahmoud, PhD
Email: [email protected]
gu.edu.eg
Development of Science and Technology
o This course surveys a history of science and technology from the
Old Stone Age—or Paleolithic era, stretching back tens of
thousands and hundreds of thousands of years—to the present.
o One of its special concerns is the relations between science and
technology over this long period (e.g., ancient Egypt, Greece, and
China).
o Knowledge and know-how have a history, but given how their
meanings have shifted over time, it becomes harder to use the
terms science or technology uncritically, especially in diverse
historical contexts.
Development of Science and Technology
o The word science derives from the Latin “scientia”, meaning knowledge.
o It has been used in English from the Middle Ages onward to cover a variety of
meanings broadly concerned with knowledge, often bordering on philosophy, or a
formalized skill, and only in the 19th century did the word science come to have its
more restricted modern meaning of or pertaining to the natural or physical
sciences, such as physics, chemistry, biology, and so forth.
o Famously and tellingly in this context, the English word “scientist” was coined
only in 1840.
o Is that to say that scientists did not exist before 1840? Obviously not, but caution is
clearly called for in using the labels science or scientists in reference to ancient
Greece or medieval China, for example.
Branches of Science:
Three branches:
1.Physical Science (non-living): Physics and
chemistry
2. Life Science (living): Botany (plants) and
zoology (animals)
3. Earth and Space Science (history and origin):
Geology and astronomy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvtCLceNf30&t=281s&ab_channel=CrashCourse
o Similarly, the word technology derives from the Greek techné (τέχνη) having to do
with the practical arts, craftsmanship, and technique.
o Much of that sense is preserved in our word technology, but the word in English did
not appear before the 17th century, and the more modern meaning of technology as the
scientific study and systematic pursuit of the practical arts and their improvements did
not enter our vocabularies again until the middle of the 19th century.
o Our definitional problem is compounded because science and technology clearly aren’t
single, unitary things easily identified as such, even today, much less in changing
historical contexts.
- Are we to conflate Aristotle’s science with what happens at CERN (the European
Center for Nuclear Research) or the US National Science Foundation today?
- Is the technology of the Roman chariot to be thought of on par with a sleek new
car (e.g., Tesla)?
o All modern things we see and experience are not natural or part of
nature, but are manmade, artificial technologies that we have created to
sustain ourselves.
o Technology has several other features that distinguish it from science, in
particular. One is geographical locale. Technology is found everywhere:
Not only in bustling cities or ports, but more tellingly in rural and even
remote areas because humans can’t survive without their technologies.
o Science, on the other hand, is not similarly or so universally diffused.
o Another distinction is that traditional technologies are, in a sense, more
egalitarian because, until relatively recently, many artisans and craft
specialists plied their trades in decentralized, local venues.
o Throughout most of history, the mason, the butcher, and their like served
and sustained local communities everywhere. By contrast, only a
comparatively few people have ever become involved in scientific
research, and they have pursued their science in restricted centers.
o How technologies have typically been transmitted from one generation to
another also differs in important ways from how the scientific enterprise
reproduces itself.
o Literacy and schooling are the major differentiators here. Historically,
technological practitioners were at least largely unlettered and learned
their trades through apprenticeships and hands-on experience, their
practice largely bereft of theory. Entry into the world of science requires
its own apprenticeship, but seemingly of a different sort because of
schooling, literacy, and the role of theory and research in science.
What is the difference between science and technology?
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Vision and Philosophy
o Science and technology are intrinsically linked, and include design and
technology, engineering, computer science, biology, chemistry, and
physics.
o Science and Technology demand a coherent framework
for learning across traditional domains, reflecting real-world needs.
o The underlying concepts of science and computational thinking enable
technological advancement.
o Science and Technology supports progression in and across subject
specialisms, and prepares learners to use science and technology in their
everyday lives.
The rationale for change
o Boundaries of science and technology are continuously changing.
o Economic imperative – huge opportunities for learners.
o Need for learners to meet 21st-century challenges and opportunities
irrespective of career choice.
o Current learner preparation is insufficient to meet needs.
o Need knowledge and skills – contextualized through experiences.
o Need creators of and through technology, not just competent users – hence
conceptual understanding of computation.
What matters in science and technology
o Being curious and searching for answers helps further our understanding of
the natural world and helps society progress.
o Design thinking and engineering are technical and creative endeavours
intended to meet society’s needs and wants.
o The world around us is full of living things which depend on each other for
survival.
o Understanding the atomic nature of matter and how it shapes the world.
o Forces and energy determine the structure and dynamics of the universe.
o Computation applies algorithms to data in order to solve
real-world problems.
How did we get here? Approach
o Collaborative work and research to create and trial different
ideas; substantial expert advice.
o Experiments with a thematic approach using traditional subjects
in five broad what matters statements limited progression and
opportunities for specialist study later on.
o Agreed approach is based on principles in ‘Big Ideas of Science’.
o Agreed result is six interrelated what matters statements that are
more accessible for all teachers, facilitating broad and specialist
learning.
The Evolution of Technology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFGNXpErBoY&ab_channel=Historyinvestigation
Thank You
gu.edu.eg
