SCIENCE

TECHNOLOGY
AND SOCIETY
DANMAR C. YEPEZ, RM, BSM,MCH,(C) BSN
 COURSE DESCRIPTION
GE 5 - SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY (STS)
is an interdisciplinary program of study which
integrates knowledge in the natural sciences and
in technology as well as in history, philosophy,
sociology,economics, political science, geography,
and anthropology. sts examines the goals and
practices of science and technology, including
how such goals and practices are affected by
economic, cultural, and political events, and
conversely, how these events are in turn affected
by developments in science and technology.
Demand for STS majors: The sts major
prepares students for jobs which require
scientific and technological literacy as
well as a broad perspective on science
and technology and an ability to write
and argue from this perspective. Such
jobs include those in scienceand tech
law, journalism, business, public interest
advocacy, and public policy making and
also a job in a health industry.
 CREDIT UNIT
UNIT: 3 / LECTURE
TIME: 5:00 - 6:30 PM
DAY:
BSM 1 A - MONDAY & TUESDAY
BSM 1 B - THURSDAY & FRIDAY
MODE OF CLASSESS: IN PERSON OR FACE TO
FACE AND ONLINE/OFFLINE CLASSESS
MONDAY: IN PERSON OR FACE TO FACE
CLASSESS
TUESDAY: ONLINE/OFFLINE CLASSESS
WHAT IS/ARE YOUR
EXPECTATION
FROM THIS
SUBJECT?
 EXERCISE
ACTIVITY: QUIZ (ESSAY)
RUBRICS:
CONTENT ( 20 % )
STRUCTURE/MAIN IDEA (15 %)
GRAMMAR/VOCABULARY & SENTENCE (15 %)
TOTAL = 50 %
1. What is the significant of studying STS to your
future profession as a midwife?
2. As a student midwife, what is your contribution to
the ever changing society to make positive impact for the
development of our country?
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• At the end of discussion students will

be able to:
1. Discuss the general concepts related
to science and technology
2. Explain the cope of the study of STS;
and
3. Demonstrate preparedness and
readiness in the study of STS
 WHAT IS SCIENCE?

• Comes from the Latin word “Scientia” meaning

“Knowledge”.
• It refers to a systematic and methodical
activity of building and organizing knowledge
about how the universe behaves through
observation, experimentation or both.
• According to science historian, John
Heilbron (2003), “ Modern science is a
discovery as well as an invention.

• Heilbron considered science as a

discovery of regularity in nature,
enough for natural phenomena to be
described by principles and laws.
WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY?

• Is the application of scientific knowledge,

laws, and principles to produce services,
materials, tools, and machines aimed at
solving real world problems.
• It come from Greek root word “Techne”
meaning Art,Skill or cunning of hand.
• Mark Zuckerberg (2014)

defines technological tool is

something that takes a human’s
sense or ability and augments it
and makes it more powerful.
WOLPERT (2005)

• Made an interesting
comparison between
science and technology
that is helpful in the study
of their interaction with
society.
Wolpert landmark paper:

The Medawar Lecture 1998: Is Science

Dangerous?
It was stated there and explained
that reliable scientific knowledge has no
moral or ethical value.
• He believed that studying the nature of
the universe is to explain the possible
uses and applications of SCIENTIFIC
WOLPERT LAND MARK PAPER:

• He stated that Scientist are not responsible for the

application of knowledge in technology.
• He further explained that a very nature of science is
that, it is not possible to predict scientific discoveries
and how these discoveries may applied.
• While scientist are responsible for the reliable conduct
of scientific inquiry and its honest interpretation and
dissemination, technological applications of science
that are influenced by other sectors such as politics
and governance, religion, and business.
CARL SAGAN
• An American scientist quoted in Tom Head’s (2006)
book , that the rise of social media drastically changed
the way humans communicate, interact, and share
information; however, this tends to put people’s
privacy at risk.
“ 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”
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND
SOCIETY
It has different aspects of society that
shape and influence the progression and
further development of science and
technology in the area of concern of a
relatively new academic discipline.
 HISTORY OF STS

• According to Harvard University’s Kennedy

school (2018), traces its roots from the
interwar period and the start of Cold War.
• It was during this period when historians and
scientist found interest in the interconnections
of scientific knowledge, technological systems
and society.
SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND
SOCIETY
• Relatively young field that combines
previously independent and older
disciplines such as history of
science, philosophy of science, and
sociology of science.
10 EMERGING ETHICAL DELIMMAS AND
POLICY ISSUES IN STS FOR 2018

1. Helix- a digital app store designed to read

genomes
2. BlessU-2 and Pepper- first robot priest and monk
3. Emotion-Sensing Facial Recognition
A software being developed to assess your reactions
to anything such as shopping and playing games.
4. Ransomware- a way of holding data hostage
through hacking and requiring a ransom to be paid.

5. Textalyzer- a device that analyzes whether a

driver was using his or her phone during an
accident.

6. Social Credit System-a system of scoring citizens

through their actions by placing them under
constant surveillance.
7. Google clips- a hands-free camera that lets the user
capture every moment effortlessly

8. Sentencing Software- a mysterious algorithm

designed to aid courts in sentencing decisions

9. Friendbot- an app that stores the deceased’s digital

footprint so one can still “chat” with them

10.Citizen App- an app that notifies users of ongoing

crimes or major events in a specific area.
TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE

Science and technology have had both a

positive and negative impact on society,
especially in the following areas:
1. Community Life
2. Health
3. Work
4. Communication
1. COMMUNITY LIFE
• The shift from nomadic life to
farming led to the development of
the city.
This includes the following:
Network transportation,
communication, and trade systems
Specialized labor
Government and Religion
Social class
COMMUNITY LIFE
The nineteenth century witnesses the
Industrial Revolution.
Invention of textile manufacturing machines
Division of labor
Increase in production
Crowded cities
Unsafe and unhealthy working conditions
COMMUNITY LIFE
• The twentieth century saw birth of suburbs.
Invention of the trolley car and automobile
Status symbol
Alternative to harsh, crowded city conditions
2. WORK

• Technical innovations saved

physical energy and lessened
people’s workload.
WORK

• The concept of LLEISURE developed from labor-

saving technology. People use the money they
earn to take advantage of leisure time.
3. HEALTH

• The greatest innovation of technology was

longevity.
HEALTH
• A large part of technology has been dedicated to the
advancement of medical science.
• In 1978 Edward Jenner paved the way modern
immunology by discovering a vaccine for small pox.
• Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin, the first
antibiotic in 1928.
• Dr. William Thomas Green 1846 was one of the first
medical practitioners to use anesthesia on a patient
before performing surgery
HEALTH
• Some current innovations could have a
drastic impact on society.
• In 1997 scientist at the Roslin Institute
in Edinburg, Scotland, introduced Dolly
the sheep, the first mammal ever to
have been cloned. Dolly quickly
became the symbol of controversy
over ethics of cloning.
4. COMMUNICATION
• Inventions and innovations in communication have
had a major influence on society
Egypt: Papyrus and hieroglyph
Ancient Babylonia: Cuneiform
Ancient Greece: Public speaking, drama, philosophy
Ancient Rome: Roman alphabet
Modern Europe: Printing press
World today: World wide web
PROGRESS
• Is a series of improvements in human life
marked by inventions and discoveries.
Positive attributes of technology must be
greater than negative attributes
Negative consequences: destruction of
environment and loss of what it means to be
human
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:
THEIR NATURES AND
RELATIONSHIP
• Technology and science could be
definitive or win general acceptance,
one can at least attempt to be clear
and consistent in one’s own usage.
Clarity will be served in this work by
distinguishing four different though
related meanings of each of these
terms.
1. TECHNOLOGY AS
TECHNICS
• Technology will be sometimes be used to mean
and refer to “ material products of human or
fabrication,”
• Technic does not refer directly or primarily to
particular individual devices, machines and etc.
2. TECHNOLOGY AS
TECHNOLOGY
• Technology refers to complex of knowledge,
methods, materials and if applicable,
constituent parts used in making a certain kind
of technic.
• Technology in this sense can be used either
the singular or the plural that is, to refer either
to a technology to two or more technologies.
3.TECHNOLOGY AS A FORM
OF HUMAN CULTURAL
ACTIVITY
• Technology will often be used to refer to a
distinctive form or kind of human cultural
activity, just as term art, law, medicine, sport
and religion are often to refer to distinctive
forms of human practice
4. TECHNOLOGY AS A TOTAL
SOCIETAL ENTERPRISE
• The landing of Apollo XI on the moon in1969
was great attribute to American technology.
• Here technology does not refer only to the
specific techniques and related technologies
involved, or to one of the activity forms-
technology- through which they where invented
or developed.
Four meanings of
science
1. SCIENCE AS KNOWLEDGE

• With his germ theory of disease, Pasteur

made a seminal contribution to modern
medical science.
• Science refers to the organized, well-founded
body of knowledge of natural phenomena,
contributions to which have been made by
thousands of women
2. SCIENCE AS FIELD SYSTEMIC INQUIRY INTO NATURE

• Science refer to particular field or domain of systemic

inquiry.
3. SCIENCE AS FORM OF HUMAN CULTURAL ACTIVITY

• Science will sometimes be used in what follows

to refer distinctive form of human cultural activity.
• Once practice by people now called scientists
4. SCIENCE AS A TOTAL SOCIETAL ENTERPRISE

• The complex of
knowledge,people,skills,organizations.facilities,tec
hnics,physical resources, methods and
technologies.
 HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
Focused on how science and technology
focuses on how science and technology have
changed across time.
It explores the impacts of science and
technological innovations on the prevailing
social,cultural,political and economic contexts
throughout history.
ANTECEDENT

Is defined as a precursor to the unfolding or

existence of something.
Historical antecedent and science and
technology are factors that paved the way for
the presence of advanced and sophisticated
scientific and technological innovations.
ANCIENT PERIOD

The rise of ancients civilization paved the way for

advances in science and technology.
Ancient period allowed civilizations to flourish by
finding betters way of communication,
transportation, self-organization and of living in
general
ANCIENT WHEEL

People from ancient civilization used for

transportation long before the invention
of the wheel.
Ancient wheel is often credited to the sumerians
since no other ancient civilization used a similar
device at the time.
Shifting the potter’s wheel to a 90 degree angle
for the purpose of transportation of the wheel as
reinvented for this purpose.
1000 to 1500 years later that the wheel was the
first used on carts.
PAPER

Roughly around 3000 BC the ancient

egyptians began writing on
“papyrus”,material similar to thick paper
Made from the pith of the papyrus
plant”cyperus papyrus”.
Before the egyptians invented the
papyrus writing was done in the stone.
SHADOOF
Was an early tool invented and used by
ancient egyptians to irrigate land.
Invention introduced the idea of lifting
thing using counterweights,irrigation and
farming became much more efficient.
ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISM

invention of the antecendents of the

modern computer. discovered in
1902 and retrieved from the waters
of Antikythera Greece similar to
mantel clock.
One of the oldest known antecedents of
modern clock world,was invented by
Greek scientists between 150-100BC.
AEOLIPILE

Also known as the “Hero engine”,the

aeolipile is widely believed to be the
ancient precursor of the steam engine.
MIDDLE AGES

• These include steady increase of new

inventions, introduction of innovations
in traditional production, and
emergence of scientific thinking
method.
 HEAVY PLOUGH
• It is one of the most important
technological innovations
during the middle ages in the
invention of the heavy plough.
• The Heavy plough stirred an
agricultural revolution in
Northern Europe marked by
higher and healthier
agricultural yields and more
GUNPOWDER
• Around 850 AD, Chinese
alchemist accidentally invented
black powder or gun powder.
• Chinese called it Huoyao, roughly
translated as “Fire Potion”
• Towards the end of 13th century,
the explosive invention crept into
most part of Europe and Asia.
PAPER MONEY

• The Chinese are credited for

the invention of paper money.
• Chinese in17th century AD
offshoot the invention of
block printing, which is
similar to stamping.
MECHANICAL CLOCK
• The development of mechanical
clockwork paved the way for
accurately keeping track of time.
• Devices for timekeeping and
recording from ancient times, such
as the Antikythera mechanism, it
was not until Middle Ages that
clockwork technology was
developed.
 SPINNING WHEEL

• Another important invention of the

Middle Ages is the spinning wheel, a
machine used for transforming fiber
into thread or yarn and eventually
woven into cloth on a loom.
 MODERN AGES

• Focuses utmost importance of increasing

the efficiency of transportation,
communication, and communication, and
production.
COMPOUND MICROSCOPE
• Zacharias Janssen- Dutch
spectacle maker is credited
for the invention of the first
compound microscope in
1590.
• Janssen compound
microscope was an
important progression from
single lens microscope.
TELESCOPE

• Invented by Galileo Galilei

• Single and most important
technological invention in
the study of astronomy
during Modern Ages was
practical telescope.
JACQUARD LOOM
• Considered as one of the most
critical drivers of the revolution
• Built by French weaver Joseph
Marie Jacquard
• Jacquard loom simplifies textile
manufacturing
• Prior to the invention draw loom was
used which required two individuals
to operate the Weaver and a
Drawboy- a figured designs on
textiles were needed.
ENGINE-POWDERED
AIRPLANE
• Orville Wright and Wilbur
Wright- designed and
successfully operated the
first engine-powered
aircraft.
TELEVISION
• John Logie Baird- Scottish engineer
credited for the invention of the
modern television.
• Despite of being the first television
invented, It was later on criticized
for its fuzzy and flickering images,
primarily because it was
mechanical compared to electronic
versions that were developed
much later.