LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY  Early societies had only limited means of

AND SOCIETY experimentation, and their endeavor to

discover the laws of nature had to rely on a
 Definitions:
range of unverifiable assumptions.
o Science is the systematic knowledge
based on facts, nature, and it is  As human knowledge progressed, the need for
formulated through careful unverifiable assumptions decreased
observation, experimentation, and progressively, and eventually science and
research. religion separated.
o Science developed from
 Religious belief can still stimulate scientific
 the observation of regularity in
discovery today.
the natural world:
a) The return of spring   Einstein's famous words "God does not play
after winter, dice" expressed the belief in a God who loves
b) the setting of the order, a belief that influenced his approach to
sun at a day's end, scientific study and led to new scientific insight.
c) the falling of the
ebb tide after high  People in early human societies had to spend
water. much of their time procuring food and shelter
and could not afford to put much effort into
o Regularity suggests that nature is non-essential activities. If science was practiced
not all chaos but follows rules. in the earliest societies it must have been for a
purpose; in other words, science was
 Science has been a human activity well before undertaken for practical applications. The fruits
the development of the first civilizations. of science translated into new technological
developments.
 The oldest civilizations are believed to have
emerged some time before 3000 BC; but What is Technology?
excavations from Catal Hüyük in Anatolia have
 Technology is about taking action to meet a
shown that the people in today's Turkey had
human need rather than merely understanding
developed advanced skills in measurement and
the workings of natural world, which is the goal
accurate mapping as early as 6200 BC.
of science.
Linking Science & Religion  It uses much more than scientific knowledge
and includes values as much as facts, practical
 In early societies scientific study was
craft knowledge as much as theoretical
undertaken by priests and monks, and scientific
knowledge.
knowledge was taught in temples and
monasteries.  The word technology has changed it meaning
several times since it came into use in Europe
 As civilizations developed, the link between
during the 17th century. In the most general
science and religion weakened and science
terms, it can be defined as the application of
became the domain of philosophy.
knowledge about nature to practical aims of
 A clear distinction between science and religion human endeavor.
did not develop until well into the 18th century.
 If this definition is accepted it follows that
Religion technological development occurred at least as
early as first scientific study: Stone-age humans
 Religion, like science, attempts to establish a realized that flintstone produces better cutting
system of knowledge about nature. tools than sandstone.
 All religions are based on the belief that gods  They made that discovery and used their new
act in an orderly fashion and make sure that knowledge well before someone found the
nature follows rules. scientific explanation for the phenomenon.
 The human mind is opposed to chaos; it can
only make sense of an ordered world and finds
order to meet its needs, even where order may
not exist.

Separation of Science & Religion

 Science is a system of knowledge based on

repeatable observation and experiment.

 Religion is a system of knowledge based on

unverifiable belief.
  Long periods of human history were  This requires an advanced administration, which
characterized by the mastering of technologies is not found before the development of cities.
such as the smelting of copper, bronze or iron,
 A civilization is therefore always sustained by an
without much knowledge of the underlying
urban society, although the majority of its
scientific principles. In some societies this lack
people may (and often do) live in an agricultural
of scientific understanding gave technology
society structure in the countryside.
mystical qualities and lead to misguided
activities such as medieval o Description of Different Civilizations
European alchemy (unscientific attempts to  Different civilizations are
convert lead or other low value metals into described based mainly on
silver or gold) or the quest their:
for immortality through chemical concoctions in  cultural achievements
ancient China.  spiritual achievements
 artistic achievements

Culture Defined

 The classic definition of culture goes back to

1871, when the English anthropologist Edward
What is Society? Burnett Tylor wrote in his work Primitive
Culture that "culture ... is that complex whole
 It is a group of individuals involved in persistent
which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals,
social interaction, or a large social group sharing
law, custom, and any other capabilities and
the same geographical or social territory.
habits acquired by man as a member of
 Society is the organizational form in which society."
individuals of a species live together. The animal
 Culture is behavior; it includes language, rituals,
world contains many examples of different
social customs and many other elements of
societies. Bears have a large daily food intake
expression.
requirement but live in an environment where
the food supply is scattered over a wide region;  Ex. Neolithic Culture - is an artistic
as a consequence, bears live solitary lives expression of stone - age humans.
through most of the year.
 French culture - “French way of life”;
 Lions and wolves rely on collaborative hunting which is a major consideration in the
and therefore live-in small hunting parties. In formation of today's nation.
both cases the internal structure of their
 The existence of prehistoric art demonstrates
societies is determined by the environmental
that human societies developed culture before
conditions and the survival needs of the species.
they developed civilization.
Their societies cannot evolve; bears could not
survive in groups, nor could lions live solitary  If culture is behavior, civilization is structure. 
lives.
 One approach at defining civilization lists a few
 The earliest human society was the hunter- conditions that have to be met before a society
gatherer society. It relied on food availability is considered a civilization.
from the land and could therefore only support
very small kinship groups. Larger gatherings of  Not all civilizations satisfy all of these criteria,
many people could be sustained only on festive but to be considered a civilization they have to
(religious) occasions and then only for a few satisfy the majority of them.
days. Conditions for a society to become a Civilization
 The agricultural society is still widespread today 1. The existence of cities;
and probably the most common society
structure across the globe. It coexists with the 2. Advanced division of labor based on
more advanced form of the urban society, specialized occupational groups;
which developed when the division of labor
3. Social classes, including a ruling class that is
reached the stage where individuals specialized
exempt from work for basic subsistence;
in trades and had to receive food and other
subsistence in exchange for products of their 4. An administration that can collect "social
work. surplus" (taxes or tribute);

What is a Civilization? 5. Public buildings not designed as dwellings

but for communal purposes; and
 Civilization requires that the society has
developed a central institution responsible for 6. Record keeping in written form.
the organization of daily life support, for
 Civilizations therefore are large structures that
example the maintenance of a water supply or a
can contain many cultures.
transportation system.
  The boundaries between different civilizations  The rise of the urban society is a clear example
are sometimes not well defined, particularly of the interaction between technology and
when one civilization evolved from another. society.
 Increased division of labor resulted from new
 It is therefore not possible to state with
technological developments and allowed
certitude a definite number for all civilizations
people to live in communities of a size that
of the world, but the number is small, much
could not be sustained before.
smaller than the number of languages, nations
 Technology also defined the size of the new
or art styles.
cities: Everything required for daily life had to
 There are a few thousand languages and be reached by foot, and living quarters had to
hundreds of cultures but only about a dozen be within reasonable distance of the public
civilizations. water supply.
 Ancient cities were therefore usually small but
LESSON 2: INTERRELATEDNESS OF SCIENCE, extremely crowded.
TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
 Evidence obtained from excavations from
 Long periods of human history were before 2000 BC suggests that cities of up to
characterized by the mastering of technologies 20,000 people occupied less than half a
such as the smelting of copper, bronze or iron, kilometer square, a population density nearly
without much knowledge of the underlying twice that of today's most crowded cities such
scientific principles. as Kolkata (Calcutta) or Shanghai.
 In some societies this lack of scientific  Technological innovation offered opportunities
understanding gave technology mystical to take up a trade, but these innovations
qualities and lead to misguided activities such as affected mainly the way in which people hunt or
medieval European alchemy (unscientific build houses and not so much the way in which
attempts to convert lead or other low value people prepare meals.
metals into silver or gold) or the quest for  It was therefore mostly the men who took up a
immortality through chemical concoctions in trade and began to bring money into the family.
ancient China.  As a result, the development of the urban
 Today the relationship is the reverse: society increased the economic dependence of
 Most new technology is the result of scientific women, and women became more and more
research that preceded it. disadvantaged.
 It is also generally accepted that today science  Societies cannot ignore prevailing economic
and technology are closely linked and that conditions, but there can be choices in their
science provides the theoretical underpinning response to economic change.
for its technological applications.  Village societies in Europe and in the South
 The symbol of this symbiosis is probably Pacific existed under similar economic
Thomas Alva Edison, the first engineer to conditions but developed quite different social
establish a factory for inventions just before the structures.
20th century.  The economic conditions of 21st century
 In the context of this course technology and capitalism can offer economic independence for
science have to be seen as closely related, since all; they do not prescribe a society of isolated
both require systematic thinking and individuals connected through electronic
experimentation. technology.
 They began as parallel developments, initially  It is possible to imagine a new form of
more or less independent of each other, but community living in which financially
grew closer as the centuries progressed, and independent individuals of all age groups come
became eventually inseparable. into daily contact with each other in meaningful
 Science and technology are activities exclusive exchange, respect each other and care for each
to the species Homo sapiens. other.
 But it is not science that sets humans visibly SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY
apart from the animal world, because scientific Deals with the natural Deals with how humans
research produces invisible results, and it is world modify, change, alter, or
impossible to tell whether an animal can think control the natural
and reach scientific conclusions or not. world.
 The proof is not in the thought but in the action. Is very concerned with Is very concerned with
Some animals have been observed to use tools, what is exists in the what can or should be
for example a stick to poke into a bees' nest or natural world (biology, designed, made, or
to reach a fruit on a tree; but no animal fashions chemistry) developed from natural
general tools and keeps them for later use. world materials and
 This is the essence of technology, and if proof is substances to satisfy
human needs and wants
required that Homo sapiens differs from all
Is concerned with Is concerned with such
other animal species, technology can provide it.
processes that seek out processes that we use to
the meaning of the alter/change the natural
 natural world by: world such as: the globe is vivid, but the benefit has been
“inquiry”, discovering “invention”, innovation, harvested maximum by all countries.
what is, exploring, and practical problem solving,  Science and technology have made life a lot
scientific method. and design. easier and also a lot better with the
advancement of medicines and analysis on
Interconnections between Science & Technology diseases. Apart from the medical side, there has
been a remarkable development in education,
 Science drives Technology & Technology drives communication, agriculture, industry, etc. the
Science global economic output has increased 17 folds
 Science explores for the purpose of knowing, in the 20th century.
while technology explores for the purpose of  In spite of the advancements in almost all
making something useful from that knowledge. sectors, still, the world is not free from hunger,
 Science drives Technology by making new disease, pollution, illiteracy, and poverty. The
technology possible through scientific gap between the rich and the poor has
breakthroughs. widened. By the 21st century, with the right
 Engineers focus on using science to develop applications of research, development, and
products. implications of science and technology a major
 Without technology, some science experiments difference could be brought about.
would not be possible.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY IN DEVELOPMENT
 Without science, technology could not proceed.
 Science is a way of Knowing  Development is simply becoming in the future
 Technology as a way of Doing of what industrialized countries are today.
 The very questions that scientists ask are  Development is
shaped by the available technology. o The acceleration of economic growth
o The reduction of inequality
*From the beginning of time, man has strived to
improve his way and quality of life. The cavemen o The eradication of absolute poverty
discovered how to make and use tools, developed a o A multidimensional process
logical sequence for activities, and evolved processes o Involves the reorganization &
that added value to his life. reorientation of entire economic and
social systems
*The totality of the use and application of his o Involves major changes in
knowledge, skills, tools, and materials constitutes what administrative, institutional, and social
we today describe as technology. structures
Who uses technology? o Involves major changes in popular
attitudes, customs, and beliefs
 EVERY ONE!  Role of Science & Technology in Development?
 College Students o Science & Tech are considered by many
 Working Adults to be forces for improvement in the
 The children welfare of developing states.
 The elderly o Are also feared by many to be potential
 The relationship between technology and contributors to the dehumanization of
society is reciprocal. Society drives man and to the degradation of
technological change, while changing environment.
technologies in turn shape society. 1. The role should be directed
 Technological decisions should take into toward reduction of inequalities
account both costs and benefits. between advanced and the
 Everyone should observe how the technological developing countries and
changes are driven by the needs of society, and between various sections of
they should be able to predict what some of the population within a country.
consequences of those new technologies might 2. Should make the natural social
be. environment harmonious
 Examples of technological changes include: new without seriously endangering
kinds of media, computers, and communication the future.
systems; the development of more fuel-efficient 3. Should not be inserted as
cars; the construction of new or improved separate packages of
buildings, roads, and bridges; and new foods development techniques
and types of clothing. implemented in isolation from
the rest of the national
LESSON 3: IMPORTANCE/APPLICATIONS OF SCIENCE
evolution
AND TECHNOLOGY TO SOCIETY
4. Must be directed within the
 The role that science and technology have framework of the fundamental
played in improving the life conditions across social, cultural, and economic
rights in a peaceful and
cooperative world.
 The application of science and tech Is a
fundamental factor which influences the pace
of economic development.
 Implies the existence of certain prerequisites,
among which are the ff:
o Creation of a social climate favorable to
the application of science and tech;
o Role & responsibilities of the
universities in the implantation of
science;
o Technical and technological education
and training;
o Promotion of technological sciences
and applied research;
o Agricultural education and research;
and
o Infrastructure of auxiliary services
 The importance of science and tech in national
development cannot be over-emphasized. It is a
known fact that no nation can develop without
science and technology.
 Developed nations of the world like the
America, Germany, France etc. boast of several
scientific inventions which make them to be
rated as the world powers.
 Science and technology are the pivot of any
nation’s development.
 A nation without science and tech is definitely a
backward nation, such nation will be considered
undeveloped.
 Science and technology is associated with
modernity and it is an essential tool for rapid
development.