Science, Technology,
and Society
, MODULE 1:
General Concepts and Historical Events
in Science, Technology, and Society
LESSON 1:
Intellectual Revolutions
that Defined Society
2022
, INTRODUCTION
The word science comes from the Latin word “Scientia” which means “to know.” Science is
the systematic study of anything that can be examined, tested, and verified. From its early
beginnings, science has developed into one of the greatest and most influential fields of human
endeavor. Today different branches of science investigate almost everything that can be observed
or detected, and science as a whole shape the way we understand the universe, our planet,
ourselves, and other living things. Science develops through objective analysis, instead of through
personal belief. Knowledge gained in science accumulates as time goes by, building on work
performed earlier. Some of this knowledge such as our understanding of numbers stretches back
to the time of ancient civilizations, when scientific thought first began. Other scientific knowledge
such as our understanding of genes that cause cancer or of quarks (the smallest known building
block of matter) dates back less than 50 years. However, in all fields of science, old or new,
researchers use the same systematic approach, known as the scientific method, to add to what
is known (Encarta 2009).
Technology is scientific knowledge that is put to practical ends. This knowledge comes chiefly
from mathematics and the physical sciences, and it is used in designing machinery, materials,
and industrial processes. In general, this work is known as engineering, a word dating back to the
early days of the Industrial Revolution, when an 'engine' was any kind of machine (Encarta 2009).
Engineering has many branches, calling for a wide variety of different skills. For example, while
aeronautical engineers need expertise knowledge in the science of fluid flow because, airplanes
fly through air which is a fluid. Using wind tunnels and computer models, aeronautical engineers
strive to minimize the air resistance generated by an airplane, while at the same time maintaining
a sufficient amount of lift. Marine engineers also need detailed knowledge of how fluids behave,
particularly when designing submarines that have to withstand extra stresses when they dive
deep below the water’s surface. In civil engineering, stress calculations ensure that structures
such as dams and office towers will not collapse, particularly if they are in earthquake zones.
Computing, engineering takes two forms: hardware design and software design. Hardware design
refers to the physical design of computer equipment (hardware). Software design is carried out
by programmers who analyze complex operations, reducing them to a series of small steps written
in a language recognized by computers. Technology draws on discoveries from all areas of
science and puts them to practical use (Kresge 201). Each of these branches itself consists of
numerous subdivisions. Many of these subdivisions, such as astrophysics or biotechnology,
combine overlapping disciplines, creating yet more areas of research.
The term "society" which came from the Latin word societas generally designates persons
belonging to a specific in-group. In anthropology, the term is used to refer not only to a group of
people but also to the complex pattern of the norms of interaction that arise among them. Men
express their nature by creating and recreating an organization which guides and controls their
behaviour in several ways. “This organization, society, liberates and limits the activities of men,
sets up standards for them to follow and maintain: whatever the imperfections and tyrannies it
has exhibited in human history, it is a necessary condition of every fulfillment of life”. (MacIver
and Page, 1987). Society exists only where social beings behave toward one another in ways
determined by their recognition of one another. The more complex a society is, the more varied
the social relationships are. Society, however, is not restricted to humans alone. Animals also live
societies. The features of either a human society or an animal society are a certain level of
association, a level closer and more intricate than a mere aggregation but looser and less complex
than an organism. Further, the units they bring together on this level are not cells or organs but
individuals. However, the society in which man lives has been distinguished from that of animals
and Society
, MODULE 1:
General Concepts and Historical Events
in Science, Technology, and Society
LESSON 1:
Intellectual Revolutions
that Defined Society
2022
, INTRODUCTION
The word science comes from the Latin word “Scientia” which means “to know.” Science is
the systematic study of anything that can be examined, tested, and verified. From its early
beginnings, science has developed into one of the greatest and most influential fields of human
endeavor. Today different branches of science investigate almost everything that can be observed
or detected, and science as a whole shape the way we understand the universe, our planet,
ourselves, and other living things. Science develops through objective analysis, instead of through
personal belief. Knowledge gained in science accumulates as time goes by, building on work
performed earlier. Some of this knowledge such as our understanding of numbers stretches back
to the time of ancient civilizations, when scientific thought first began. Other scientific knowledge
such as our understanding of genes that cause cancer or of quarks (the smallest known building
block of matter) dates back less than 50 years. However, in all fields of science, old or new,
researchers use the same systematic approach, known as the scientific method, to add to what
is known (Encarta 2009).
Technology is scientific knowledge that is put to practical ends. This knowledge comes chiefly
from mathematics and the physical sciences, and it is used in designing machinery, materials,
and industrial processes. In general, this work is known as engineering, a word dating back to the
early days of the Industrial Revolution, when an 'engine' was any kind of machine (Encarta 2009).
Engineering has many branches, calling for a wide variety of different skills. For example, while
aeronautical engineers need expertise knowledge in the science of fluid flow because, airplanes
fly through air which is a fluid. Using wind tunnels and computer models, aeronautical engineers
strive to minimize the air resistance generated by an airplane, while at the same time maintaining
a sufficient amount of lift. Marine engineers also need detailed knowledge of how fluids behave,
particularly when designing submarines that have to withstand extra stresses when they dive
deep below the water’s surface. In civil engineering, stress calculations ensure that structures
such as dams and office towers will not collapse, particularly if they are in earthquake zones.
Computing, engineering takes two forms: hardware design and software design. Hardware design
refers to the physical design of computer equipment (hardware). Software design is carried out
by programmers who analyze complex operations, reducing them to a series of small steps written
in a language recognized by computers. Technology draws on discoveries from all areas of
science and puts them to practical use (Kresge 201). Each of these branches itself consists of
numerous subdivisions. Many of these subdivisions, such as astrophysics or biotechnology,
combine overlapping disciplines, creating yet more areas of research.
The term "society" which came from the Latin word societas generally designates persons
belonging to a specific in-group. In anthropology, the term is used to refer not only to a group of
people but also to the complex pattern of the norms of interaction that arise among them. Men
express their nature by creating and recreating an organization which guides and controls their
behaviour in several ways. “This organization, society, liberates and limits the activities of men,
sets up standards for them to follow and maintain: whatever the imperfections and tyrannies it
has exhibited in human history, it is a necessary condition of every fulfillment of life”. (MacIver
and Page, 1987). Society exists only where social beings behave toward one another in ways
determined by their recognition of one another. The more complex a society is, the more varied
the social relationships are. Society, however, is not restricted to humans alone. Animals also live
societies. The features of either a human society or an animal society are a certain level of
association, a level closer and more intricate than a mere aggregation but looser and less complex
than an organism. Further, the units they bring together on this level are not cells or organs but
individuals. However, the society in which man lives has been distinguished from that of animals
