Science, Technology

And Society
Presentation

By: Engr. Evelyn V. Almazan

 STS
Part 1
 Analysis of Concepts, Theories,
Principles,
 Historical events in science; its role in
nation building;
 Government programs and projects
 Historical development of science in
the Philippines
 STS
Part 2
 Human conditions that introduced
different philosophies, ideas, policies,
personalities in S&T
Part 3
 Issues in society related to S&T

Development in scientific ideas draws

inspiration from the physical and natural
world; Society is always recipient of the
positive benefits of S&T
 SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
Definitions:

Science as an idea - includes ideas, theories and all

systematic explanations and observations about physical
and natural world ( ex. Black hole, Gravitational Law)

Science as an intellectual activity – encompasses systematic

and practical study of natural & physical world (ex. Control
of entry/exit from MRT using RFID)

Science as a body of knowledge – it is a subject, a discipline, a

filed study, a body of knowledge (STS subject in GE
curriculum)
Cont’d: Scientific Revolution – Definitions:

Science as a personal and social activity -

science is both knowledge and activities done by
human beings to develop better understanding
of the world around them. It is a means to
improve life and to survive in life; improve life -
instant products, fast foods, MRT and express
ways, etc
survive in life – harness, parachute, gas mask,
etc
Cont’d: Scientific Revolution – Definitions:

Reasons why human beings have embarked

in scientific activities:
Know & understand surroundings
Seek answer to many questions
Develop noble ideas (philosophies)
Provide alternative / possible explanations to
certain phenomena
Used religion to rationalized the origins of life and
all lifeless forms
Scientific Revolution – historical background

science ideas

Scientific
Revolution

humans society
Scientific Revolution – historical background
16th – 18th century in Europe
invention of printing machine and blooming
intellectual activities
growing number of scholars in various fields of
human interest
developments in the field of math, physics,
astronomy, biology, and chemistry transformed the
view of society about nature resulted to the birth of
modern science
improved conduct of scientific investigations and
experiments and observations
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 INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTIONS
Intellectuals and their revolutionary ideas –

Creativity
Scientists Science Ideas
(ordinary people)

Passion to
know Science
Creativity
Discoveries
Passion to
discover Technology

Creativity
(extra ordinary
things)
Variables that influences the development of science ideas,
science discoveries and technology
 Scientists whose ideas have shaken the world:
Cont’d:..Intellectual Revolution

Scientists whose ideas have shaken the world:

Nicolaus Copernicus – (Renaissance men)
Thought experiment – interest in astronomy;
influenced by German author Johannes Mueller’s
book; influenced by ideas of heavens and
commentary on the works of Ptolemy.
His manuscript Commentariolus (1510), risk
persecution by the Church
De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the
Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres) published
in 1543 starts scientific revolution.
Cont’d:..
Nicolaus Copernicus – (Renaissance men)

Helio centric – Sun is the center of the universe;

earth and all othercelestial bodies orbits around
the sun each year.

Before it was judged as heretic and therefore

unacceptable idea to be taught to Catholics. He
was banned and ignored for the rest of the 16th
century.
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CRADLES OF EARLY SCIENCE

DEVELOPMENT OF
SCIENCE IN
MESOAMERICA
Maya, Aztec, and Inca Civilizations

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Mesoamerica = Mexico & Central America
Some of the greatest civilizations in the
Americas developed in Mesoamerica
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where the Maya and Aztec people lived

How did people first get to the Americas?

Theory #1 = Bering land bridge

Humans migrated into North America

from Asia by crossing over a land bridge
between Alaska and Siberia…

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How did people first get to the Americas?

Theory #2 = Coastal migration

Humans migrated to the Americas by
crossing the seas, most likely the
Pacific Ocean, and settling along the
western coasts of the Americas…

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Olmec 1300 B.C.-
The first civilization of Mesoamerica

They were located in the hot and swampy lowlands

along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico south of
Veracruz.

They had large cities that were centers for religious

rituals.

They carved colossal stone heads

They may have been to represent

their ancestors or gods.
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Teotihuacán
Was the first major city in Mesoamerica
Arose around 250 B.C. and collapsed about 800 A.D.

May have had as many as 200,000 inhabitants at its height.

Has a main thoroughfare, known as the Avenue of the Dead,

had two main temples.

The Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon.

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Mayan civilization
• Located in the Mexican and Central American rain forest
• Represented by Chichén Itzá
• Group of city-states ruled by a king
• Economy based on agriculture and trade
• Polytheistic religion—Pyramids

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Yucatán Peninsula
-Maya were found in the Yucatan Peninsula and Part of
Guatemala

Maya: Between 300 and 900 A.D.

-Flourished during this time. We do not know why it fell into
decline. The Maya abandoned their cities, we do not know
why.

Political and Social Structure

Cities-Were built around a central pyramid
Pyramid-Was topped with a shrine to
the gods.
City-States-Each governed by a
hereditary ruling class Tikal, Guatemala
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Mayan Kings
-Ruled the Mayan Kingdom
They claimed they were divine
Were assisted by nobles and a class
Of scribes
Made special blood sacrifices to
maintain the kingdom.
People
-Included townspeople, skilled artisans, officials, and
merchants.
Many people were peasant farmers who worked on
terraced hillsides farming.
Men did the fighting and hunting, women made
cornmeal and were responsible for homemaking and
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raising children.
Religion : The Maya were Polytheistic.
They believed that all of life was in the hands of a
divine power. They were responsible for pleasing the
gods.
Their gods were ranked in order of importance, the
Jaguar was the god of night and was seen as evil.
The Maya practiced human sacrifice to appease
their gods. Human sacrifice was also used to mark
special occasions. When a king ascended to the
throne war captives were tortured and beheaded to
mark the occasion.

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Accomplishments
Language
The Maya developed an independent
Hieroglyphic language.

The Spanish destroyed most of the

Mayan writings. They were not seen as
having any value. Their language was
not translated until the 20th century.

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Calendar
The Maya developed a calendar that
had two different parts.
It had a solar calendar with 365 days,
divided into 18 months with 20 days
each with 5 extra days at the end.
A Lunar calendar and a Calendar
based on the movement of the Planet
Venus. This was a sacred calendar
with 260 days and 13 weeks of 20
days each.
The Mayan calendar says our present
world was created in 3114 B.C. and
the current world will end on
December 23 2012 A.D.
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What happened to the Maya?
 The Maya abandoned many of their cities around 900 A.D.

 Archaeologists DO NOT KNOW WHY Maya civilization declined

 Theory: Around 900A.D. there was a severe drought. Many died

due to starvation others migrated away.

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 Maya today
…more than 2 million Maya people live in Guatemala and southern
Mexico today.

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Aztec civilization
• Located in arid valley in central Mexico
• Represented by Tenochtitlan
• Ruled by an emperor
• Economy based on agriculture & tribute from conquered
peoples
• Polytheistic religion with pyramids/rituals

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The Aztec began c. 12th century A.D.
Began a long migration that brought them into the Valley of
Mexico. They established their capital city at Tenochtitlán.

Tenochtitlán
An Aztec legend said that when the people found their new
home they would see an eagle perched on a cactus holding
a snake. They saw this in lake Texcoco.

Their city was built up on rafts made from reeds and covered
with dirt. They were called chinampas. Present-Day
Mexico-City is built on top of this city. The original was
destroyed by the Spanish.

Lake Texcoco-Swampy lake that was the home of the

capital city. Tenochtitlán means the Place of the Prickly
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Pear Cactus.
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Political and Social Structure
By 1500 there were about 4 million people in the Aztec
Empire ruled by an Aztec Emperor. He was
the supreme leader of the people. He
claimed that he was divine.

People
Made up of commoners, indentured workers,
and slaves. Most people were farmers, but they also
traded with people in the surrounding areas.

Men were to be the warriors, while a woman’s role was to

be in the home. Women were allowed to own and inherit
property and enter contracts. Women wove textiles and
raised children. They could also be priestesses.
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Religion

Had a polytheistic religion based on warfare.

Huitzilopochtli - their chief god; god of the
sun. The Aztec offered him human sacrifice
to give him strength to battle the forces of
darkness each night so that he could rise
each morning.

Quetzalcoatl - The feathered Serpent; He

believed he had left the valley of Mexico and
promised to return in triumph.

Human Sacrifice
Each Aztec city contained a pyramid where
They practiced human sacrifice as a 61

way to postpone the end of the world.

Destruction of the Aztec
The subjugation of the people of the Aztec
Empire bred hatred and discontent among the
people. When the Spanish arrived they did
not have a difficult time finding allies to fight
the Aztec.
Hernán Cortés 1519
Spanish Conquistador who came to the valley of Mexico in
1519 with 550 soldiers and 16 horses. He was at first
greeted by the Aztec Emperor Montezuma (Moctezuma).
The Spanish later kidnapped the Emperor and made him a
puppet. The people rebelled and the Emperor was killed.
The Spanish barely escaped. The Spanish returned several
months later. Many of the natives had fallen ill with
Smallpox. Cortés and his allies destroyed the Aztec capital
and subjugated the Aztec people. 62
Incan civilization
• Located in the Andes Mountains of
South America
• Represented by Machu Picchu
• Ruled by an emperor
• Economy based on high-altitude
agriculture
• Polytheistic religion
• Road system
Late 1300's Inca
The Inca started as a small group
that were located in Cuzco. They
did not begin to become powerful
until after the fall of the Moche of
Peru. Pachacuti - Unified the Inca
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and established the Inca Empire.
Organization of the Empire

Incan state was built on war.

The conquered peoples were all taught the
same language.
Each region was appointed a governor who
answered to the Emperor.

Road System: 24, 800 miles of Road

The Inca built roads to unify their people.
Roads made travel and communication
throughout the empire more efficient.

There were rest houses and storage depots

along with bridges to span ravines and
waterways. 64
 Culture

Were required to marry from

within their own social group.
Women were expected to live at
home, the only alternative was to
be a priestess.

Most people were farmers, they

also herded llamas and alpacas.

Quipu-A system of knotted

strings used by the Inca to keep
records.

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Great Builders
They had great buildings made of
stone held without mortar. Their
roads also show their ability as
great builders.

Machu Picchu
City built at 8,000 ft above sea
level.

Urubamba River
River below Machu Picchu

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Defeat

The Spanish arrived in 1531 where

Francisco Pizarro Spanish Conquistador led
a band of 180 men with superior weapons.
The Inca, like the Aztec, were devastated by
a disease, smallpox, devastated the
population.

Civil War
After the death of the Inca Emperor a civil war broke out,
Pizarro took advantage and defeated the people.

Pizarro and his men established Lima as the new capital of

the Spanish Colony in 1535.
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 Achievements of Mayan
Mayan knowledge & understanding about celestial bodies was advanced for their
time
Have measuring time – calendar
Technology for growing different crops
Build elaborate cities using ordinary machineries and tools
Hydraulic and sophisticated waterways
Built looms for weaving, produced rubber
Use writing system – Mayan hieroglyphics
Number system based on numeral 20

Achievements of Inca
Mandatory education
Chocolates – In Mayan culture, they used it as currency
Antispasmodic medication – prevent muscle spasm and relax muscles
Chinampa – technology for agriculture farming which the land is divided
into rectangular areas and surrounded by canals
Aztec Calendar
Innovation of canoe – light narrow boat used for traveling in water systems
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 DEVELOPMENT ST in ASIA
China, India and Middle East stood out in the field of science, technology and
mathematics:
INDIA:
• Know for manufacturing iron (best) and in metallurgical works
• Famous for medicine – Ayurveda, a system of traditional
medicine (2500BC) is still practiced as alternative medicine
• Notable in field of Astronomy – developed theories in
configuration of universe, 360 days with 12 equal parts of 30
days each;
• Known for mathematics; appeared in Indus Valley Civilization
which tried to standardized measurement of length to a high
degree of accuracy and designed a ruler – the Mohenjodaro
ruler; introduced trigonometric functions, algebraic algorithms
(Aryabhata 476 – 550); Brahmagupta suggested gravity as a
force of attraction, use zero both as a place holder and a
decimal digit, Hindu-Arabic numerals
 DEVELOPMENT ST in ASIA
Cont’d…China, India and Middle East…

CHINA: have influenced Korea, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam,

Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar
• Known for traditional medicine; discovered various medical
properties and uses different plants and animals to cure human
illness; acupuncture
• Technology: developed compass, paper making, gunpowder,
printing tools; iron plough, wheelbarrow and propeller; developed
a different design models of bridges, dry dock facility and the
first seismological detector, thus made them prepared for
natural calamities
• Astronomy – recorded supernova, lunar & sola eclipses, comets.
Accdg to Needham(1986) religion & philosophical framework of
Chinese intellectuals made them unable to accept the ideas of law
of nature.
 DEVELOPMENT ST in ASIA
Cont’d…China, India and Middle East…

MIDDLE EAST: dominantly occupied by Muslims; 13th Century is the

Golden Age of Islam; With common Arabic language, access to
Greek text, near India contributory/provide scholars knowledge to
create innovations through science experiments.

• Ibnal-Haytham, Father of Optics, proof of theory of light

• Ibn Musa al Khwarizmi – algebra algorithm; al-jabr root word;
• Refined Arabic Numeric System by introducing decimal point
notation
• Jabir ibn Hayyan “Father of Cemistry”
• Ibn Sina’s notable works in medicine (The Canon of Medicine)
were used as standard medicinal text in both Muslim & Europe
in 17th century
 DEVELOPMENT ST AFRICA
AFRICA – blessed with natural and mineral resources
Rules in Geometry was developed to preserve the layout and ownership of
farmland of the Egyptians living along the Nile River (rectilinear structure, the
post of lintel architecture)
Egyptian pyramids, early dams to divert water from the Nile River proof of
advanced civilization
Egypt is center of alchemy-study human anatomy, pharmacology. The applied
diagnosis, treatment and prognosis (medical examination procedure) for
treatment of diseases.
Astronomy is famous in Africa. They used 3 types of calendar: lunar, solar, stellar
or a combination of the three.
Metallurgy – iron tech., development of Bronze Age until Iron Age. They invented
metal tools used in homes, agriculture, build magnificent architectures.
Lebombo Bone – a tool for multiplication, division, etc,
6-months-lunar calendar – oldest math artifact (35,000 BCE)
Have knowledge of basic concepts of algebra and geometry
Islamic regions in Africa benefit from advance mathematical learning in algebra,
geometry and trigonometry
Science and Technology in the
Philippines
DOST (Department of Science and
Technology)

- The main managing agency

responsible for science and
technology.
Pre – Spanish Era

 Interpret the movements of heavenly bodies to predict

seasons and climates
 Prepare the soil for agricultural purposes
 Medicinal uses of plants
 Technology
 Tools for planting, hunting,
 Archeological artifacts (Metal Age)
Spanish Era
- Introduction of formal education and founded scientific institution.
- Parish schools (religion, reading, writing, arithmetic and music)

- Sanitation and more advanced methods of agriculture was thought to

the natives.

- Colleges & Universities (UST)

- Field of Engineering in the islands by constructing government buildings,
churches, roads, bridges and forts.

- Biology is given focus.

- Trade was given more focus than agriculture & industrial development.

- Suez Canal
American Period
- Public Education system
- Improved the engineering works & the health conditions of the people
- Tropical diseases and laboratory projects
- Agriculture, food processing, forestry, medicine & pharmacy
- Industrial Technology development was given not much attention due to
free trade policy.
 Post Commonwealth Era

- During 1970’s, the government’s role in supporting

scientific research and invention was acknowledged.
- Science & technology’s role in economic recovery and
sustained economic growth was highlighted
THANK YOU VERY
MUCH!!!