MODUL E 1

LESSON 1: GENERAL CONCEPTS

SCIENCE
• from the Latin word ‘scientia’, meaning “knowledge”
•the systematic study of the natural world through observation and experimentation, with the goal of creating testable
explanations and predictions

TECHNOLOGY
• came from two (2) Greek words: “techne” (skill, craftsmanship, art) and “logos” (discourse, reason)
• involves the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes
• refers to the tools, methods, and processes used to achieve goals and solve real-world problems

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Science drives technology by making new technology possible through scientific breakthroughs, and scientists use
technology in their experiments

ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Science and technology have a profound impact on economic development, health systems, education, and
infrastructure, and the most significant breakthroughs come from the convergence of new technologies
• Technology is a key driver of growth and has the potential to improve the lives of people in developing countries.
• Technology uses science to solve problems, and science uses technology to
make new discoveries
• The goal of science is to answer questions and increase knowledge. The goal
of technology is to find solutions to practical problems.

SOCIETY
• defined as a group of individuals who engage in continuous social interaction, sharing the same territory and subject
to the same political authority and cultural expectations
• Societies are characterized by patterns of relationships (social relations) between individuals who share distinctive
culture and institutions; a given society may be described as the sum total of such relationships among its
constituent of members.
• In the social sciences, larger societies often exhibit patterns of stratification or dominance in subgroups.

HOW SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AFFECT SOCIETY

• Science has made life easier, enabling people to pursue societal concerns such as ethics, aesthetics, education, and
justice, create cultures, and improve human conditions
• Science influences society through its knowledge and worldview
• Scientific knowledge and procedures influence the way many individuals think about themselves, others, and the
environment
• The effect of science on society is neither entirely beneficial nor entirely detrimental

LESSON 2: HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS

ANCIENT TIMES
• In the ancient times, the primary concern are transportation and navigation, communication and record-keeping,
mass production, security and protection, as well as health, aesthetics, and architecture

SUMERIAN CIVILIZATIONS
• Sumeria- located in the southernmost tip of ancient Mesopotamia, now known as Iraq
• Sumerians- known for their high degree of cooperation with others and their desire for great things. They are not
contented with the basic things that life can offer
CUNEIFORM
• considered as the first writing system developed by Sumerians
• a system that utilizes word pictures and triangular symbols which are carved on clay using wedge instruments and
then left to dry. This allowed Sumerians to keep records of things with great historical value of their everyday life.

URUK CITY
• considered to be the first true city in the world
• built by Sumerians using only mud or clay from the river, which they mixed with reeds, producing sun-baked bricks
• bricks are used to make houses that protected them from the harsh weather and to build a wall around the city that
prevented wild animals and neighboring raiders from entering.

THE GREAT ZIGGURAT OF UR (“Mountain of God”)

• was built in the same manner that Sumerians constructed the City of Uruk using sun-baked bricks.
• served as the sacred place of their chief god, where only their priests were allowed to enter

IRRIGATION AND DIKES

• created by Sumerians to bring water to farmlands and at the same time control the flooding in the rivers
• considered as one of the world’s most beneficial engineering works
• enable Sumerians to enjoy year-long farming and harvesting, which
increased their food production.

SAILBOATS
• used by Sumerians for transportation through their waterways such as rivers and seas
• used to carry large quantities of products and were able to cover large distances

WHEEL
• invented by Sumerians for farm work and food processing
• farmers were able to mill with less effort in less time

PLOW
• invented by Sumerians to dig the earth in a faster pace.
• enable farmers could cultivate larger parcels of land faster, enabling them to mass produce food without taking so
much effort and time.

BABYLONIAN CIVILIZATION
• emerged near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
• Babylonians- great builders, engineers, and architects

HANGING GARDEN OF BABYLON

• a legendary structure consisting of layered gardens that contain various plants, trees, and vines
• said to be built by King Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife, Queen Amytis, but no physical evidence has been found
to prove its existence or exact location
• believe that it may have been a product of the king’s creative imagination. If it did exist, it would be considered
one of the greatest engineering and architectural achievements of the world, almost impossible to replicate.

TOWER OF BABEL
• a structure from biblical literature, said to have been built in Babylonia. According to Genesis, the Babylonians built
the tower to make a name for themselves, but God confused their language, causing them to no longer understand
one another. This led to the city never being completed, and the people being dispersed over the face of the earth.
The story of the Tower of Babel is often cited as an explanation for the diverse human languages that exist today.

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION
PAPER OR PAPYRUS
• invented by Egyptians since clay tablets were heavy to
transport and not convenient for safe-keeping
• Papyrus was a plant that grew abundantly along the Nile River in Egypt
• a major accomplishment in Egyptian record-keeping and communications

INK
• invented by Egyptians since they ceased to use clay tablets and invented the papyrus
• made by combining soot with different chemicals to produce inks with different colors

HIEROGLYPHICS
• writing system developed by Egyptians which uses symbols
• Egyptians believed that this writing system was provide to them by the gods

COSMETICS
• invented by Egyptians for health and aesthetic reasons
• Egyptians wore Kohl around the eyes to prevent and even cure eye
diseases
Kohl- created by mixing soot or malachite with mineral galena
• Egyptians believed that a person wearing make-up was protected from evil and that beauty was a sign of holiness

WIG
• another cosmetic invention of ancient Egyptians
• During the ancient times, wigs were worn for health and wellness rather than for aesthetic
purposes. The wigs were used to protect the shaved heads of the wealthy
Egyptians from harmful rays of the sun.

WATER CLOCK/CLEPSYDRA
• this device utilizes gravity that affects the flow of water from one vessel to the other
• the amount of water (or its height, depending on the method used) remaining in the device determines how much
time has elapsed since it is full
• widely used as a timekeeping device during the ancient times

GREEK CIVILIZATION
Greece is an archipelago in the southeastern part of Europe and known as the birthplace of eastern philosophy. Some
of the major achievements of the Greeks include in-depth works on philosophy and mathematics.

ALARM CLOCK
• used in ancient times to indicate start/stop times.
• Greek alarm clocks used complicated mechanisms with water/stone/sand
• Plato used an alarm clock to signal start of his lecture
• Plato's alarm clock used four vertically lined vessels with water.
• Water filled vessels in given time, siphoned off at faster rate for whistling noise.
• Bottom vessel used for storage and reuse.

WATER MILL
• used in agricultural processes like milling of grains for food processing
• enabled mass production of rice, cereals, flours, and other food products
• only required access to rivers or flowing water for installation
• mechanism consisted of a large wheel with small “buckets” of water attached to it
 ROMAN CIVILIZATION
Roman Empire was perceived to be the strongest political and social entity in the west. Considered to be the cradle
of politics and governance during that period and looked up by other civilizations as their model in terms of legislation
and codified laws.

NEWSPAPER
• Known as “Gazettes”, this contained announcements of the Roman Empire to the
people. Gazettes were engraved in metal or stone tablets and then publicly displayed. With the advent of the paper
minutes of the proceedings of the Roman senate were done in shorthand. These documents were edited and published
on the same day that they were recorded.

BOUND BOOKS OR CODEX

• Paper made record-keeping easier, leading to civilizations becoming fond of documenting historical events and laws
• Julius Caesar started the tradition of stacking papyrus to form book pages
• Early book covers were made of wax, but animal skin was later used for stronger, longer-lasting covers
• Ancient Romans produced the first books or codex by binding papyrus pages together and covering them with animal
skin

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
• a significant contribution of the ancient Roman Empire to the world
• a continuation of Greek architecture, with some resemblance
• Romans were pioneers in adapting new building and engineering technology to their architectural designs
• Roman government fully supported and funded architectural development and implemented major projects
• Examples of major Roman architectural projects include large churches, aqueducts, coliseums, amphitheaters, and
residential houses.

ROMAN NUMERALS
• devised by Romans to address the need for a standard counting method for communication and trade
• Roman numerals are not widely used today due to their inherent limitations but some enthusiasts still use Roman
numerals over more popular number systems like the Hindu-Arabic system

CHINESE CIVILIZATION
• oldest civilization in Asia
• famous among other ancient civilizations because of its silk trade

SILK
• Chinese developed technology to harvest silk, which is naturally produced by silkworms, and process it to produce
paper and clothing
• Silk production led to the creation of a product for trade, which opened China to the outside world
• The trade of silk resulted in cultural, economic, and scientific exchanges between China and other regions.

TEA PRODUCTION
• a beverage produced by pouring hot or boiling water over crushed or shredded dried tea leaves
• it was believed that the first tea was drunk by a Chinese emperor
• Tea production was developed in China when an unknown inventor created a machine to shred tea leaves into strips
• The machine used a wheel-based mechanism with sharp edges attached to a wooden or ceramic pot
• Tea production made China known for tea exports, in addition to silk products

GREAT WALL OF CHINA

• once considered the only man-made structure visible from outer space
• the largest and most expensive infrastructure built by the Chinese nation
• constructed to keep out foreign invaders and control the borders of China
• made with stone, brick, wood, earth, and other minerals, showcasing the extent of Chinese engineering technology
at that time
GUN POWDER
• one of the most interesting inventions from China
• originally developed by Chinese alchemists aiming to achieve "elixir of life" or immortality, but accidentally invented
black powder
• Black powder can generate large amounts of heat and gas in an instant and is made by mixing charcoal, sulfur, and
potassium nitrate
• Gunpowder was also used by the Chinese for fireworks during important celebrations in China

MIDIEVAL/ MIDDLE AGES

“ Age of Exploration ”

PRINTING PRESS
• Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press, a more reliable way of printing using cast type
• He used wooden machines that extracted juices from fruits and attached to them a metal impression of the letters.
The metal impression was pressed firmly into a piece of paper, making an exact impression on paper
• This general invention evolved to be the mechanical printing press, which was eventually used all over the world
• The printing press addressed the need for publishing books that would spread information to many people at a faster
rate

MICROSCOPE
• Zacharias Janssen developed the first compound microscope, guided by the principles used for the invention of
eyeglasses
• The microscope allowed people to observe organisms that were normally unseen by the naked eye
• The microscope was key in discovering new means of preventing and curing various illnesses

TELESCOPE
• an optical instrument that helps in the observation of remote objects
• helped navigators to see far and wide to avoid dangers in the sea
• The invention of the telescope, compass, oars, and rudders made sea traveling easier and faster

WAR WEAPONS
• weapons were developed as offensive tools and as defensive tools
• Chainmail was eventually invented to address the problem of heavy body armors limiting soldiers’ movement

MODERN TIMES
PASTEURIZATION
• Louis Pasteur invented pasteurization, a process of heating dairy products to kill harmful bacteria that cause spoilage
• Pasteurization solved the problem of keeping manufactured food, especially dairy products, from deteriorating
• Pasteur also made significant contributions to the fields of molecular asymmetry, fermentation, and vaccination

PETROLEUM REFINERY
• Samuel M. Kier invented kerosene by refining petroleum to provide lighting and heating purposes
• Kerosene was referred to as “Illuminating Oil” and was the solution to the problem of not being able to keep up
with the demand for animal oils
• The invention of kerosene established the petroleum refinery industry to power homes and transportation

TELEPHONE
• Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone
• considered one of the most important inventions of its time
• addressed the need for a communication system that would allow for better government administration
CALCULATOR
• The creation of modern calculators helped pave the way for easier arithmetic calculations
• The development of modern calculators also resulted in the creation of more complex processing machines like the
computer

PHILIPPINE INVENTIONS
• Many of the inventions made by Filipinos were developed to adapt to the country’s natural disasters and harsh tropical
environment.
• The Philippines has a history of developing indigenous technologies, such as bamboo irrigation systems and salt-
making techniques.
• List of Philippine Inventions:
Salamander Amphibious Tricycle, Karaoke, 16-bit microchips, Coconut oil-fueled power generator, Medical incubator,
Salt lamp, Erythromycin –Ilosone, Yoyo, Videophone, iIduced mango flowering (chemical spraying), DeBCC Cream,
Quink – ink, Fermented Fish Sauce, Macapuno,E-Jeepney, Mosquito Ovicidal/Larvicidal (OL) Trap, Methods of
Controlling Leprosy, Banana Catsup, Game of the Generals, Coconet , and Eco-G3000, a low-cost, low maintenance
fuel-emission reduction device. Designed to reduce vehicular gas consumption and toxic emission.

HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Pre-colonial Era:
• indigenous peoples developed knowledge and technologies to adapt to their environment and improve their lives

Spanish Regime:
• The Spaniards brought Western science and technology to the Philippines, including the printing press, wh ich
allowed for the spread of knowledge and ideas.
• The galleon trade also brought new technologies to the country, such as navigation tools and shipbuilding techniques

American Regime:
• The Americans introduced modern educational systems, which led to the establishment of science and engineering
schools.
• They also brought new technologies like the telephone, which improved communication in the country

Commonwealth Period:
• saw the establishment of research institutions and the development of Filipino scientists and engineers

Post-war Era:
• witnessed the modernization of industries and the expansion of science and technology education