SOUTH EAST ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, INC.

National Highway, Crossing Rubber, Tupi, South Cotabato

GENERAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

___________________________________________________

LEARNING MODULE
GE 117 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
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WEEK 1

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 COURSE OUTLINE

COURSE CODE : GE117

TITLE : SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
TARGET POPULATION : ALL STUDENTS
INSTRUCTOR : Ms. Jollibee M. Hospital, LPT

Overview:
The course deals with interactions between science and technology and social, cultural, political, and
economic contexts that shape and are shaped by them. (CMO no.20. series of 2013) This
interdisciplinary course engages students to confront the realities brought about by science and
technology in society. Such realities pervade the personal, the public, and the global aspects of our
living and are integral to human development. Scientific knowledge and technological development
happen in the context of society with all its socio- political, cultural, economic, and philosophical
underpinnings at play. This course seeks to instill reflective knowledge in the students that they are
able to live the good life and display ethical decision making in the face of scientific and technological
advancement.

General Objective:
To understand the general concepts and principles needed to study of science, technology and
society. It designed to enable students acknowledge and appreciate the scientific and technological
development from the perspective of its historical developments up to 21th century and its impact to
humans and its society.

The following are the topics to be discussed

Week 1 - Science, Technology and Its significance to Society in Contemporary World

Week 2- Evidences of Science and Technology during Pre-Historic Times

Evidences of Science and Technology during Ancient Times (3500 B.C.-1200 in the
world)

Week 3- The contribution of Greek, Persian and Romans in the Development of Science and
Technology
The contribution of Arabs, Chinese and Hindu in the Development of Science and
Technology

Week 4- Evidences of Science and Technology during Pre- Columbian Times (1500 B.C.-A.D.
1500)

Week 5- The states of Science and Technology during the Middle Ages (A. D. 400- A.D. 1300 in
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 Unit 1
Lesson 1 Science, Technology and Its Significance to Society in Contemporary World

A. The meaning of Science and Technology

➢ Science, technology and society refers to the interaction between science and technology and social
cultural, political and economic contexts which shape and are shaped by them; specific examples
throughout human history of scientific and technological development.
B. Meaning of science
• Science is a systematized body of knowledge
• Science is an organized and dynamic inquiry (following scientific method)
• Science is knowledge gained through observation and experimentation
• Science is a human activity; scientist
• Science is a social enterprise: people, knowledge, skills, facilities, apparatus and technologies

C. Meaning of Technology
• Technology as material products; results of scientific inquiry; hardware produced by a scientist
• Technology as the application of knowledge in solving scientific and practical problems that will help
humans to survive or endeavors
• Technology as a social enterprise-Technology is a complex system of knowledge, skills, people,
methods, tools, materials and resources applied and allocated to the development, operation and
production of a new or improved product, process or services.
• Technology as modern technology based on the advances of science since the end of WWII to the
present.
D. Some of the notable human success in the field of science and technology
Humans are ingenious species.
Humans (Homo sapiens) have dreamed up and created some amazing and far-out things. From the
moment someone based a rock on the ground to make the first sharp-edged tool, to the debut of the
wheel to the development of Mars rovers and the Internet, several key advancements stand out as
particularly revolutionary. Here are some of most important inventions of all time along with the science
behind the invention and how they came out.
The wheel-the concept of inventing the wheel came during 3500 BC. Humans were severely limited in
how much stuff they could transport over land, and how far. The idea came to connect a non-moving
platform to a rolling cylinder. People then invented the wheel and axle which is the concept of making
wheels.

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The compass-Before, mariners navigate with the star, but that method didn’t work during the day or
on cloudy nights. The Chinese invented the first compass sometimes between the 9th and 11th century;
it was made of lodestone, a naturally-magnetized iron ore, and the attractive properties of which they
had been studying for centuries.

The printing press-It was Johannes Gutenberg, a German who invented the printing press around
1440. Though others before him-including inventors in China and Korea-have developed the movable
type made from metal, Gutenberg was the first to have created a mechanized process that transferred
the ink (which he made from linseed oil and soot) from the movable type to paper. Printing presses
exponentially increased the speed with which book copies could be made, and thus led to the rapid
and widespread dissemination of knowledge for the first time in history.
The telephone- Alexander Graham Bell was the first to be awarded a patent for the electric telephone
in 1876. Though several inventors did pioneering work on electronic voice transmission, the invention
quickly took off, and revolutionized global business and communication.
Penicilin-In 1928, the Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming noticed a bacteria-filled Petri dish in his
laboratory, the sample had become contaminated with a mold, and everywhere the mold was, the
bacteria was dead.
The Internet- is the global system of interconnected computer networks used by billions of people
worldwide. It is impossible to credit the invention of the internet to a single person, as countless people
helped develop it. In the 1960’s, a team of computer scientists working for the U.S Defense
Department’s ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency)built a communications network to connect
the computers in the agency, called ARPANET. It used a method of data transmission called “packet
switching”. ARPANET was the predecessor of the Internet that eventually emerged to become the
“Information superhighway”.
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 Eco-Friendly Technologies/Advantage: These are sustainable technologies. This technology utilizes
resources from the environment without causing negative effects to it. Some of these are:
• Solar Energy-use of solar panels to provide electricity
• Geothermal energy
• Wind power-wind mills as source of energy
E. Disadvantages and Ethical dilemmas of Science and Technology
1. Threats to human survival-the invention of nuclear weapons in 1945, like the nuclear bombing of
Nagaski and Hiroshima that caused deaths of many people. This was a product of chemical and
biological warfare (bio-warfare); toxic wastes produced by manufacturing companies that threaten
human survival and stability of the environment.
2. Ethical dilemmas- exploitation of advanced scientific knowledge and technological devices and
systems gave rise to situations in which advances seem to have turned against their beneficiaries,
creating ethical dilemmas.
3. Disparities in Human well-being- there are advanced countries enjoying science and technology
based successes and hold high esteem in contemporary society (Economic strength), versus millions
of people in less developed countries which have not partaken in these benefits.
4. Social and cultural conflicts-Military power is vital for national security of many governments;
Superior and highly technical weapons dictated the outcomes of some recent wars.
5. Innovating technologies can have negative consequences for certain sectors or constituencies:
➢ Include pollution associated with production processes,
➢ Increased unemployment from labor-saving new technologies,
➢ Conversion of agricultural land into urban areas,
➢ Effect of overused technologies in medical industry that can cause fatal births and diseases.
➢ Global warming.

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 SOUTH EAST ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, INC.
National Highway, Crossing Rubber, Tupi, South Cotabato

GENERAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

___________________________________________________

LEARNING MODULE
GE 117 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
_____________________________________________________

WEEK 2

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 WEEK 2

Unit 2
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF HISTORY

LESSON 1 Evidences of Science and Technology during Pre-historic Times

A. The dawn of the First Civilizations

Ancient human were able to discover and invent tools and methods as science developed and
progressed. With the availability of new scientific Instruments and techniques, archeology excavation
has provided us with data and evidences. Facts have been unearthed and revealed that even during
primitive time, people have already developed skills and technologies which served and supplied their
needs for survival. Mankind existed long before the written records of any kind dated only in about 5000
BC. People then discovered, learned and developed science and technology as the consequence of
their search for food, and other survival needs, for practical reasons and even curiosity.
• Discovery of mud plaster that led to pottery and mud brick houses; first known pottery was in Japan
around 10,000 BC.

B. Evidence of Science and Technology during Pre-Historic Times (3000-5000 B.C.)

Man’s achievements in science can be categorized as:
(a) discovery (recognition and observation of new objects):
(b) invention (mental process wherein man’s various discoveries, observation and experience are
put together to produce new ways (operation) and means (tools) of obtaining things (useful).

Stone Age: This period was marked by which stone was widely used to make tools and implements.
Dated roughly 3.4 million years ago, and in about 8000 BC this era was divided into three separate
periods-Paleolithic Period (Early), Mesolithic Period (Middle), and Neolithic Period (New) –based on
the degree of sophistication in the fashioning and use of tools. It is believed tool making began very
early in the olden times. The era of Australopitthcus and Paranthopus were contemporaneous with the
evolution of the genus Homo. Man was a food gatherer, depended for his subsistence on hunting wild
and birds, fishing, and collecting wolf fruits, nuts, and berries.
Tools developed gradually from single to all-purpose tools to a collection of varied and highly
specialized types of tools, each designed to serve in connection with a specific function. The trend was
from a stage of non -specialization to stages of relatively high degrees of specialization. In the
manufacture of stone implements, four fundamental traditions were developed
by the Paleolithic ancestors.(1) pebble-tool traditions; (2) bifacial-tool, or hand –axe traditions; (3)
flake-tool traditions; and (4) blade-tool traditions.
Stone tools were made from a variety of stones: Flint and chart were shaped or chipped for use as
cutting tools, flakes, blades and weapons. Flaking was able to produce a wide range of a special tools
that was used for cutting, chopping, scraping and sawing. Basalt and sandstone were used for ground
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 stone tools. Wood, bone, shell, antler and other materials were widely used, as well.
The early Stone Age includes the most basic stone toolkits made by early humans. The oldest stone
tools, known as the Oldowan toolkit, consist of hammer stones that show battering on their surfaces;
stone cores that show a series of flake scars along one or more edges; and sharp stone flakes that
were struck from the cores and offer useful cutting edges. Hand axes are cutting tools as well as other
kinds of ‘large cutting tools are characteristic of an Acheulean toolkit.
During middle Paleolithic time, the pace of innovation in stone technology began to accelerate.
Handaxes were made with exquisite craftsmanship, and eventually gave way to smaller, more diverse
toolkits, with an emphasis on flake tools rather than larger core tools. One of the main innovations was
the application of ‘prepared core technique’, in which a core was carefully flaked on one side so that a
flake of predetermined size and shape could be produced in a single blow. This technique probably
raised the level of standardization and predictability in stone technology.
Middle Stone Age toolkits included points, which could be halted on the shafts to make spears.
When smaller points were eventually made, they were attached to smaller, sleeker shafts to make darts,
arrows, and other projectile weapons.

The Neolithic was characterized primarily by herding societies, as well as bronze smelting,
adoption of agriculture, the shift from food gathering to food producing, development of pottery using
sediments and clay. Agriculture was developed and certain animals were raised as well.
Bronze Age: The Bronze Age is the second principal period of the three-age Stone Bronze-Iron system
and generally followed the Neolithic period. This period is marked with the beginning of mining and
metallurgy.
• Man-made tin bronze technology required set production techniques. Tin must be mined and smelted
separately, then added to molten copper to make bronze alloy. The Bronze Age was a time of extensive
use of metals and of developing trade networks.

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Iron Age is the period of time in prehistory when the dominant tool making material was iron preceded
by the Stone Age and Bronze Age, the transition from Bronze Age occurred at different times in different
places on Earth. As the name suggest, Iron age Technology is characterized by the production of tools
and weaponry using ferrous metallurgy or iron work more specially from carbon steel. Meteoric iron has
been used by humans since 3200 BC, but ancient iron production did not become widespread until the
ability to smelt iron ore, remove impurities and regulate the amount of carbon in the alloy were
developed.
The distinctive dark metal brought with it significant changes to daily life in ancient society, from the
way people grew crops to the way they fought wars. Iron made life a lot easier in those days, much of
Europe had settled into small village life, toiling the soil with iron farming tools, such as sickles and
plough tips, made the process more efficient and allowed farmers to exploit tougher soils, try new crops
and have more time for other activities.

Lesson 2
Evidences of Science and Technology during Ancient Times (3500 B.C-1200 in the Old World)

First civilizations emerged independent of one another along fertile river valleys in Mesopotamia (Tigris
– Euphrates), Egypt (Nile), China (Huang Ho valley), and India, People of each civilization developed
a unique way of life, religion, form of government, language and system of writing, arts and crafts,
advances of science and technology: astronomy , agriculture, medicine, mathematics, engineering, and
architecture. They grew plants and domesticated animals and settled down in places.
I. Sumerian civilization (Sumer, Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq and Kuwait). It is cradle of the world’s
earliest known civilization and was first established in the region in about 3600 B.C.
Science and Technology Development:
a. Cuneiform is the first writing system, it is a set of word pictures depicted in symbols made of
triangular marks around 3100 BC. It is also known as the ‘the first cities’ in the world. It transformed
families into tribes that occupied territories which soon became cities and later were called the states.
b. Sumerian clay tablet-contains the Sumerian historical information and culture. It began as record
keeping for trade and evolved into the use of symbols for writing down laws and stories.
c.The concept of the wheel actually grew out of a mechanical device that the Sumerians had invented
shortly after 3500 B.C-the potter’s wheel. This was a heavy flat disk made of hardened clay.

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d. Sailboat was also first invented by Ancient Mesopotamia. Five thousand years ago Mesopotamians
started using sailing boats.Since Mesopotamia was situated between two famous rivers, namely the
Euphrates and the Tigris, they needed water transportation for travel and trade.
e. the Sumerians were among the first astronomers, mapping the movement of stars, planets and moon
into sets of constellations, many of which survived in the zodiac and were also recognized by the
ancient Greeks.
f. Sumerians were also recognized for building the foundations of logic, mathematics, engineering,
architecture, agriculture, transportation and medicine;
g. Developed systematized technique of farming: seed plow and irrigation
h. Wool from sheep made into textiles; mastered the arts of bleaching and dyeing

II. Babylonian Civilization

Location: Babylonia was the ancient region bordering the Tigris and Euphrates River (Iraq). Babylon is
the capital, served as commercial and religious center in the Tigris-Euphrates valley.
Science and Technology Development:
a. Hammurabi (1792-1750 B.C), the first leader of the old Babylonian Empire promulgated the famous
law code that served as rule and standards which helped maintain a period of stability in this region,
as well as the establishment of science and technology.
b.Nebuchadnezzar II was the Neo Babylonian Emperor who ordered the construction of the famous
“hanging Gardens of Babylon” (one of the Seven Wonders of the World) and the Ishtar Gate.
c. Contributed to the development of science and technology such as: irrigation system of canals
flanked by earthen dikes; system of book keeping, double entry accounting, multiplication and division
tables and calculations using geometry.
d. Adopted the Sumerian sexagesimal system of counting in units of 60; made accurate predictions of
solar and lunar eclipses and other astronomical phenomena.

III. Egyptian Civilization

Location: Situated in the Northeast part of the African continent, Egypt is located along the Nile River
which provided a fertile delta.
Science and Technology Development:
Ancient Egypt depended on the waters of the River Nile, which flows through harsh and arid
desert. The Nile River gave life to the civilization of Egypt. The early settlers were animal hunters, they
were nomadic. Later changed their lifestyle to be farmland settlers.
Ancient Egyptians learned to heat metal ore (copper, gold and bronze) and made weapons and
utensils. They may have been the first people to learn how to make glass (glass-blowing). They learned
how to heat sand in very hot furnace and then blow the molten sand into glass. They made glass jars
and glass beads.
Egyptian writing wrote with ink and brushes on paper made of papyrus reeds; their writing was
in the form of pictorial symbols known as hieroglyphics. Their knowledge of human anatomy, physiology,
surgery and medical medical plants enabled them to master the art and science of embalming their
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dead.
Created the calendar based on the phases of the moon, consisting of 29 and ½ days. The first
365-day calendar was devised by IMHOTER, early in the old kingdom. They were the first to divide the
day into 24 hours, calculated the time by means of water clock. Their interest in Astronomy was focused
on the stars and early calendar was based on the appearance and disappearance of stars Sirius, the
brightest in their horizon which coincide with annual rise and fall of the Nile River, help them forecast
the seasons and predict the annual flooding on the Nile River.
The Egyptians also engaged in ship building; Construction of canals, dikes and ditches with
outlet system; Planted wheat, barley. Food was broiled, baked, stewed, fried, grilled or roasted. They
bred ducks, geese, pigs, goats, cattle and sheep; Manufactured soaps, cream, oils, perfumes and eye
makeup.

IV. Cretan (Minoan) Civilization

Location: arose on the island of Crete and other Aegean islands such as Santorini and flourished from
approximately 2600 to 1400 BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the
work of British archeologist Arthur Evans. Will Durant referred to it as “the first link in the European
chain”. Minoan civilization was an Aegean Bronze Age civilization, ruled by King Minos. Knossos
was the capital of Crete, the grandest site of Bronze Age palaces, built between 2100 and 1575 B.C.
Crete is a mountainous island with natural harbors located midway between Turkey, Egypt and Greece.
Science and Technology Development:
The Minoans were primarily a mercantile people engaged in overseas trae. Their culture, from
1700 BConward, shows a high degree of organization. Many historians and archeologists believe that
the Minoans were involved in the Bronze Age’s important tin trade; tin, alloyed with copper apparently
was from Cyprus. Crete became importers of raw materials and food. In the process they built the first
major navy ship in the world. Its primary purpose, however, was trade, not war or conquest.

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 SOUTH EAST ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, INC.
National Highway, Crossing Rubber, Tupi, South Cotabato

GENERAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

___________________________________________________

LEARNING MODULE
GE 117 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
_____________________________________________________

WEEK 3

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 WEEK 3
Lesson 3
The contribution of Greek, Persian and Romans in the Development of Science and Technology

I. The Classical Greek Philosophers (400 B.C-400A.D)

Location: Greece is a country in Southern Europe located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Its mainland is located at the southernmost tip of the Balkan Peninsula.

Science and Technology Developments:

Here are some of the Great Greek Philosophers that helped in the development of science and
technology during Ancient times.
a. Thales of Miletus (638-548 B.C) developed the theory of matter based upon water.
b. Socrates (470-399 B.C) emphasized the study of human nature in relation to society; established the
theory of skepticism.
c. Empedocles (493-433 B.C) assumed that there were more than one kind of matter and postulated
four roots of elements: earth, air, fire and water.
d. Hippocrates about 400 B.C started the science of medicine and is known as the greatest physician
of antiquity and regarded as the father of medicine. He stated that diseases have natural causes and
the body has the power to repair itself.
e. Aristotle (384-322 B.C) regarded as the father of Biology, undertook a large-scale classification of
plants and animals. He introduced a method of scientific thinking that still plays a role today.
f. Archimedes (287-212 B.C)-performs experiments which led him to discover the laws of the lever and
the pulley that resulted in the invention of machines which could easily move loads.
g. Ptolemy, about 100 A.D-one of the greatest astronomers who founded the Geocentric theory (Earth-
centered) and wrote the Almagest.
h. Democritus-developed atomic theory; elaborated idea that matter consisted of atoms.
i. Pythagoras (497-581 B.C)-Mathematicians, held that numbers were basic to matter; the Pythagorean
Theorem.
j. Plato dealt with the nature of the universe; ascribed geometric forms composed of bounding planes
to the elements of earth, fire, air and water based upon their physical properties.
k. Aristarchus: Both a mathematician and an astronomer, Aristarchus discovered new theories about
the way the planets move in their orbits.
l. Hipparchus discovered the length of the month which is only one second off from the length that we
use today.
m. Eratosthenes determined that the circumference of (the distance around) the earth was 28,000
miles, which is only three thousand miles more than what we know today.
n. Theophrastus regarded as father of plant science, wrote “History of Plants” in which he described
the forms, behavior, morphology, and properties of some 500 food and medicinal plants.

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II. Persian Civilization
Location: Persia is the former name of Iran. The Persian Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great in the 6th
century BC, was the largest empire of the ancient world, stretching from the borders of India and China
in the east to large parts of Greece and Libya in the west. The culture of Persians is one of the oldest
in the Middle East.
Science and Technology Development:
Persia has one of the richest art heritages in world history and encompasses many disciplines
including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking and stonemasonry. Persian
rugs have always been a vital part of the Persian culture.
a. Nas’taliq is the most beautiful Persian Calligraphy style and also technically the most complicated.
Even the second popular Persian calligraphy style i.e. “Cursive NAs’taliq” or “Shekasteh Nas’taliq”.
b. Pottery-the taste and talent of the Persian people can be seen through the designs of their earthen
wares, ceramic art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials.
c. Domes were an important part and constructed on the first large-scale in Persia. The outer surfaces
of the domes are mostly mosaic faced, which creates a magical view.
d. Various Structures such as mosques, mausoleums, bazars, bridges, and different palaces have
mainly survived from this period.
e. A wind tower is a chimney-like structures positioned above the house to catch the prevailing wind.
III.Roman Civilization
Location: Rome is the capital of Italy, Roman civilization is characterized by a government headed by
emperors and large territorial holdings around the Mediterranean Sea in Europe, Africa and Asia. Today
it is known as the “the eternal city’. Latin is the language spoken by Romans.
Science and Technology Development:
a. The Romans used water power, and watermills for making cereals milling, sawing timber and
crushing ore. They exploited wood and coal for heating.
b. The romans made great use of aqueducts, dams, bridges, and amphitheaters.
c. The Romans constructed numerous aqueducts to supply water. The city of Rome itself was supplied
with eleven aqueducts made of limestone that provided the city with over 1 million cubic metres of water
each day, sufficient for 3.5 million people even in modern-day times.
d. Romans dedicated their many resources to the study of astronomy, astrology, geography, and other
sciences. Their contributions were crucial to future generations and have helped us collect the
knowledge we have today.
e. Ancient Roman used sundials to tell time and even created portable versions. They also used tools
for measuring manual drills, and metal spikes (used as nails).
f. Advanced glassblowing techniques brought new technology to Rome in the form of window glass,
hanging glass oil lamps, and other objects made of glass.
g. Rome’s military benefited from technological improvements to weapons, shields, amour, and other
items.

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 Some of the Notable Roman Scientists
1. Galen (129-199 AD)-great physician and surgeon; Galen influenced the development of various
scientific disciplines, including anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, and neurology, as well
as philosophy and logic.
2. Vitruvius is another writer whose work has provided us with important knowledge about Ancient
Rome. He was also an architect and an engineer sometimes referred to as the first architect.
3. Pliny- described almost a thousand species of plants, most of which were highly valued for their
medicinal uses.
Lesson 4
The Contribution of Arabs, Chinese and Hindu in the Development of Science and Technology
I. Arabic Civilization
Location: Originated in the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia in 622 A. D. Arabic is the written and spoken
language of the Arabs. At present there are 22 Arabic-speaking countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoro
Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Tunasia, UAE and Yemen. Their religion Islam means “submission
to the will of God.” God Allah conveyed to Muhammad, a tradesman, a series of revelations which were
to form the basis of the new faith.
Science and Technology Development:
• Trigonometry, sine, Tangent, Co-tangent- Ibn Moosaa’s work Hisaab-Al Jab –Wal MUdaabala (The
Calculation of Integration and Equation) presented 800 examples in the 8th century CE, it was Europe’s
main textbook on the subject.
• Astronomy-invented an instrument used to observe star called Astrolable.
• Architecture-built before the great Mosque of Damascus
• Water wheel
• Water Irrigation
• Algebra and Geometry- Muhammad bin Moosa Al-kwawaarizmi is considered to be one of the founders
of Algebra. The word ‘Algorithm’ or ‘Algorizm’ is a corruption of his name or the name of the town
Khwaarizm (Kheva), in what is now Uzbekistan, where he was born.
• Physics and chemistry-Kamaludden examined the refraction of sunlight in raindrops and offered an
explanation of the genesis of primary and secondary rainbows.
• Haroon Ar-Rasheed was associated with the story of the invention of the pendulum and the
presentation of a water clock to Emperor Charlemagne.
• Science of Mechanics- The development of the science of mechanics in Islam is an act of genius.
Moosaa bin Shaakir described one hundred pieces of mechanical equipment in his book of artifices.
• Camera Obscura-In the field of optics, this was invented by Ibn Haytham in 1038 CE.
• Theory of Relativity-Qaadhi Abu Bakr developed the theory of relativity in the 8th century CE in terms
of time and space by means of mathematical equations and astrophysics.

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• Paper Making-This was one of the earliest skills attained by the Muslims, As early as the 8th century
CE, high quality paper was being manufactured in Samarqand. Egypt was known to have its first paper
mill in the year 900 CE.
• Advances in Industry-Muslims were leading in weaving wool, producing skills, pottery, jewelry, and in
leather and perfume industry.

II. Chinese Civilization

Location: Ancient China was built along the two main rivers- first the Yellow River (Huang He) in the
north, and later the Yangtze in the south. China is one of the oldest civilizations and the world’s most
populous country (Asia), with a population of over 1.35 billion.
Science and Technology Development:
Various forms of sciences such as astronomy, physics, chemistry, meteorology, seismology,
have originated from China.
Chinese contributions to science and technology:

• Paper and Chinese calligraphy began writing about 1500 BC. The earliest writing that we know of
from China was on animal bones, which are called “oracle bones because they were used to tell the
future.
• Place value number system-decimal or base system was first developed by the Chinese. The
earliest invention was the abacus, a calculator that used sliding beads to help compute math problems
quickly.
• The first recorded observations of comets, solar eclipses, were done in China
• Invented kites and lanterns
• The clock was first devised for astronomical purposes. The first ever clock had a puppet which could
hold up a plate that would tell the time. Also giant water clocks which rang every 15 minutes were
invented.
• Magnetic Compass: The compass was wooden circle with markings on it, and a magnetic spoon on
top, used for religious purposes.
• Gunpowder: Scientists made gunpowder by mixing sulphur, charcoal and potassium nitrate. The
reason gunpowder explodes is that it burns very fast, and when it burns it releases gases that are
bigger in volume than the original powder.
• Fireworks were actually bamboo cases filled with gunpowder with gunpowder with a fuse on the side.
Fireworks were initially used only for shows. Later on they were used to scare off enemies during the
war.
• Kites were first invented in China during Chou dynasty. Kites were first made of bamboo and silk.
• Seismological detectors- Zhang Heng invented the earthquake detecting tool called Seismoscope. His
seismoscope was a giant bronze vessel resembling a kettle almost 6 feet in diameter.
• Cross bow is a bow set horizontally on a stock. When the shooter releases a mechanism, the crossbow
fires arrows or bolts forced by the mechanical energy of previously stretched bowstring.
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• Fans were made of bamboo spines than stick out in the shape of a semicircle with silk wrapped around
it. Fans were mostly used by women and soldiers.
• Paper and Printing. Their early script contained 80,000 different characters. They went on to invent
books and had book shops in every city by the end of the Tang dynasty.
• Seed Drill: Seed drills were used by farmers to plant seeds into the soil at uniform depth. Without this
tool, farmers otherwise would toss the seeds with hands over the ground resulting in wastage and
uneven growth.
• Iron Plough: This was one of the major developments in ancient Chinese agriculture. It was first
developed in 4th century BC. Later on it was more popular and used commonly during the Han dynasty.
• Porcelain: This is made of special white clay which has a lot of kaolin in it. The clay is put on fire at
very high temperature. The temperature is kept so high that some of the clay melts and becomes shiny
and translucent like glass (Pottery).
• Silk was made from the cocoons of silkworms. The Chinese managed to keep the process for making
silk a secret for hundreds of years. Silk was a soft and light material much desired by the wealthy
throughout the world.
• Wheelbarrows are basically hand driven vehicles with two handles on the rear side for a person to push
ahead. It is mostly used in the Construction Industry.
• Other inventions included umbrella, iron casting, hot air balloon, matches, stirrups for riding horses,
and acupuncture. A clear coating called lacquer was also made to protect and enhance certain works
of art and furniture. Paper money was first developed and used in China during the Tang dynasty (7 th
century).

III. Indus-Hindu Civilization

Location: Early civilization in India emerged in river valleys, the valleys of the Indus River supported a
flourishing civilization that extended hundreds of miles from the Himalayas to the coast of the Arabian
Sea.
Science and technology Development:
Two of the major cities: Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. At its height, Harappa had 35,000
inhabitants and Mohenjo-Daro had perhaps 35,000 to 40,000 inhabitants. Both cities were planned
carefully, most building were constructed of mud bricks baked in oven and were square shaped, forming
a grid pattern.

Evidence showed that Indus valley civilization have public wells provided with regular supply of
water for all the inhabitants and sanitation. All houses had their own private toilet which was connected
to a covered sewer networks constructed on brickwork held together with a gypsum based mortar that
emptied into the surrounding or into a cesspit. Also evident was the presence of public and private
baths, sewage and sophisticated water management system.

In 500 AD, Aryabhata presented astronomical and mathematical system that took the earth to

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spin on its axis and considered the motions of the planets with respect to the sun (Heliocentric) are
elliptical. He also made an accurate approximation of the Earth’s circumference and diameter, and also
discovered how the lunar eclipse and solar eclipse happen for the first time. He also propounded the
Heliocentric theory of gravitation, thus predating Copernicus by almost one thousand years.

Brahmagupta (598-668) was the head of the astronomical observatory at Ujjain; estimated in the
7th century that the circumference of the earth was 5000 yojanas or the estimate of 36,000 km which
comes quite close to the actual circumference known today.
In 1984, Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to go to outer space.
The Hindus use a system of 27 or 28 Nakshatras (Lunar constellations) to calculate a month.
Each month can be divided into 30 lunar tithis (days). There are usually 360 or 366 days in a year.
The Jantar MAntar in Jaipur is actually is actually one of six major observations built by the
Maharajah. The one in Jaipur not only follows the movements of the sun and the moon to help
determine auspicious dates of events, it also helps map out the position of the stars in the sky.

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 SOUTH EAST ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, INC.
National Highway, Crossing Rubber, Tupi, South Cotabato

GENERAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

___________________________________________________

LEARNING MODULE
GE 117 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
_____________________________________________________

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 WEEK 4
Lesson 5
Evidences of Science and Technology during Pre-Columbian Times (1500 B.C.-A.D. 1500 in the
New World)

1. Olmec Civilization
Location: The first great Mesoamerican civilization. They thrived along Southern gulf coast of Mexico,
mainly in the present-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco, from about 1200 to 400 B.C. Culture was
greatly influential on later societies, such as the Maya and the Aztec.

Science and Technology Development:

The name “Olmec” means “rubber people” in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec. The term
“rubber people” refers to the ancient, spanning from ancient Olmecs to Aztecs, of extracting latex from
CAstilla elastica, a rubber tree in the area. The juice of a local vine, Ipomoea Alba, was then mixed with
this latex to create rubber as early as 1600 BCE.
Olmecs constructed permanent city-temple complexes at San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan, La
Venta,Tres Zapotes, and Laguna de los Cerros. The principal architectural structure found in La Venta
ruins was the vast clay pyramid decorated with elaborate carvings. Common among places is the
colossal heads that is made from basalt which symbolizes thrones. There are also monuments and
other major pieces of Olmec art such as mask and figurines.
Olmecs are known to cultivate cacao, rubber, and salt. It is also observed that they are using an
elaborate water and draining system. They manufacture chocolate drinks.
There are evidences that suggest the Olmec practiced human sacrifice and cannibalism; the
calendar used in Mexico may also have originated from the Olmec. They also studied astronomy since
they are obsessed with the timing of religious ritual Animal gods were features of Olmec culture.
Olmec traded goods such as obsidian, ceramics, jade, serpentine, mica, rubber, pottery, feathers
and polished mirrors of limonite and magnetite.
La Venta went into decline around 400 B.C. and the Olmec civilization vanished along with it.
2. Maya Civilization
Location: The ancient Mayans are a diverse group of indigenous people who lived in parts of present-
day Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. It is regarded as one of the most important
pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. The Mayas are credited with a number of remarkable scientific
achievements in various scientific field such as astronomy, engineering, medicine, and mathematics.
Science and Technology Development:
a. The Mayan not only made the great progress in agriculture, but also made a big break in technology.
b. The architecture and engineering skills were manifested in the grandeur of their tall pyramids of
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limestone, with small temples on the top constructed like an arch supported by two side walls bridged
by a row of flat stones and ornamented by steeples or roof combs. They are usually made of charts,
obsidian, silicified limestone, and jade.
c. As far as astronomy was concerned, they tracked the movement of the stars and planets across the
sky, and were able accurately predict celestial events such as eclipses. To the Mayan, Venus was the
most important astronomical object.
d. The Mayans also discovered an accurate calendar. The ritual calendar that developed in
Mesoamerica used a count of 260 days.
e. The written language of the Mayan was made up of about 800 glyphs, or symbols.
Each one represented a word or a syllable, and could be combined with others in an almost infinite
number of ways. As a result, there were three or four different ways to write almost every word in the
Mayan language.
f. The Mayans were also talented in building elaborate temples and great cities without the essential
tools like metal. It is believed that Mayans were producing rubber products.

3. Aztec Civilization
Location: The Aztecs established their city of Tenochtitlan, present-day Mexico City in 1325 A.D. The
Aztecs are best known as a violent people who expanded their empire through ruthless warfare.
Science and Technology Development:

a. The advances demonstrated in Aztec technology are so remarkable that they are still looked upon
adoringly to this day. Just a few of the Aztec accomplishments have been the development of
mathematics, the canoe, the highly specialized Aztec calendar, and remarkably helpful forms of
medicine.
b. Aztec tools were made with obsidian and chert. Near the time they were overcome by Spanish
conquistadors, advances in Aztec technology led to the experimentation of making tools with copper.
c. Aztec technology were familiar with the wheel. The wheel, however, was only used in toys.
d. Aztecs developed dugout canoes with which they transported themselves and their goods throughout
the many canals, lakes, and waterways, found in the valley of Mexico.
e. The Aztecs were very advanced scientific thinkers and mathematicians. The Aztec number system
was far more advanced than other cultures at the time.
f. Aztec astronomy was also an important component of their calendar, which reflected heavily on their
gods.
g. The Aztecs were also advanced in the development of medicine. In fact, Aztec medicine was found
in many forms, such as ointments, drinks, and salves.
h. This spectacular area of Aztec technology has been recorded in the Badianus Manuscript, which
was created by Aztec artists in 1552.
4. Inca Civilization
Location: Flourished in the Andean region of South America from the early 15th century A.D. up until its
conquest by the Spaniards in the 1530s. One of the Inca civilization’s most famous surviving
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archeological sites is Machu Picchu, which was built as a retreat place for an Incan emperor. The Incas
called their empire Tawantinsuyu, the “Land of the four Corners”, and its official language was
Quechua; it was the largest empire in pre- Columbian America. The Inca Empire originated at the city
of Cuzo in what is today Peru. To support this empire, a system of roads stretched to almost 25,000
miles.
Science and Technology Development:
a. They are rich in maize (corn) and dried Ilama, coca leaves and alcohol; other consumable goods
include sweet potatoes, quinoa, beans and chili peppers. Coca leaves were used in moderate amounts
to lessen hunger and pain during work, but were mostly used for religious and health purposes as well
as during surgeries as an anesthetic.
b. Mummification of individuals was an important part of Inca funerary rites.
c. November is described as being the “month of carrying the dead,” a time when people would try to
feed the mummies of their ancestors.
d. striking artistry were its textiles; finest grade of cloth was called cumpi, being reserved for the emperor
and nobility. Clothes were woven out of wool from dried Ilamas and alpaca or vicuna wool and cotton.
e. Objects were made out of gold and silver. Inca stone-working was also considered to be very fine.
Their craftsmen fitted building stones together perfectly without using any mortar, such that an object
as thin as a razor blade could not be inserted between the stones.
f. Inca calendars were strongly tied to astronomy. The Inca calendar was essentially lunisolar, as two
calendars were maintained in parallel, one solar and one lunar. Twelve lunar months fall 11 days short
of a full 365-day year.
g. The Inca used assemblages of knotted strings, known as Quipu, used as mnemonic devices or to
record numerical data and also believed to record history and literature.
h. The Inca made many discoveries in medicine. They performed successful skull surgeries, which
involved cutting holes in the skull in order to alleviate fluid buildup and inflammation caused by head
wounds.
i. Physical measures employed by the Inca were based upon human body parts. Fingers, the distance
between thumb to forefinger, palms, cubits, and wingspans were among those units used. The most
basic unit of distance was thatkiy or thanki, or one pace.
j. The Inca weaponry included: Bronze or bone-tipped spears; Two-handed wooden swords with
serrated edges; Clubs with stone and spiked metal heads; Woolen slings and stones; Stone or copper
head battle-axes; Bolas (stones fastened to lengths of cord.

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 SOUTH EAST ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, INC.
National Highway, Crossing Rubber, Tupi, South Cotabato

GENERAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

___________________________________________________

LEARNING MODULE
GE 117 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
_____________________________________________________

WEEK 5

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 WEEK 5
Lesson 6
The State of Science and Technology during the Middle Ages (A.D. 400-A.D. 1300 in the Western
World)
Medieval Times, Middle Ages, and Dark Ages are generally referring to the same period of time from
500 to 1500 AD. That’s 1000 years! It covers the time from the falloff the Roman Empire to the rise of
the Ottoman Empire. Europe experienced an intellectual revitalization especially with regard to the
investigation of the natural world.
The Medieval period saw major technological advances, including the invention of vertical
windmills, spectacles, mechanical clocks, greatly improved water mills, building techniques like the
Gothic style and three-field crop rotation.

Here are some of the famous inventions during medieval times:

1. Military technologies such:
a. Counterweight trebuchet is a revolutionized medieval siege weapon which uses
counterweights and hurling of huge stones to very far distances. It was first used in the eastern
Metirranean basin.
b. Longbow with massed, disciplined archery was used by the English against the French during
the Hundred Year’s War (1337-1453). The longbow was powerful, accurate and contributed to the
eventual demise of the medieval knight class.
c. Steel crossbow was the first hand-held mechanical crossbow. This European innovation came
with several different cocking aids to enhance draw power.
d. Complete Full plate armour appeared by the end of the 14th century. The armour chain mail
was made from thousands of metal rings and the armour was a long cloak called a hauberk.
2. Agricultural Innovations such as the heavy wheeled plough, three-field system, horse collar, the
stirrup, and horseshoe were developed.
a. Heavy wheeled plough was important in the cultivation of rich, heavy, often wet soils of
Northern Europe that advanced their agricultural practices.
b. Horse collar went through multiple evolutions from the 6th to 9th centuries. It allowed more
horse pulling power, such as with heavy ploughs, while Horseshoes let horses adapt to rocky terrain,
mountains and carry heavier loads. They may have been known to the Romans and Celts as early as
50 BC.
c.Artesian well is composed of a thin rod with a hard iron cutting edge placed in a borehole and
repeatedly struck with a hammer. Underground water pressure forces the water up the hole without
pumping. Artesian wells are named as such for Artois, a region in France, where the first was drilled by

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Carthusian monks in 1126.
d. Wheelbarrow is used in construction, mining, and farming for carrying materials from place to
place. Wheelbarrows appeared in stories and pictures between 1170 and 1250 in North-western
Europe.

3. Other inventions
a. Blast furnace or cast iron first appeared in Middle Europe around 1150.
b. Hourglass was made from a dependable, affordable and accurate measure of time, believed to be a
medieval innovation first documented in Siena, Italy. Mechanical clocks is a European innovation, these
weight-driven clocks were used primarily in clock towers.
c. Vertical windmills is a pivot able post mill efficient at grinding grain or draining water.
d. Spectacles is composed of convex lenses to help far-sighted people to see.
e. Chess-it is said that the earliest predecessors of the game originated from India, in the 6 th century
AD and spread through Persia and the Muslim world to Europe. The game evolved to its current form
in the 15th century.
f. Mirrors were made in 1180 by Alexander Neckham who said “Take away the lead which is behind the
glass and there will be no image of the one looking in”.
g. Oil point was invented by a Flemish painter Jan van Eyck around 1410 who introduced a stable oil
mixture.
h. A tide mile is a special type of water mill driven by tidal rise and fall. A dam with a conduit is created
across a suitable tidal inlet, or a section of river estuary is made into a reservoir. As the tide comes in,
it enters the kill pond through a one way gate, and this gate closes automatically when the tide begins
to fall.
i. The spinning wheel was probably invented in India, though its origins are ambiguous. It reached
Europe via the Middle East in the European Middle Ages. It replaced the earlier method of hand
spinning, in which the individual fibres were drawn out of a mass of wool held on a stick, or distaff,
twisted together to form a continuous strand, and wound on a second stick, or spindle.
By 1000s, the first universities were developed-they trained the middle class of the cities in
theology, medicine, and law. By 1100s, modern universities emerged throughout Western Europe such
as Oxford and Cambridge in England.
In the 14th century, crisis of the Late Middle Ages was underway. A plague called Black Death
came, it wiped out so many lives it affected the entire system. It brought a sudden end to the previous
period of massive scientific change. The plague killed 25-50% of the people in Europe, especially in
the crowded crowded areas of the towns, where the heart of innovations lay. Quarantine technique was
established, initially a 40-day-period, the Quarantine was introduced by the Republic of Ragusa to
prevent the spreading of diseases like the Black Death. Venice began quarantines, then the practice
spread around in Europe.

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