SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY

AND SOCIETY

MINA C. SIAPNO, RN
 MODULE 2: HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS AND
TECHNOLOGY
ANCIENT PERIOD
In the ancient times, people were concerned with transportation
and navigation, communication and record keeping, mass
production, power and energy, security and protection, as well
as health, observation, and measurement, aesthetic,
engineering, and architecture. A primary challenge they faced
was the conservation of life.
The early people might have been successful in
harnessing the rich resources that the world could provide
but their survival posed a great problem. Different
illnesses disease, both natural and man-made, hampered
the full potential of a human being. Given this
predicament, science and technology played a major
role in the discovery of cures, if not the prevention of
illness. Moreover, in order to integrate their needs for
Furthermore, the people were not contented on beautifying their
infrastructures and surrounding but more on being able to prolong
life with the mass production of food and advancement of medical
technology, as well as raising the quality of life.
The rise and ancient civilization such as Sumerians, Babylonians,
Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Chinese paved the way for
advances in science and technology. Their contributions not only
allowed these ancient civilizations to flourish, but also paved the way
for the developments of many other science and technology
innovations.
ØSUMERIANS

Stele of the Vultures,

portrayin Eannatum
sovereign troops in
the conquest of Umma.
(Credit: DEA/G. DAGLI
ORTI/De Agostini/Getty
Images)

The Sumerian city-states

were often at war with one
another.
Cuneiform writing was used for over 3,000 years.

Bill of sale written in cuneiform.

Figure A. Sumerian Wheel and Figure B. the Potters wheel
People from ancient civilizations used animals for transportation long
before invention of the WHEEL. However, a general agreement that the
ancient wheeel grow out of a mechanical device called the potter's
wheel. It is believe that the Sumerians invented the potters wheel shortly
after 3500BC. It could be that potter thought of shifting the potter's
wheel to a 90-degree angle for the purpose of
[Link], it would not be until 1000 to 1500 years
later that the wheel was first used in carts.
The hero of the Epic of Gilgamesh was probably a real Sumerian historical
figure.

Chalky alabaster statue of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk. (Credit: DEA/Getty

Images)
üSumerian mathematics and measurements are still used today.

The origins of the sixty-second minute and sixty-minute hour can be traced
all the way back to ancient Mesopotamia. In the same way that modern
mathematics is a decimal system based on the number ten, the Sumerians
mainly used a sexigesimal structure that was based around groupings of
60.
This easily divisible number system was later adopted by the ancient
Babylonians, who used it make astronomical calculations on the lengths of
the months and the year. Base-60 eventually fell out of use, but its legacy
still lives on in the measurements of the both hour and the minute. Other
remnants of the Sumerian sexigesimal system have survived in the form of
spatial measurements such as the 360 degrees in a circle and the 12
inches in a foot.
vAfter Mesopotamia was occupied by the Amorites and Babylonians in
the early second millennium B.C., the Sumerians gradually lost their
cultural identity and ceased to exist as a political force. All knowledge
of their history, language and technology—even their name—was
eventually forgotten. Their secrets remained buried in the deserts of
Iraq until the 19th century, when French and British archaeologists finally
stumbled upon Sumerian artifacts while hunting for evidence of the
ancient Assyrians. Scholars such as Henry Rawlinson, Edward Hincks,
Julius Oppert and Paul Haupt later took the lead in deciphering the
Sumerian language and cuneiform, providing historians with their first

ever glimpse of the long lost history and literature of early Mesopotamia.
Since then, archaeologists have recovered numerous pieces of Sumerian
art, pottery and sculpture as well as some 500,000 clay tablets, the vast
majority of which have still yet to be translated.
Sumerian culture was lost to history until the 19th century.

Detail of the fragment from a steatite vase. (Credit: DEA/A. DE

GREGORIO/Getty Images)
ØBABYLONIANS
Infact, the contributions of the Babylonians to the human civilisation were
immense. The Code of Hammurabi helped in building a healthy society.
THE WHEEL is often described as the most important invention of all time – it
had a fundamental impact on transport and later on agriculture and industry.
... Soon, it became common for the wheels to turn around a fixed axle.
Wheels with spokes, first made around 2000 BC, were lighter, enabling
vehicles to move faster.
They had an advanced decimal structure with a base of 60. It was the
Babylonians who brought about the concept of 24 hours in a day with
each hour consisting of 60 minutes, and each minute 60 seconds.
ØEGYPTIANS

Shadoof, hand-operated device for

lifting water, invented in ancient times
and still used in India, Egypt, and
some other countries to irrigate land.
Typically it consists of a long,
tapering, nearly horizontal pole mounted
like a seesaw.
ØGREEK
Antikythera mechanism is the
world's first analogical
computer, used by ancient Greeks to
chart the movement of the sun,
moon and planets, predict
lunar and solar eclipses and
even signal the next Olympic
Games.
ØROMANS AEOLIPILE
In 50 CE, could Hero of
Alexandria have invented the
first practical steam engine for
water pumping and transport,
sixteen hundred years before
impulse steam turbines were invented
by Giovanni Branca (1629)
and John Wilkins (1648).The
Romans even used Hero's pump and a
mechanical fire hose, to put out fires.
Some of the important historical antecedent of much more modern science
and technology innovations which were discovered in the ancient times
include the ancient wheel, paper, shadoof, Antikythera mechanism, and
aeolipile. Make sure that when you read about these technologies
innovation, you are mindful of their impact to modern times. However, it
should be noted that many more scientific and technological innovations
were developed during ancient times.
Ø CHINESE
Evidence shows that the first use of gunpowder
comes from China’s Tang dynasty
(618–907). Yang Weide, Ding Du, and Zeng
Gongliang were responsible for
recording the earliest known gunpowder
recipes in the military manuscript
Wujing Zongyao.
The Midddle ages, which occured between the collapse of the Roman Empire
in 5th century AD and the colonial expansion of Western Europe in late 15th
century AD, was an age of which started with wars migrations, and
population rise and fall. These events led to new technologies needed in the
fields of weaponry, transportation and navigation, mass food and farm
production,
and health this is also the period of the emergence of scientific thinking and
scientific method. because of this, many of our technologies can actually be
traced back in this time . This include the heavy plough, gunpowder, paper
money, mechanical clock and spinning wheel. Just like the ancient period, be
mindful of their impacts to society and that they are not the only technologies
that are developed during this time.
Spinning Wheel
A machine used for transforming
fiber onto thread or yarn and
eventually woven into cloth on a
[Link], White argued that
this invention ushered in a
breakthrough in linen production
when it as introduced in 13th
century AD.
ØHEAVY PLOUGH
One of the most important technological innovations during the middle
ages. Professor Thomas Berneck Andersen of University of Southern
Denmark succintly describes the impact of the invention of the
heavyplough: The Heavy Plough turned European agriculture and
economy on it's [Link], the fields with the heavy, fatty and
moist clay soils became those gave the greatest yields because of this,
Europe become rapid economic prosperity.
According to Quito, et al (2019), the Modern Ages was marked with a
steady increase in population that emphasizes the “importance of
increasing the effiency of transportaion, communication, and
production”. During the Modern ages, mre complicated problems were
created that needed more solutions and greater risks for many aspect
of human life were needed to be addressed. These include, but not
limited to, compound microscope, telescope, Jacquard loom, engine-
powered airplane, and television.
vCompound Microscope
This led to an amazing discovery
that an object, when placed near
the end of the tube, can be
magnified far larger than what a
simple magnifying lens can
do and capable of magnifying
objects three times when
extended to maximum.
vTELESCOPE
It is the most important
technological invention in the
study of [Link] practical
telescope was invented by
Galileo Galilei. The invention
could magnify 20times larger
than the Dutch perspective
glasses. It was first discovered
important and astronomical
discoveries and identified craters and mountains on the moon and it
became clear that the universe is far larger than previously imagined and
the earth far smaller compared to the entire universe.
vJACQUARD LOOM
His version of a loom in which a
series card with punched holes
automatically created complex
textile design and made mass
production easier. This
demosntrated the use oof
punched cards to instruct
machines to acrry out complex
task.
vENGINE AIRPLANE
Orville and Wilbur Wright designed
and successfully operated the first
engine-powered [Link] Wright
brothers were brilliant scientist who
paved the way for modern aircraft
technology.
vTELEVISION
John Logie Baird is largely credited
for the invention of television. Despite
being the first television invented was
later criticized for its fuzzy and
flickering images, primarily because it
was meachanical compared to
electronic version that were developed
much later nowadays.
The Philippines, despite being considered a developing country,
have their own contributions to science and technology and
have a culture of developing scientific and tehnological
innovations. Known for original, clever, inventive ideas, Filipino
scientists and inventors have used the needs and necessities of
our nation in their innovations using resource that are
indigenous to the country. Areas where Filipinos focus include
adaptation to natural disaster, navigation, textiles, food, and
culture. These scientists and inventors are only a small handful
of the many Filipino innovators in the country.
vElectronic Jeepney (E-Jeepney)
The jeepney is perhaps one of the
most recognizable national symbols
of the Philippines and the popular
mode of transportation. E-jeepneys
are designed to be environment
friendly, eliminate noise and air
pollution as they run on
[Link]
are also economical for electricity is
far cheaper than ordinary diesel,
allowing jeepney drivers to earn
more profit.
vERYTHROMYCIN
Scientist Abelardo Aguilar
invented the antibiotic out of
strain of bacterium called
Streptomyces erthreus,
however, Aguilar was not credited
for this discovery by Eli Lilli Co.,
Eventually owned by US
company the merits for
this discovery.
vMEDICAL INCUBATOR
World renowned Filipino pediatrician
and national scientist, Fe Del Mundo, is
created for the invention of incubator
and jaundice relieving device. The
Device was particularly outstanding
as it addressed the state of Philippine
rural communities that had no
electricity to aid the regulation of
body temperatures of new born
babies.
vBANANA KETCHUP
Maria Orosa was credited for the
invention of banana ketchup,
commonly known as tomato ketchup.
Her invention appeals particularly to
filipinos who love using condiments to
go along with their food.
vMOLE REMOVER
Local invention in 2000 had the
ability to easily remove moles
and warts on the skin without
the need for any surgical
procedure shot to fame.
Rolando Dela Cruz is credited
for the invion of local mole
remover taht made use of
extract cashew nuts which is
very common in the Philippines.
REFERENCES
• Quinto E. and A. Nieva: Science, Technology, and Society: OBE, Quezon City: C&E
Publishing ,Inc. 2019
• [Link]
sumerians
• [Link]
• [Link]
• TheScienceFoundation.(2011,November 28).Stephen Colbert Interviews Neil deGrasse
Tyson at Montclair Kimberley Academy-January 29th 2010. Video file. Retrieved from
[Link]
• TEDxTalks(2015, June 13). The Big History of Modern Science I Hannu Rajaniemi
ITEDxDanubia.[. Video file]. Retrieved from
[Link]