historical antecedents in which social considerations changed the course of science and technology

1. HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS IN WHICH
SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS CHANGED
THE COURSE OF SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
A. IN THE WORLD: ANCIENT, MIDDLE AND MODERN AGES
B. B. IN THE PHILIPPINES

2. INTRODUCTION
Science comes from the Latin word scientia, meaning “knowledge”. It
refers to a systematic and methodical activity of building and organizing
knowledge about how the universe behaves through observation,
experimentation or both.
Technology, for its part, is the application of scientific knowledge, laws,
and principles to produce services, materials, tools, and machines aimed at
solving real-world problems. It comes from the Greek root word techne
meaning “art, skill, or cunning of hand”.

3. IN THE WORLD

4. ANCIENT TIMES
1. SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION
4500 – 1900 BC
• Sumeria is located on the southernmost tip of
ancient Mesopotamia between the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers in the area later became
Babylonia, Sumerians, are known for their high
degree of cooperation with one another and
their desire for great things. They are not
contented with the basic things that life can
offer. This desire pushed them to develop many
things connected with science and technology.

5. ANCIENT TIMES
• CUNIEFORM
One of the major contributions of the
Sumerians is the development of the first
writing system known as cuneiform. It is a
system that utilizes word pictures and
triangular symbols which are carved on clay
using wedge instruments and then left to dry.
Cuneiform allowed the Sumerians to keep
records of things with great historical value or
their everyday life. It is also one way of passing
their traditions, cultures, and their legacy.
The Sumerians invented writing, for
which they used sharp reeds to
create wedge-like markings on clay
tablets.

6. ANCIENT TIMES
• URUK CITY
Another important contribution of the
Sumerian is the City of Uruk. It is a great
wonder not only because it is considered to
be the first true city in the world but also for
the way it was erected.
The Sumerians were able to build the city
using only mud or clay from the river, which
they mixed with reeds, producing sunbaked
bricks. They used the bricks 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.

7. ANCIENT TIMES
• THE GREAT ZIGGURAT OF UR
Another engineering and
architectural feat of the Sumerians is
the Great Ziggurat of Ur. The
Ziggurat, also called the mountain of
God, was built in the same manner
that they constructed the City of
Uruk. The Ziggurat served as the
sacred place of their chief god,
where only priest was allowed to
enter.

8. ANCIENT TIMES
• IRRIGATION AND DIKES
As population increase, so did the demand
for food. The Sumerians were challenged to
produce items but the elements in the
environment seemed uncooperative. It was
difficult to get water from the rivers, thus
they could not maintain farmlands. Some
groups had scarce water supply, while others
had problems with flooding caused by the
river. As a solution to this dilemma, the
Sumerians created dikes and irrigation canals
to bring water to farmlands and at the same
time control the flooding of the rivers. This
method was considered as one of the world’s
most beneficial engineering works.

9. ANCIENT TIMES
• SAIL BOATS
Another challenge to the Sumerians was
transportation. At that time, the wheel was not yet
invented; the main mode of the transportation was
through water ways such as rivers and seas. Boats
were used to carry large quantities of products and
were able to cover large distances. However, they
wanted to discover faraway lands to settle since the
population was getting larger, and boats were not
enough to accommodate more people and products.
They needed a mode of transportation that did not
require much human resource. Some resources
attribute to the Sumerians the invention of sailboats
to address their increasing demands. Sailboats were
essential in transportation and trading as well as in
fostering culture, information, and technology.

10. ANCIENT TIMES
• WHEEL
In the latter part of their history, the Sumerians
were able to invent the wheel since the
specialized tools needed to create it were
already available. The first wheels were not
made for transportation but for farm work and
food process. With the use of the wheel and
axel, mass production was made easier.
Farmers were able to mill grains with less effort
in less time.

11. ANCIENT TIMES
• THE PLOW
Another farm technology invented by the
Mesopotamians is the plow. The plow was
invented to dig the land in a faster pace. As
the plow beaks the ground, the farmer
would just drop the seeds and farm work
would already be done.

12. ANCIENT TIMES
• ROADS
In order to facilitate faster and easier
travel, the Sumerians developed the first
roads. With this work, the flow of traffic
became faster and more organized. They
made the roads with the same
technology they used in making
sunbaked bricks that they laid down on
the ground. The Sumerians does not
have any degree in engineering or in
architecture, but they were able to build
buildings,

13. ANCIENT TIMES
The Sumerians does not have any
degree in engineering or in
architecture, but they were able to
build buildings, roads, infrastructure
and many more that are still solid at
stable until now.

14. ANCIENT TIMES
2. BABYLONIAN CIVILIZATION
• Babylonian civilization emerged near the Tigris
and Euphrates river. The Babylonians were
great builders, engineers, and architects. Water
brings food for them, brings energy and
beauty, and it also enable them to travel from
one place to another. With the use of river,
they are able to exchange their goods to other
places and they can also use it to conquer and
also to escape.

15. ANCIENT TIMES
• One of the major contributions is the
hanging garden of Babylon, one of the
seven wonders of the ancient world. Today,
people can only marvel at the beauty of the
famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon form
the stories of the historians and paintings
that portray the place. It was said to be a
structure made up of layers upon layers of
gardens that contained several species of
plants, trees, and vines. However, no
physical evidence has been found to prove
the existence of the Hanging Gardens of
Babylon. Its exact location is unknown.

16. ANCIENT TIMES
3. EGYPTIAN
CIVILIZATION
Another early civilization famous for its
legacy is the Egyptian civilization located
in North Africa. Many stories tell about
the engineering feats of the Egyptian
especially regarding infrastructures
established by the Pharaohs.

17. ANCIENT TIMES
• PAPER OR PAPYRUS
Aside from the Sumerians, Egyptians also
developed a system of writing, they were
able to make writing easier for the world.
Before, they are using tables made from
clay tablets but they find it fragile, heavy,
and delicate to handle. Hence, the Egyptian
invention of paper or papyrus was a
welcome development. They were able to
process the plant in order to produce thin
sheets on which one could write down
things.

18. ANCIENT TIMES
• INK
When Egyptians invented the
papyrus or the paper, engraving
ceased to be used in writing. As a
result, the Egyptians invented ink
by combining soot with different
chemicals to produce inks of
different colors.

19. ANCIENT TIMES
• HEIROGLYPHICS
Like Sumerians, the Egyptians also developed a system
of writing using symbols, known as hieroglyphics.
Although some say that hieroglyphics was adapted
from the early writing system established in
Mesopotamia as a result of trade between civilizations
of the Egyptians believed that this writing systems was
provided to them by their gods.
Their way of writing is also the root cause why many
scientists are confused about their history.
Hieroglyphics is not just an ordinary writing of text, but
it is also consisting of many different symbols and
illustrations that may lead the scientist to
misinterpretation of data or meaning. Hieroglyphics
was the language that tells the modern world of the
history and culture of the ancient Egyptians. Their
records were well-preserved since they were carved at
the at the walls of pyramids and other important
structures.

20. ANCIENT TIMES
• COSMETICS AND WIG
Egyptians wore kohl around the eyes to
prevent and even cure eye diseases. Kohl
was created by mixing soon or malachite
with mineral galena.

21. ANCIENT TIMES
• COSMETICS AND WIG
Another cosmetic invention of ancient
Egyptian is the wig. Nowadays, wig are used
to enhance the appearance of people who
are balding or those who want to try new
hair trends. Meanwhile, during the ancient
Egyptian times, they were used for health
and wellness rather than for aesthetic
purposes. They used it to cover their head
from the harmful rays of the sun.

22. ANCIENT TIMES
4. GREEK CIVILIZATION
Greece is an archipelago in the southeastern part of Europe. This
makes their country difficult to conquer since it is an
archipelago, they can hide or ambush the enemy from various
island. Europe is known as the birth place of western philosophy,
some of the major achievements of the Greeks include in-depth
works on philosophy and mathematics. Greek civilization has
contributed much to the world especially in the fields of science
and technology.
The first proponents of an atomic theory were the Greek
philosophers Leucippus and Democritus in the field of science
and on the field of math they have Pythagoras who was perhaps
the first to realize that a complete system of mathematics could
be constructed and later called Pythagorean Theorem

23. ANCIENT TIMES
• ALARM CLOCK
One of the most utilized gadgets
today was invented by ancient
Greeks is the alarm clock. Although
the alarm clock during that time
does not resembles the present day
clocks, the purpose was just the
same – to tell an individual when to
stop or when to start.

24. ANCIENT TIMES
5. ROMAN CIVILIZATION
The Roman Empire was perceived to be the
strongest political social entity in the west.

25. ANCIENT TIMES
• The following are the inventions and innovations of the Roman Empire:
1. Newspaper
2. Bound Books or Codex
3. Roman Architecture
4. Roman Numerals

26. ANCIENT TIMES
6. CHINESE CIVILIZATION
THE Chinese civilization is considered the
oldest civilization in Asia, if not the world.
Also known as the Middle Kingdom. China
is located on the far east of Asia. It was
very famous among the other ancient
civilization because of its silk trade.

27. ANCIENT TIMES
The following are the contributions of Chinese civilization to the world:
1. Silk Industry
2. Tea production
3. Worlds famous Great wall of China
4. Gun powder

28. MEDIEVAL/MIDDLE AGES
The start of the middle ages was
marred by massive invasions and
migrations. Wars were prevalent
during this time. As such, great
technology was needed in the field of
weaponry, navigation, mass food and
farm production, and health. Most
innovative minds came from this
period to control the increase of trade
and commerce among nations.

29. MEDIEVAL/MIDDLE AGES
1. PRINTING PRESS
Johann Gutenberg was able to invent the
printing press, a more reliable way of
printing using a cast type.
This general invention soon evolved to be
the mechanical printing press which was
eventually used all over the world.
The printing press was invented to
address the need for publishing books
that would spread information to many
people at a faster rate.

30. MEDIEVAL/MIDDLE AGES
2. MICROSCOPE
Growing population is caused by massive migration and
urbanization during the period. More and more people
are transferred to polluted and populated urban areas
which resulted in more people getting sick and needing
medical attention.
To develop the proper medicines for the illness, experts
must understand the sickness through investigation that
is why they invented this device to magnify the small
things that are invisible to the naked eye.
Two Dutch spectacle-makers and father-and-son team,
Hans and Zacharias Janssen, create the first
microscope. (1590)

31. MEDIEVAL/MIDDLE AGES
3. TELESCOPE
Since the Middle Ages was also known as the age of
exploration, the need for nautical inventions was high.
Considering the vast and empty oceans that separated
lands, ship captains needed to see far and wide for
them to navigate or avoid dangers at sea.
The first person to apply for a patent for a telescope
was Dutch eyeglass maker Hans Lippershey (or
Lipperhey).

32. MEDIEVAL/MIDDLE AGES
. 4. WAR WEAPON
Since wars were widespread during the
Middle Ages, great development in the
weaponry technology also occurred. One of
the keys to gain victory during this time are
well crafted bows, spears, even armors which
are used in the close range hand-to-hand
combat and for open-area battles

33. MODERN TIMES
▪ The booming world population during the nineteenth
century onwards demanded that more goods be
produced at a faster rate. People needed efficient
means of transportation to trade more goods and
cover a larger distance.
▪ Machines that required animals to operate must thus
be upgrade. Faster and easier means to communicate
and compute should be developed to establish
connections between and among nations. Because of
these, the birth of various industries takes place.
▪ However, due to massive industrialization, the modern
times again faced more complicated problems.

34. MODERN TIMES
• Pasteurization
▪ The challenge to keep manufactured from
deteriorating was greater for dairy products,
especially milk, since they usually spoiled faster.
If this food is not consumed immediately after
the production, it might lead to food poisoning,
diphtheria, and typhoid fever.
▪ Louise Pasteur, a French biologist,
microbiologist, and chemist, found a way to
solve the problem. He invented pasteurization,
the process of heating dairy products to kill the
harmful bacteria that allow to spoil faster.
▪ Through this process, milk could be stored and
consumed for a longer period.

35. MODERN TIMES
• Petroleum Refinery
▪ Samuel M. Kier was able to invent
kerosene by refining petroleum.
▪ Kerosene was later on referred to as
the “illuminating oil” because it was
used at first to provide lighting to
homes.
▪ After some time, it was applied for
heating purpose.
▪ Nowadays, kerosene is still present
as still used by many people for
powering automobiles, factories, and
power plants

36. MODERN TIMES
• Telephone
What do you think is the first word ever spoken
on the telephone?
It is “Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you”
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone
and it was on of the most important inventions at
that time.
But before, the connection is very limited, the
commoners cannot afford to buy one
Nowadays, telephones are one of the necessities
in this fast-changing world.
Millennials can no longer live without it according
to time magazine.

37. MODERN TIMES
• Calculator
Although an earlier version of the calculator had already been
developed, circumstances in the modern times required a faster
way to compute mire complicated equations.
The creation of modern-day calculator did not only pave the
way for easier arithmetic calculations, but also resulted in the
development of more complex processing machines like
computer.

39. IN THE PHILIPPINES

40. ▪ Despite being considered a developing country, the
Philippines also contributes to a global advancement
of science and technology.
▪ We have a group of inventors called the Filipino
Inventors Society which aims to remedy the needs of
the consumers by inventing useful machines that
could help us in our everyday living. These invertors
are supported by the DOST

41. IN THE PHILIPPINES
• Some of the world renounce
Filipino inventions are the
following:
1. Videoke
2. Salamander Amphibious
Tricycle
3. Salt Lamp
4. Medical Incubator
5. Mosquito Ovicidal/Larvicidal
Trap System
6. E-jeepney

42. IN THE PHILIPPINES
▪ These inventions are being recognized and being used all over the world.
According to the Filipino Inventors Society Secretary Fortunato de la
Peña, “we may lack of resources, but our minds are filled with
knowledge” which is true.
▪ As a Filipino, we know how to be patient and how to curl when the
blanket is short meaning, we find ways in every problem that we face.

44. OUTPUT #1
• PHOTO COLLAGE CHALLENGE!
“YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW”
MAKE A COLLAGE OF PICTURES FROM THE INVENTIONS FROM THE ANCIENT
TIMES, MODERN AGES AND SOME POSSIBLE INVENTIONS IN THE FUTURE.
WRITE A SHORT DESCRIPTION ABOUT YOUR COLLAGE.