The meaning of science and technology. How does society (cultural, political, values, etc.) affect the direction and state of science and technology? Why is there a “primal” human need to “know” or to find an explanation about how our world works? Are there benefits in learning more about our environment, our planet, and the universe?

1. Activity 1
Topic 1: The meaning of science and technology
I. Read and study the learning materials for this topic. And answer the following
questions:
1. In your own words define “science” and “technology”?
Based on my own understandings, science is a systematic academic
discipline or a body of knowledge that theorizes and explains the origin, the processes,
the behaviour, and the mechanisms of almost every phenomenon. It is categorized by
a number of branches that specialize, study and explain the scope from the most
minute particles, the tiniest cells of the body, up to as big as the world. From the
centermost part of the earth, cross to the deepest point of the oceans and straight up
to the farthest spaces and galaxies in the universe. These derived explanations
undergo scientific processes which may start from a skeptical thought, to the
fomulation of hypotheses, and then testing these hypotheses through the conduct of
an experiment or a research which brings up to a conclusion based from the gathered
results which then become a knowledge.
Technology on the other hand is a product of science which may be in a form
of a tool, gadgets and devices, engines and machineries, techniques and methods,
softwares, the internet and alot more. And all of these forms are constantly undergoing
innovation and development. And this development has already come to the point of
easing the lives of the people. It has become vital in catalyzing society’s development
as people nowadays are arguably dependent in technologies in their everyday
routines.
Moreover, technology as a product of science has also been a tool of the field
in investigating various scientific processes and environmental phenomena. The two
have been working hand-in-hand in order to come up with further innovations and
dicoveries that are primarily benefiting the society.
2. How does society (cultural, political, values, etc.) affect the direction and
state of science and technology?

2. The society and its people are the major driving forces that maneuver the
development in the field of science and the progress of technology. They have the
control to which direction does the state of progress and development of these two
disciplines go.
Innovations in the field of science and the trends in technology adapt to the
needs of the society. To put it in another way, the society is directing the progress
of these two fields based on the demands of the people. To further elaborate this,
the best and timely example would be the onset of the global pandemic. Because
of the rapid spread of the disease-causing virus, the demand for studies and
researches on the nature of the virus is obviously on the high level. Clinical trials
are being conducted in discovering and in formulating the vaccines, and afterwhich
a technology for faster mass production is definitely a need for a faster culmination
of this global crisis.
On the dark side, the progress on the fields of science and technology is
being limited by the support towards scientists and researchers. And this is very
evident in the Philippine setting. Due to the lack of support and funding towards the
Filipino scientists, a lot of them choose to leave the country, cannot pursue their
research interests, and some of their journals are not even given the chance to be
published. Thus, the state of new knowledge and findings cannot progress.
And lastly, the society, specifically the big-time business owners and even
politicians are taking advantage of the advent of technology and the science in order
to pursue their personal and perhaps, political agenda. Taking the context of the
global pandemic again as an example, a lot of pharmaceutical companies were in
a hurry to speed up their clinical tests or their production and manufacturing in order
to keep up with the global competition for vaccines. Likewise, politicians are also
taking steps in showing initiatives on for example, the procurement of vaccines to
show off and eventually lay down their political ambitions.
The needs of the people, the lack of support towards scientists and
researchers, and personal and political agenda are just some of the contributing
factors that the society produces which shows an effect to the direction and state of
science and technology.
3. Why is there a “primal” human need to “know” or to find an explanation
about how our world works? Are there benefits in learning more about our
environment, our planet, and the universe?

3. For development, to sustain life and to be cautious of the environment are
the three things that come to mind when asked why is there a “primal” human need
to know about how our world works. The same three things that describes the
benefits of acquiring more knowledge about our environment, our planet and the
universe.
It is really undeniable that the more knowledge we know about anything in
the world, most of the time, it leads to progress and development. As these
knowledges continue to be established, a lot of technologies and inventions are
being developed to make our lives easier and also a lot of theories and principles
are being discovered to govern our ways of life. If ever our ancestors had stopped
their quest to know more about our world during their times, we would probably be
still living the kind of life they have in the past.
Moreover, with the continuing development brought by our eagerness to
learn more about how our world works, the lives of primarily us, the people, are
being sustained. Through our knowledge, and with help of technologies, our needs
are becoming much easier to be supplied. Medications of certain diseases are
developed and is continued to be developed, knowledge about agriculture are
already here to provide for our daily food needs, our modes of transportation, and
a lot more.
And lastly, as a product of our quality of being skeptical towards our world,
specifically on our environment, we were already equipped with established
knowledge regarding natural hazards and phenomenon that occurs to our planet.
We have technologies already in forecasting weather conditions, intensity and
magnitude scales for earthquakes, and even the properties of volcanic eruptions
are already known to us. These knowledges enable us to be cautious of the natural
phenomena that happens to our planet, and thus aids us in ensuring our safety.
People as of this time has discovered a lot already about our world, yet
there’s a thousandfold more to discover. And as we continue to search for more
discoveries, the more that we become cautious of our environment, we maintain a
sustainable life and we ensure a continuing development for all.