Information Age

❖ Computer Age, Digital Age, New Media Age, Internet Age

❖ a historic period in the 21st century characterized by the rapid shift from traditional industry that
the Industrial Revolution brought through industrialization, to an economy based on information
technology.

Early Developments of Information Age

• 1945- Fremont Rider described the miniaturized microform analog photographs, which could be
duplicated on-demand for library patrons and other institutions.
• 1965- Moore’s law was formulated. It is an observation that the number of transistors in a dense
integrated circuit doubles about every two years.
• Early 1980s- production of the smaller and less expensive personal computers allowed for direct
access to information.
• 1995- Nicholas Negroponte published his book, Being Digital, the similarities and differences
between products made of atoms and bits.

1. Primary Information Age- newspaper, radio, television.

2. Secondary Information Age- Internet, satellite television and mobile phones
3. Tertiary Information Age- emerged by media of the Primary Information Age interconnected with
media of the Secondary Information Age.

Pre-industrial Age- a time before there were machines and tools to help them perform the tasks. About
2.5 million years before writing was developed, technology began with the earliest hominids who used
stone tools, which they may have used to start fires, hunt, and bury their dead. Communications were
limited between communities. People used traditional paper and writing materials, signs or symbols to
communicate with each other. For example, Egyptians used papyrus scrolls. Sumerians used clay
tablets, Pre-historic men used hand stencils and simple geometric shapes to create art on the walls of
caves and Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press during Renaissance period.

Industrial Age- is a period of history that encompasses the changes in economic and social organization
that began around 1760 in Great Britain and later in other countries, characterized chiefly by the
replacement of hand tools with power-driven machines such as the power loom and the steam engine,
and by the concentration of industry in large establishments.

• CommunIcation during the Industrial Age

• Samuel F.B Morse invented the telegraph which became the standard for international
communication with a modified code.
• Alexander Graham Bell patent the telephone, an electric tool transmitting analogue speech along
wires.
• Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, a device for the mechanical recording and reproduction
of sound.
• Heinrich Hertz identified and studied radio waves in 1886.
 • Guiglielmo Marconi developed the first practical radio transmitters and receivers.
• Philo Farnsworth invented the first fully electronic television. It became an important mass
medium for advertising, propaganda and entertainment.

Electronic Age began when electronic equipment and large technologies, including
computers came into use. The invention of the transistor ushered in the electronic age. People
harnessed the power of transistors that led to the transistor radio, electronic circuits, and the early
computers. In this age, long distance communication became more efficient.

• Transistor led to the creation of other media tool.

• Enigma machine is a piece of spook hardware used as a way of deciphering German signals
traffic during World War Two.
• Transisor radio became the most popular electronic communication and device in history.
• EDSAC ( Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator) is considered to be the first stored
program electronic computer.
• ENIAC ( Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) as the first electronic general purpose
digital computer.
• UNIVAC( Universal Automatic Computer) is a line of electronic digital stored-program computers.
• IBM is the first mass produced computer with floating-point arithmetic hardware.
• Hewlett Packard 9100A is an early computer or programmable calculator
• Floppy disk is a removal magnetic storage medium.
• Walkman is originally used for portable audio cassette players.

Information Age-People advanced the use of microelectronics with the invention of personal computers,
mobile devices, and wearable technology. Moreover, voice, image, sound and data are digitalized. We
are now living in the information age.

• You tube was created by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim. It is an online video-sharing
platform. It also allows users to view, upload, share, report, subscribe and comments on videos.

• Facebook Inc. was founded by Mark Zuckerberg and his fellow roommates and students. It is a
popular global social networking website. It also offers other products and services such as
Facebook Messenger, Facebook Watch and Facebook Portal.

• MacBook is a discontinued Macintosh portable computer developed and sold by Apple Inc. It
includes a Retina display, fanless design and a shallower butterfly keyboard and a single USB-C
port for power and data.
• Google LLC is based on multinational technology company that specializes in internet-related
services and products, which include sottware, hardware, online advertising, a search engine and
cloud computing
• Microsoft Corporation develops, manufactures, licenses, supports and sells computer software,
consumer electronics, personal computers and related services.
Biological diversity comprises the variety of all life on earth. It also pertains to the
relative abundance and richness of the different traits, species, and ecosystems in a particular
area or region. The biodiversity we see today is the outcome of over 3.5 billion years of
evolutionary history, shaped by natural processes and increasingly, by the influence of humans.
Biodiversity forms the web of life of which we are an integral part and upon which we fully
depend.

The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, brazil i
n 1992), of which Philippines is one of the 154 member countries who signed the declaration, d
efines biodiversity as the variability among living organisms from all source, including inter alia,
terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems, and the ecological

Complexes of which they are part: this includes diversity within species, between species and o
f ecosystems. Zamora (1997) defined biodiversity as the ensemble and the interactions of the g
enetic, the species, and the ecological diversity in a given place and at a given time.
World Wild Fund for Nature (1989) defined it as the wealth of life on earth, the millions of plants
, animals an microorganisms, the genes they contain, and the intricate ecosystems they help b
uild into the living environment.

Three Types of Biological Diversity

1. Genetic diversity refers to the variations among the genetic resources of the
organisms. A gene is a unit of hereditary information consisting of a specific
nucleotide sequence in DNA. High genetic diversity indicates populations that
can more easily adapt to changing situations and environments, and also
greater assortment of materials than can be found, increasing the chances of
finding a useful compound (Bernhardt, 1999).

2. Species diversity refers to the variety of different types of species found in a

particular area.

3. Ecosystem/ Ecological diversity refers to the variety of different types of

species found in a particular area. It includes terrestrial, marine and freshwater
ecosystems.
 Ecosystem is the unit of interaction between the biotic community and its
physical environment in a given area. It is a self-contained community of
microorganisms, animals and plants that interact with each other and with their
physical environment.”

Habitat is a place in which a particular species of organism lives.

Importance of Biodiversity

❖ It supports healthy ecosystems.

❖ It is an essential part of the solution to climate change
❖ It is good for the economy.
❖ It is an integral part of culture and identity.
❖ It provides raw materials like lumber, food, spices etc.
❖ It provides opportunities for recreational activities, such as bird watching, scuba
diving, snorkeling, and nature photography.
❖ It serves as the source of medicine.

What do we get from biodiversity?

1. Oxygen
2. Food
3. Clean Water
4. Medicine
5. Aesthetics
6. Lumber
7. Ideas

Status of Philippine Biodiversity

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR 2009) claims that in
terms of biodiversity, the Philippine was 5th in the world as to number of plant species;
8th in the world list of endemic plants; 4th in endemic birds; 5th in endemic mammals;
and 8th in endemic reptiles.

List of identified endemic species

1. Rafflesia manillana, the world’s largest flower.
2. Vanda sanderiana (waling-waling), one of the world’s largest orchid species.
3. Pithecophaga jefferyi (monkey -eating eagle), the largest bird
4. Rhyncodon typus, the largest fish
5. Tridacna gigas (giant clam), the largest seashell
6. Pandaka pygmea (dwarf goby), the smallest freshwater fish
7. Tarsius syrichta (tarsier), the smallest primate
8. Tragalus nigricans, the smallest hoofed mammal
9. Tylonycteris pachpus (bamboo bat), the smallest bat;
10. Pisidum, the tiniest shell in the world
11. Connus gloriamaris, one of the most expensive shells in the world
12. Cervus alfredi, the most endangered deer
13. Bubalus mindorensis (tamarau or dwarf water buffalo), one of the top ten most
endangered species in the world and the largest endangered animal.

One indication that a species may be endangered is a dwindling in numbers. The list of
endangered species is long and growing. In the 2000 Red List of the International Union
for the Conservation of Nature and Natural resources (IUCN), of the 52,177 species in
the Philippines, 418 were listed as threatened. The Philippine Biodiversity Conservation
Priority-setting Program (PBCPP) described the 121 endemic mammals as critically
endangered. The Bird Life International listed 116 of species of birds in the country are
threatened or near threatened. According to the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources report (2010), out of 584 wildlife in the country, 72% are already threatened
with extinction. Several species of plants, frogs, reptiles and insects remain to be
documented. Unfortunately, several species were believed to have vanished without
being identified.

Threats to Biodiversity

1. Environmental Pollution
Domestic agriculture and industrial wastes are poorly treated and are often
discharged into the sea, and to other bodies of water, such as rivers and lakes. Pollution
can lead to diseases and pollution stresses, such as coral bleaching on reefs.

2. Over-exploitation/ Over-hunting/ Over-harvesting/ Over-fishing

Commercial logging, community logging, timber poaching, and kaingin (slash and
burn agriculture). In mangrove ecosystem, the extraction of fuel and construction ma

3. Habitat Loss/ Habitat destruction/ Habitat alteration.

In coral reefs, coastal development, aquaculture, agriculture, and land-cover
change increasing sediments and nutrients outflow onto reefs, and the muro-ami fishing
technique. The development of fishponds (aquaculture) in mangrove forest.

4. Climate Change
Drastic changes in the atmosphere can have catastrophic effects such as increase
concentration of greenhouse gases and destruction of forest.

5. Invasive species or Non-native species

Invasive species are greater threat to native biodiversity than pollution, harvest,
and disease combined (Simberloff, 2000). It can cause alterations either within species
groups or within the environment.
Underlying Causes of the Loss of Philippine Biodiversity
The underlying causes of Philippine biodiversity loss are:
a. Population growth and increasing resource consumption
b. Ignorance about species and ecosystems
c. Poorly conceived policies and poor law enforcement
d. Effects of global trading systems
e. Inequity of resource distribution
f. Apathy or failure to account for the value of biodiversity, and

Genetically Modified Organisms

Worldwide, over 191 million hectares have been planted with genetically modified crops
as of 2018, particularly herbicide and pest-resistant canola, cotton, corn and soybeans.
The United States had the largest area worldwide of GM crops, followed by Brazil,
Argentina, Canada and India (Shahbandeh, 2019).

Fun facts: The first commercially available GM food was called the Flavr Savr tomato
that had an antisense gene that increased its shelf life and delayed ripening ( Bruening
and Lyons, 2000). Designed by researchers at Calgene (now a division of Monsanto,
Inc.). Monsanto is the leading company in genetically modified crop based on revenue.

GMOs or Genetically Modified Organisms are organisms whose genetic material has
been altered using genetic engineering techniques, which is a direct manipulation of an
organisms genome. According to the World Health Organization (WHO,2004) GMOs are
organisms, either plant or animal or microorganism in which the genetic material ( DNA)
has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating or natural
recombination. The development of GMOs was perceived to help in the advancement of
technology for the benefit of humans in different industries like agriculture and medicine.

Example of Genetically Modified Foods (GMFs)

Bt corn is a variant that has been genetically altered to express more proteins from
Bacillus thuringiensis which produces a bacterial toxin including Delta-toxins. Bacillus
thuringiensis (Bt) is a bacterium found in soil that are toxic to some insects when eaten,
but not others. The era of Bt had its beginning in 1901, a Japanese scientist named
Shigeta Ishiwata isolated a bacterium from dead silkworm larvae while he was
investigating the cause of the socalled " sotto disease . The disease was responsible for
the loss of large numbers of silkworm in Japan. A few years thereafter, in 1911, A
German scientist Ernst Berliner isolated a related strain from dead Mediterranean flour
moth larvae in the German state Thuringia. He named the organism Bacillus
thuringiensis. The bacterium has been used as an insecticide since 1938. Susceptible
insects must ingest Bt toxin in order to be affected. In contrast to poisonous insecticides
that target the nervous system. Bt acts by producing a protein that blocks the digestive
system of the insect, effectively starving it. Bt is a fast-acting insecticide: an infected insect
will stop feeding within hours of ingestion and will die, generally from starvation or a
rupture of the digestive system, within days. The toxin is produced by the Cry gene found
on plasmids in the bacterium. The gene is added to the genomes of crop plants using a
bacterium that forms root nodules in plants (Agrobacterium tumificiens). One interesting
feature of cry genes is their high degree of plasticity. This particular characteristic may
contribute to the versatility of cry toxins as it relates to their insect host range. In addition,
Bt crops produced from 1996 onwards are maize, potato, cotton and soybean.”

Genetically Modified Organisms are part of a growing industry that is clouded by

controversy, fear and suspicion. With so much uncertainty, this technology must be
evaluated to accurately determine the relationship between GM foods and human health.
For instance, damage from weed infestation destroys crops worldwide. Cultivating GM
crops has provided significant benefits to farmers globally to combat this problem. Several
of the main reasons for generating transgenic crops include increased nutritional value of
crops like maize with improved protein and golden rice fortified with Vitamin A and Iron.
Importantly, GMOs also improved the growth characteristics and yield of agriculturally
valuable crops which often enhanced color and taste, enhanced production or reduction
of enzymes, and prolonged shelf life. With the use of GMO crops, there will be less use
for herbicides/ pesticides, and lower cost for cultivation and labor. Additionally, it provides
crop resistance against insect and viral pests, drought and herbicides. This could help
farmers to reduce the use of fertilizer and pesticides, controlling the purity of the hybrid
seeds that ensures higher yields and increase potential growth and harvest. Despite the
promising claims of GMOs, there have been many controversies and issues whether
genetically modified food is less healthy than non-genetically modified food. Are GM crops
Is it safe to eat? Does it pose a threat to other organisms? A major concern in the use
and consumption of GMOs include promote the development of pesticide resistant pests.
Introduction of the GMOs in the natural environment may cause disruption of the natural
communities through competition interference. There is a potential risk of the modified
gene to be transferred from the GMO crop to its wild relative or organism in the soil.
Emergence of new forms resistance and secondary pests and weed problems might
ensue. GM crops express concerns about allergenicity. Consumption of GMOs may have
adverse effects since it is not naturally or organically produced. It may alter the balance
of existing microorganisms in the body and production of toxins may be detrimental to
human health. Furthermore, GM crop can be both expensive and time consuming since
it is performed in the laboratory. Although the debate about GM food is active. Scientists
and researchers continue to pave the way for GMO- a path that leads to an unimaginable
array of benefits, but also raises extremely important questions.
History of Nanotechnology

• 1959- Richard Feynman, an American Physicist discussed, “There’s Plenty of

Room at the Bottom”.
• 1960- Mohamed Atalla and Dawon Kahng fabricated the first MOSFET ( metal –
oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor) with a gate oxide thickness of 100nm,
along with a gate length of 20μm.
• 1974- Norio Taniguchi, a Japanese scientist of Tokyo University of Science coined
the term "nanotechnology” to describe semiconductor processes such as film
deposition and ion beam milling exhibiting characteristic control on the order of a
nanometer.
• 1981s- The invention of Scanning Tunneling Microscope, an instrument used for
imaging surfaces at the atomic level. It was invented by Gerd Binnig and Heinrich
Rohrer at IBM Zurich (Nobel Prize in Physics).
• 1985- The discovery of fullerenes, an allotrope of carbon whose molecule consists
of carbon atoms connected by single and double bonds so as to form a closed or
partially closed mesh, with fused rings of five to seven atoms.
• 1986 – Publication of the book Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of
Nanotechnology by Eric Dexler.
• 1991- The discovery of carbon nanotubes by Sumio Lijima
• 2006- The discovery of 3nm MOSFET, the worlds’smallest nanoelectronic device
was created by Korean Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science
and Technology and the National Nano Fab Center.

Early uses of Nanomaterials

▪ In Mesopotamia, nanoparticles were used for creating a glittering effect on

the surface of pots.

▪ In modern times, pottery from the middle Ages and Renaissance often
retains a distinct gold- or copper-colored metallic glitter.
▪ In Rome, Lycurgus cup is made of a glass that changes colour when light
gleamed through it.
▪ In pre-columbian Mayan City of Chichen Itza, a corrosion resistant azure
pigment known as “ Maya Blue” contains nanopores to create an
environmentally stable pigment.
▪ In Middle East, Damascus steel swords contain oriented nanoscale wire-
and-tube-like structures
 What is Nanotechnology?

– The engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale.

– It is a Hybrid Science combining Engineering, Chemistry and to a certain extent
Biology.
– It deals with the creation of functional materials, devices, systems through control
of matter or nanoscale.
– It placed the footprints in the field of energy, medicine, electronics, computing,
security and materials.

– Nanoscience is the study of phenomena and manipulation of materials at

atomic, molecular and macromolecular scales, where properties differ
significantly from those at a larger scale.
– Nanotechnologies are the design, characterization, production and
application of structures, devices and systems by controlling shape and size
at nanometre scale.

Fundamental Concepts in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

It’s hard to imagine just how small nanotechnology is. One nanometer is a billionth
of a meter, or 10-9 of a meter. Here are a few illustrative examples:

o There are 25,400,000 nanometers in an inch

o A sheet of newspaper is about 100,000 nanometers thick
o On a comparative scale, if a marble were a nanometer, then one meter would be
the size of the Earth.

Different Approaches to Nanotechnology.

Nanotechnologies can be:

• Top-down
– Etching a block of material down to the desired shape
– Chips and processors
• Bottom-up
– Building materials atom by atom - like lego
– Nanoparticles such as C60, carbon nanotubes, quantum dots
 Applications of Nanotechnology

• Catalysts
– Envirox™ cerium oxide
• Nanoremediation
– SAMMS technology to remove mercury
• Paper
– photographic paper
• Filters
– nanofibres
• Toothpaste to remineralise teeth
• Food
• packaging
• Paint
• improved adhesion and anti-fungal qualities/anti-graffiti
• Clothes
• non-staining and anti-radiation
• Batteries
• (Black & Decker) phosphate nanocrystal technology
• Cleaning products

Advanatges of Nanotechnology

▪ Protect drugs from being degraded in the body before they reach their target
▪ Enhances the absorption of drugs into tumors and into the cancerous cells themselves.
▪ Allows for better control over the timing and distribution of drugs to the tissue, making it
easier for oncologists to assess how well they work.
▪ Prevent drugs from interacting with normal cells , thus avoiding side effects.

Disadvantages
• Adverse health effects in humans from deliberate or accidental exposure
• Adverse effects on the environment from deliberate or accidental exposure
• Potentially explosive properties of nanostructures
• Very difficult to detect without sophisticated equipment
• Difficult to predict how particles will behave in the environment (dispersed/clumped)
• Small size may result in particles passing into the body more easily (inhalation, ingestion,
absorption)
• May be more reactive due to surface area to volume ratio
• Potential to adsorb toxic chemicals
• Persistence - Longevity of particles in the environment and body are unknown