Technology is changing our world at an overwhelming

pace. Most people are deeply involved with technology.

They tend to be ever optimistic about its prospects and Jacques Ellul warns that as technological
persistently eager to adopt and promote it. Many focused capabilities grow, they result in countless means to
their optimistic remarks on health care, food, energy, accomplish tasks than ever before.
environment, education, economy and agriculture. In the
span of a few short years, social media, mobile devices The more dependent we become on technology, the more
and internet have transformed how we communicate and it conforms our behavior to its requirements rather than
get information about the world. Rapid advances in vice versa.
science and technology foreshadow a world that can William Gibson, who coined the term
displace some forms of human labor. In addition, nearly “cyberspace”, has said the ‘the future is here”- it’s just not
everyone expressed concerns about the long-term impact evenly distributed”.
of new tools and techniques on the essential elements of
being human. However, many shared deep worries and
trepidation about the danger brought by rapid 21st Century Technologies
technological change. It is of course true that no one can 1. Genetic engineering- is the process by which
predict the future. The key variable in understanding the an organisms’ genetic material is altered or
future is rarely technology alone, but how humans use it, manipulated so that the organism will have
perceive it, and adapt to it. specific characteristics.
● It has been applied in
Clive Staples Lewis argued that humanity, so – numerous fields including
called power over nature “turns out to be a power research, medicine, industrial
exercised by some men over other men with Nature as its biotechnology and agriculture.
instrument’. ● It can be used in Cloning,
Genetically Modified
He feared that modernism and its ability to explain away Organisms (GMOs), Gene
everything but “nature “would leave us emptied of therapy.
humanity. 2. Robotics
● Is an interdisciplinary research area at
The choice is to see humanity as a complex the interface of computer science and
combination of both material and spiritual engineering. It involves the conception,
components or else to be reduced to machines made of design, manufacture and operation of
meat ruled by other machines with nothing other than robots. (Wikipedia).
natural impulses to guide them. ● Characteristics of Robots: Robots all
consist of some sort of mechanical
He also warned us of a society that has explained away construction, Robots need electrical
every mystery, and the danger of what he calls “man- components that control and power the
molders, which will be armed with the powers of an Omni- machinery.
competent state and irresistible scientific technique.
Types of Robots:
Francis Fukuyama, there are three possible ● Pre-Programmed Robots (operate in
scenarios for the near future. a controlled environment where they do
● First, the genetically enhanced intelligence or the simple, monotonous tasks),
prospect of living longer lives free from genetic ● Humanoid robots (robots that look like
disease. and/ or mimic human behavior- Sophia),
● Autonomous Robots (operate
● Next, advances in stem cell research might soon independently of human operators,
allow us to regenerate any tissue in the body. Teleoperated Robots (mechanical bots
controlled by humans),
● Lastly, the widespread use of psychotropic drugs ● Augmenting Robots (either enhance
like Prozac and Ritalin that can make everyone current human capabilities or replace
happy without the side effects of the drugs. the capabilities a human may have lost),
 or simulate human intelligence in
Applications: machines.
● Norvig and Russell defined Artificial
● military robots ( to search, rescue and Intelligence in four approaches:
attack), o Thinking rationally, thinking
humanly, acting rationally and
● industrial robots ( IBM keyboard acting humanly.
manufacturing factory in Texas), ● It is being used in health care, energy
development, finance, transportation,
● collaborative robots or cobots,( aviation and telecommunications.
intended for direct human robot ● It includes autonomous vehicles such as
interaction within shared space), drones and self-driving cars, playing
games such as chess or Go, search
● construction robots ( robotic arm and engines such as Google search, online
robotic exoskeleton), assistants such as Siri, image
recognition in photographs,
● agricultural robots ( closely linked to predicting flight delays and medical
the concept of AI-assisted precision diagnosis.
agriculture and drone usage), Methods and Goals in AI:
The symbolic ( or top-down)
● medical robots ( da Vinci Surgical approach-seeks to replicate intelligence
System and Hospi), by analyzing cognition independent of
the biological structure of the brain.
● kitchen automation ( Rotimatic, connectionist ( bottom-up) approach-
flatbreads baking, Frobot, frozen involves creating artificial neural
yogurts), networks in imitation of the brain’s
structure.
● Robot combat for sport, domestic
robots ( Roomba vacuums the carpets), Potential Risks to Society

● nanobots (Kinesin uses protein domain ⮚ Devaluation of humanity

dynamics in nanoscales to walk along a ⮚ Decrease in demand of human labor
microtubule) and ⮚ High costs of creation
● swarm robotics (disaster rescue
⮚ Ethical issues
missions, target localization and
tracking, simultaneous localization and ⮚ Social isolation
mapping, cooperative environment ⮚ Environmental Problems
monitoring and convoy protection).
List of Emerging Technologies that will shape our Future

3. Nanotechnology- is the study and manipulation 1. Electric/ self-driving cars

of atomic or molecular scale to improve or even 2. Robot butlers
revolutionize many technology and industry 3. Flying cars
sectors. 4. Space tourism
5. Colonization of other planets
4. Artificial Intelligence 6. Wearable screens
● Refers to “machines” that respond to 7. 3D printed Food and Metal
stimulation consistent with traditional 8. 5G-6G connectivity
responds from human, given the 9. Re-engineering and Recycling
capacity for contemplation, judgement 10. High-rise farms
and intention. 11. Lab-grown meats
● Alan Turing established the 12. Robot soldiers
fundamental goal and vision of artificial 13. Roads over rivers and seas
intelligence. It is the attempt to replicate 14. Holography
 15. Body implants prosthesis android but rather more like industrial tools or
equipment. This implies the world would be
Post-humanity is a theory/ concept that is of an advance prepared for more smart intelligence to be
level of technological or economic development that would
utilized in day-to-day applications (Singh).
involve a radical change in the human condition, whether
the change was brought by biological enhancement or
other cause. The Impact of Technology on Human Health
Most of us absorb three times more information
GNR- Genetics ,Nanotechnology and Robotics everyday compared with 50 years ago.
KMD- knowledge and enabled mass destruction
WMD- Weapon of Mass Destruction University of California researchers, we
NBC- Nuclear, Biological and Chemical
spend 12 hours in front of TV and computers at
home. Multitasking participants had more
difficulty filtering out irrelevant information than
The idea that new technologies can those focusing on one task at a time. Teens,
liberate us from the human condition is however, are emotionally more vulnerable to
a fantasy. In reality, the 21st-cenntury the effects of rampant texting and online
will be all too human. sharing.

David Mattin According to a 2010 Nielsin survey, we send

and receive text messages 3, 339 times a
Humanity month. (Deodhar).
⮚ A virtue associated with
basic ethics of altruism
derived from human The Future of Humanity (Nick Bostrom, 2009)
condition ( wikipedia). Extinction
⮚ According to Confucius, An estimated 99% of all species that
humanity is a” love of ever existed on earth are already extinct (Raup,
people”, if you want to 1991). There are different ways in which
make a stand, help human species could become extinct: Primarily,
others make a stand. by transforming or evolving into one or more
species or by merely dying out without any
Human-Robot Interaction replacement or continuation.
Robotics has become a big part of our
collective lives. Robots are utilized for their Nowadays, one of the utmost extinction risks
knowledge, exactness and interminable vitality arises from human activity.
to perform assignments consistently and
profitably The possibility that humanity could face
extinction due to various catastrophic events,
AI robots have already started an enormous such as natural disasters, pandemics, or
job in improving waste administration and technological risks.
finding distinctive approaches to handle the
waste issue. Recurrent Collapse
This means that the human condition
The vast majority of us are not able to will reach a kind of statis, either instantly or
understand that a lot of robots exist in the most after undergoing one or more cycles of collapse
basic forms today; they are not so much regeneration.
Human civilization may endure catastrophes 5. Neuromorphic Computing and
that prevent it from moving beyond a certain Computing Beyond Turing Limit
level of advancement. It also requires a 6. Quantum Computing and Control
carefully calibrated homeostatic mechanism. 7. Nanosatellites and Space Exploration
8. Internet to BrainNet
The idea that human civilization could 9. Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine
repeatedly collapse and rebuild, facing cycles of 10. Brain Mapping and Brain Uploading
progress and decline.

Plateau HUMANITY
Human civilization may reach a level of ▣ From the latin word “humanitas” which
technological advancement beyond which no means “human nature, kindness.”
further advancement is feasible. ▣ the human race, which includes
everybody on earth.
Predictions that life span can be greatly ▣ It’s also a word for the qualities that
increased have depended in part on the make us human, such as that ability to
apparent decelerations and plateaus. love and have compassion, be creative
A scenario where humanity reaches a stable and not be a robot or alien.
state with no significant further progress or "Soft war" is a concept used to explain rights
decline. and duties of is urgent even terrorists during
armed struggle.

Post humanity
People have developed significantly
different cognitive abilities, population sizes,
body types, sensory or emotional experiences
or life expectancies. a label for a form of human
existence radically transformed by the most
advanced medical techniques and by the use of
biotechnology and nanotechnology for human
enhancement.

The potential for humans to evolve or

transform into a new form of existence,
possibly through advanced technology, genetic
engineering, or artificial intelligence.

Technology Trends (Jayshree Pandya)

1. Biological Engineering and Bio-

Economy
2. Molecular Manufacturing and Self-
replicating Systems
3. Distributed Additive Manufacturing
4. Artificial Intelligence Driven Automation
Information Age dense integrated circuit doubles about every
❖ Computer Age - mid-20th century, two years.
computers began to be developed and Early 1980s- production of the smaller and less
expensive personal computers allowed for
used for various tasks.
direct access to information.
- mainframe computers, the invention of
1995- Nicholas Negroponte published his
the personal computer (PC), and the book, Being Digital, the similarities and
development of software and hardware. differences between products made of atoms
❖ Digital Age - current era characterized and bits.
by the widespread use of digital
technologies and the digitization of Primary Information Age- newspaper, radio,
information. television.
- shift from analog to digital formats, the Secondary Information Age- Internet, satellite
proliferation of digital devices such as television and mobile phones
smartphones and tablets, and the rise of Tertiary Information Age- emerged by media
digital media. of the Primary Information Age interconnected
❖ New Media Age - highlights the with media of the Secondary Information Age.
emergence and growth of new forms of
Pre-industrial Age- a time before there were
media enabled by digital technologies, machines and tools to help them perform the
often interactive and internet-based tasks. About 2.5 million years before writing
- Social media, blogs, podcasts, streaming was developed, technology began with the
services, and online gaming. earliest hominids who used stone tools, which
❖ Internet Age - period marked by the they may have used to start fires, hunt, and
development and widespread adoption bury their dead. Communications were limited
of the internet, starting from the late between communities. People used traditional
paper and writing materials, signs or
20th century.
symbols to communicate with each other.
- global interconnected network of
computers, the World Wide Web, and For example, Egyptians used papyrus scrolls.
the rise of internet-based services. Sumerians used clay tablets
Prehistoric men used hand stencils and simple
❖ a historic period in the 21st geometric shapes to create art on the walls of
century characterized by the rapid shift caves and Johannes Gutenberg invented the
from traditional industry that printing press during the Renaissance period.
the Industrial Revolution brought
through industrialization. Industrial Age- is a period of history that
encompasses the changes in economic and
Early Developments of Information Age social organization that began around 1760 in
Great Britain and later in other countries,
1945- Fremont Rider miniaturized microform characterized by the replacement of hand tools
analog photographs, which could be with power-driven machines.
duplicated on-demand for library patrons and
- characterized by mechanical innovation,
other institutions.
mass production, and the rise of
1965- Moore’s law was formulated.
industrial economies.
observation that the number of transistors in a
Communication during the Industrial Age ENIAC ( Electronic Numerical Integrator and
Computer) first electronic general purpose
Samuel F.B Morse invented the telegraph, digital computer.
the standard for international communication UNIVAC( Universal Automatic Computer) is a
with a modified code. line of electronic digital stored-program
Alexander Graham Bell invented the computers.
telephone, electric tool transmitting analogue IBM is the first mass produced computer with
speech along wires. floating-point arithmetic hardware.
Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, for Hewlett Packard 9100A is an early computer
the mechanical recording and reproduction of or programmable calculator
sound. Floppy disk is a removal magnetic storage
Heinrich Hertz identified and studied radio medium.
waves in 1886. Walkman is originally used for portable audio
Guiglielmo Marconi developed the first cassette players.
practical radio transmitters and receivers.
Philo Farnsworth invented the first fully Information Age-People advanced the use of
electronic television. It became important microelectronics with the invention of personal
mass medium for advertising, propaganda and computers, mobile devices, and wearable
entertainment. technology. Moreover, voice, image, sound and
data are digitalized. We are now living in the
information age.
Electronic Age began when - Communication: Email, instant
electronic equipment and large technologies, messaging, and video conferencing have
including computers came into use. The replaced many traditional
invention of the transistor ushered in the communication methods.
electronic age. People harnessed the power of - Commerce: E-commerce platforms like
transistors that led to the transistor radio, Amazon and Alibaba have changed the
electronic circuits, and the early computers. In way people shop and do business.
this age, long distance communication became - Entertainment: Streaming services like
more efficient. Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube have
- marked by electronic innovation, digital reshaped how we consume media and
technology, and the rise of the entertainment.
information economy.
You tube was created by Chad Hurley, Steve
Chen and Jawed Karim. It is an online video-
Transistor led to the creation of other media sharing platform.
tool. Facebook Inc. was founded by Mark
Enigma machine is a piece of spook hardware Zuckerberg and his fellow roommates and
used as a way of deciphering German signals students. It is a popular global social
traffic during World War Two. networking website.
Transistor radio became the most popular MacBook is a discontinued Macintosh
electronic communication and device in history. portable computer developed and sold by Apple
EDSAC ( Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Inc.
Calculator) first stored program electronic Google LLC is based on multinational
computer. technology company that specializes in
internet-related services and products, which
include software, hardware, online advertising, organisms. A gene is a unit
a search engine and cloud computing. of hereditary information
Microsoft Corporation develops, consisting of a specific
manufactures, licenses, supports and sells nucleotide sequence in
computer software, consumer electronics, DNA.
personal computers and related services.
2. Species diversity the
---------------------------------------------------------------------- variety of different types of
species found in a
Biological diversity comprises the variety particular area.
of all life on earth. It also pertains to the
relative abundance and richness of the 3. Ecosystem/ Ecological
different traits, species, and ecosystems in a diversity the variety of
particular different types of species
area or region. found in a particular area. It
includes terrestrial, marine
outcome of over 3.5 billion years of and freshwater
evolutionary history, shaped by natural ecosystems.
processes and increasingly, by the influence of
humans.
Ecosystem is the unit of
forms web of life of which we are an integral interaction between the
part and upon which we fully depend. biotic community and its
physical environment in a
The United Nations given area. It is a self-
Convention on Biological Diversity contained community of
(Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, brazil in microorganisms, animals
1992), defines biodiversity as the and plants that interact with
variability among living organisms from each other and with their
all source, including inter alia, terrestrial, physical environment.”
marine and other aquatic ecosystems, and
the ecological complexes of which they are
part: this includes diversity within species, Habitat is a place in which
between species and of ecosystems. a particular species of organism lives.

Zamora (1997) defined biodiversity as the Importance of Biodiversity

ensemble and the interactions of the
genetic, the ❖ It supports healthy
species, and the ecological diversity in a ecosystems.
given place and at a given time. ❖ It is an essential part of the
solution to climate change
World Wild Fund for Nature (1989)
❖ It is good for the economy.
defined it as the wealth of life on earth.
❖ It is an integral part of culture
Three Types of Biological Diversity and identity.
❖ It provides raw materials like
1. Genetic diversity refers to lumber, food, spices etc.
the variations among the ❖ It provides opportunities for
genetic resources of the recreational activities, such as
 bird watching, scuba diving, 7. Tarsius syrichta (tarsier), the
snorkeling, and nature smallest primate
photography. 8. Tragalus nigricans, the smallest
❖ It serves as the source of hoofed mammal (Tragulus
medicine. nigricans - Philippine Mouse-
deer))
What do we get from 9. Tylonycteris pachpus (bamboo
biodiversity? bat), the smallest bat;
(Tylonycteris pachypus)
1. Oxygen 10. Pisidum, the tiniest shell in the
2. Food world (Pisidium)
3. Clean Water 11. Connus gloriamaris, one of the
4. Medicine most expensive shells in the world
5. Aesthetics (Conus gloriamaris)
6. Lumber 12. Cervus alfredi, the most
7. Ideas endangered deer
13. Bubalus mindorensis (tamarau
or dwarf water buffalo), one of the
Status of Philippine Biodiversity top ten most endangered species
in the world and the largest
The Department of endangered animal.
Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR 2009) claims One indication that a species
that in terms of biodiversity, the may be endangered is a dwindling in
Philippine was numbers. The list of endangered
species is long and growing.
5th in the world as to number of plant
species; In the 2000 Red List of the
8th in the world list of endemic plants; International Union for the
4th in endemic birds; Conservation of Nature and
5th in endemic mammals; and Natural resources (IUCN), of the
8th in endemic reptiles. 52,177 species in the Philippines, 418
were listed as threatened.
List of identified endemic species
1. Rafflesia manillana, the world’s The Philippine Biodiversity
largest flower. Conservation Priority-setting
2. Vanda sanderiana (waling- Program (PBCPP) described the 121
waling), one of the world’s largest endemic mammals as critically
orchid species. endangered.
3. Pithecophaga jefferyi (monkey -
eating eagle), the largest bird The Bird Life International
4. Rhyncodon typus, the largest listed 116 of species of birds in the
fish (Rhincodon typus) country are threatened or near
5. Tridacna gigas (giant clam), the threatened.
largest seashell
6. Pandaka pygmea (dwarf goby), Department of Environment
the smallest freshwater fish and Natural Resources report
(Pandaka pygmaea) (2010), out of 584 wildlife in the
 country, 72% are already threatened The underlying causes of Philippine
with extinction. biodiversity loss are:
a. Population growth and
increasing resource consumption
Threats to Biodiversity b. Ignorance about
species and ecosystems
1. Environmental Pollution c. Poorly conceived
Domestic agriculture and policies and poor law enforcement
industrial wastes are poorly treated. d. Effects of global trading
Pollution can lead to diseases and systems
pollution stresses, such as coral e. Inequity of resource
bleaching on reefs. distribution
f. Apathy or failure to
2. Over-exploitation/ Over-hunting/ account for the value of biodiversity,
Over-harvesting/ Over-fishing and
Commercial logging,
community logging, timber poaching, Genetically Modified Organisms
and kaingin (slash and burn
agriculture). In mangrove ecosystem, Worldwide, over 191 million
the extraction of fuel and hectares have been planted with
construction ma genetically modified crops as of
2018, particularly herbicide and pest-
3. Habitat Loss/ Habitat resistant canola, cotton, corn and
destruction/ Habitat alteration. soybeans. The United States had the
In coral reefs, coastal largest area worldwide of GM crops,
development, aquaculture, followed by Brazil, Argentina,
agriculture, and land-cover change Canada and India.
increasing sediments and nutrients Fun facts: The first
outflow onto reefs, and the muro-ami commercially available GM food was
fishing technique. The development called the Flavr Savr tomato that
of fishponds (aquaculture) in had an antisense gene that
mangrove forest. increased its shelf life and delayed
ripening. Designed by researchers at
Calgene. Monsanto is the leading
4. Climate Change company in genetically modified
Drastic changes in the crops based on revenue.
atmosphere can have catastrophic
effects GMOs or Genetically
Modified Organisms are organisms
5. Invasive species or Non-native whose genetic material has been
species altered using genetic engineering
Invasive species are greater techniques, which is a direct
threat to native biodiversity than manipulation of an organisms
pollution, harvest, and disease genome.
combined. - World Health Organization
(WHO,2004) GMOs are organisms,
Underlying Causes of the Loss of either plant or animal or
Philippine Biodiversity microorganism in which the genetic
material ( DNA) has been altered in
 a way that does not occur naturally starvation or a rupture of the digestive
by mating or natural recombination. system.
The development of GMOs was - The toxin is produced by the Cry
perceived to help in the gene found on plasmids in the
advancement of technology for the bacterium.
benefit of humans in different - The gene is added using a bacterium
industries like agriculture and that forms root nodules in plants
medicine. (Agrobacterium tumefaciens).
- One interesting feature of cry genes
Example of Genetically is their high degree of plasticity.
Modified Foods (GMFs) This particular characteristic may
contribute to the versatility of cry
Bt corn toxins as it relates to their insect host
- a variant that has been genetically range.
- Bt crops produced from 1996
altered to express more proteins onwards are maize, potato, cotton
from Bacillus thuringiensis which and soybean.”
produces a bacterial toxin including
Delta-toxins
- Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a
bacterium found in soil that is toxic to
some insects when eaten but not
others.
- The era of Bt had its beginning in
1901
. Ex situ Conservation
Shigeta Ishiwata 1901 isolated a bacterium It is the process of protecting
from dead silkworm larvae while he was species outside of its natural habitat
investigating the cause of the by removing a species from its
socalled " sotto disease. responsible for the threatened habitat and placing it in a
loss of large numbers of silkworms in Japan. new location.
In situ Conservation
Ernst Berliner 1911 isolated a related strain It is the process of protecting species
from dead Mediterranean flour moth larvae
in its natural habitat, either by
in the German state Thuringia. He named
the organism Bacillus thuringiensis. The establishment and management of
bacterium has been used as an insecticide protected areas where the species abound,
since 1938. or by defending the species from predators.

- 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