GEC 7 : SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
Module 9: Information Society
Overview
Human are surrounded on all side by technology claiming to supply information, television, smart
phone, and internet devices, among others. However, do they all provide information or just noise? More
voices are trying to get our attention but how can we be sure that they share knowledge and the truth?
Before the printed word, the written word was prevalent. Yet, the intent to carry information has
always been present. Words are informed with meaning given by the speaker and intended for the
listener.
Modules Contents
A. INFORMATION
A word is a combination of sounds that represents something. It is this significance which makes
words distinct from just and kind of vocal utterance. Words are made up of sounds and yet transmit
something more significant. They transmit a message. The words are “informed” because they
carry “information”.
B. THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE
In the human quest for understanding the natural world, the ability to name and classify objects
found in nature was seen as a first step in knowing. Thus, the scientific search for truth early on
recognized the usefulness of language and the ability it give to make sense of nature.
The idea of comprehending words as more than just combinations of sounds led the Greeks to seek
out the principles of everyday language. When talking to other people, for example, a meaningful
message is created using ordinary sounds. Its meaning is also not diminished by multiplication – the
speaker can use the same words over and over again to talk to ten, a hundred, or even a thousand
people without reducing, their meaning.
Plato’s principle of “One and the Many” refers to the underlying unity among diverse beings in the
natural world. For Plato, there is a common intrinsic nature shared by different objects, which
determines their real sense. Biologists devised a way to illustrate this principle using a system
differentiating between genus and species. Many species belong in one genus.
In the 21st century, we are aware more than ever that there is rich diversity in nature, which
technology has allowed us to discover ( BANWA Natural Science, 2008).
C. MATHEMATICS AS THE LANGUAGE OF NATURE
Technology in the modern world is the fruit of science. Because the scientific method helped
people discover how nature behaves, they were able to control nature with technology. A more
accurate statement is: Since people have discovered the laws and language of nature, they can
develop technology that uses these laws and language for their benefit. This language is
mathematics, the great combination of Isaac Newton. Nature can be understood because it speaks
in the language of mathematics and the human brain, to a certain extent, can comprehend this
language ( Wigner, 1960).
D. TECHNOLOGICAL WORLD
The ability to think and conceptually comprehend nature and the principles it follows eventually
leads to science. Western thinkers harnessed the forces of nature after understanding them batter.
Lost in antiquity is the first sailing vessel that worked through the power of the wind. Hero of
Alexandria would invent a primitive steam engine in the first century ( Paul Davies , 1990).
E. THE PRINTING PRESS AND BEYOND
The power of the elders, or idea, would be witnessed in the succeeding centuries of development in
the west. The ancient fascination with language gave rise to the preservation of the words of earlier
people at the same time when the West weakened itself due to internecine warfare and conflicts.
Throughout this dark period, the importance of the word-the power to be informed as a human
being – led to the transmission of ideas through hand-copying. From this manual action would arise
the technology that would transform cultures-the printing press. The development of the printing
press, which may be regarded as the beginning of a true revolution, could be dated to the 15 th
century.
In the age of information, the transmission of ideas has undergone changes. Meaning and depth
are no longer conveyed strictly by rhetoric but rather by its electronic replacement, the digital signal
or digit. Such a digital world is a direct offspring of the progressing world of technology built upon
the many advance in science ( Toffler , 1984 ).
F. THE WORLD WIDE WEB
A more modern example of technology feeding upon itself is the 20th century tour of force: the
World Wide through the internet. Sir b Tim Berners-Lee invented it as a way of addressing data
processing and information sharing needs among scientists for the European Organization for
Nuclear Research (CERN). CERN’s atom smasher produces a huge amount of scientific data every
second. It thus required better data analyzers to work on the gathered information in coordination
with each other. While the telegraph and telephone had allowed the transmission of information to
transcend physical boundaries, processing a veritable ocean and mountain of scientific data
generated by the atom smasher needed a new medium.
With the ease of sharing information at present, its reliability becomes compromised. Anyone with a
connection to other people can produce contents which are showing half-truths or even lies, giving
rise to disinformation. Social media also encourages building a community of like-minded people.
The creation of these groups often reinforces biases and beliefs based only on the content that they
allow within the community, forgoing the variation and clash of ideas provided in real life. Worse,
these communities can be tapped by people in power who may take advantage of these mechanisms
– controlling public opinion and harassing those who present opposing views – for their own
advantage. Meanwhile , the easy access to personal information makes one susceptible to online
predation, identity theft, and scamming, among others. Thus it pays to be vigilant in utilizing these
modern devices at all times.
The technology applied when a sailor rigs up a piece of cloth to catch the wind is the same one that
produces modern machines and devices, albeit less complex. Nevertheless, human beings have
always found a way to address their needs and discover new frontiers with scientific thinking.
Considering the many benefits we get from these technologies, we must also be responsible in
utilizing them to avoid harming others and ourselves.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1. Which developments in the information age brought significant changes in a way you live your life
today?
2. How did the transmission of information evolve from the ancient times up to the present?
3. How did the printing press change the course of history? What ideas were spread using this
invention?
4. Social media is a technology which facilitates the sharing of information, ideas, and other content in
different parts of the globe. If social media was deactivated for a month in the country, what could
possibly happen?
5. Social media also poses certain risks especially in the dissemination of false information. As a
student, how will you use social media to ensure that you do not propagate inaccurate and unreliable
information?
References
McNamara, DJ., Valverde, V.M., and Beleno, R. III. (2018). Science, Technology and Society,
Philippines. C & E Publishing House, Inc.
Video Clips/Slides. The Magician’s Twin: CS Lewis and the Case Against Scientism.