GE7_MODULE 2_THE ROLE OF SCIENCE greatly to progress in various fields of science.

At
AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE MODERN the same time, it altered people’s concepts of
SOCIETY space and time, and had a huge effect on
philosophy and thought. In the field of astronomy,
GROUP 2 Nicolaus Copernicus developed a theory, later
bolstered and refined by Johannes Kepler and
LESSON PROPER Galileo Galilei, that had a great effect on the
development and reform of society, overthrowing
Societal Significance of Science Europe’s medieval sense of values and driving it
into the modern age. In recent years, however,
Where technology has developed in close examples of such society-changing advances
relationship to the convenience and prosperity of have become increasingly common. For
human life since before the advent of recorded example, Edwin Hubble’s discovery in 1929 that
history, science originated from natural the universe was expanding led directly to the
philosophy and was supported by people’s Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe
intellectual curiosity. The main objective of (1946) by George Gamow and others. In 1965,
science has been elucidation of how nature is put Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson detected
together and operates, and it has developed as a cosmic background radiation pervading the
separate entity from technology. Of course, while universe, providing powerful evidence for the Big
technological progress was backed up by various Bang theory. These discoveries gave people a
scientific advances, this does not mean that new “sense of the universe.” Moreover, advances
scientific research was conducted for the in space development have greatly expanded the
purpose of developing new technologies, rather, space available for possible human activities,
scientific knowledge was utilized only because it and opened up new frontiers for humanity where
was available. In fact, it was more common for people can dream. At the same time, images of
new technologies to be developed in order to Earth taken from space have given people all
pursue scientific research. After the Industrial over the world a new “view of the Earth,” vividly
Revolution, the separate paths taken by science revealing its beauty and irreplaceability.
and technology began to move closer together. Furthermore, the revelation in 1974 by Sherwood
Significantly, the concept of linking scientific Rowland and Mario Molina that
results to technology for utilization in society chlorofluorocarbon gases were causing depletion
became prevalent after around 1850, which is of the ozone layer, followed in 1985 by the
when a chemical industry began to develop discovery of an ozone hole, had a huge effect on
based on utilization of knowledge about efforts to protect the global environment. Alfred
chemistry, and electrical technologies arose Wegener’s theory of continental drift, announced
based on knowledge about electromagnetism. in 1915, is widely accepted around the world
Nevertheless, science has moved away from today as the plate tectonics theory. At the time of
being the business of the intellectual world, with its announcement, however, the mechanism for
scientific results now pioneering the frontiers of continental drift was unknown, and the theory
human activities in terms of both space and time, attracted few supporters. In the 1950s and later,
and expanding the potential of human activities. however, advances in sea floor monitoring
Science also has become a major influence on advanced the field of geophysics, and in the
people’s sense of values, changing the nature of 1960s Frederick Vine and Drummond Mathews
society and becoming the engine driving found quantitative evidence of continental drift
society’s progress from the viewpoint of due to a spreading sea floor. This discovery
civilization. completely altered people’s “sense of the Earth.”
In the life sciences, meanwhile, as seen by such
Scientific Progress Has Changed the Nature advances as the Theory of Evolution proposed
of Society, and Its Sense of Values by Charles Robert Darwin in the 19th century,
which greatly changed people’s “sense of
While there are probably no end of nature,” “sense of humanity,” and “sense of
examples of scientific progress having a major society,” there are many examples of discoveries
effect on people’s sense of values, and changing going far beyond the world of science to affect
the nature of society itself, the following is an the way people think in many sectors of society.
introduction to just a few of the more famous The discovery in 1953 of the double helix
examples. The centennial anniversary to one of structure of the DNA molecule by James Watson
the most 1905) is fast approaching, when Albert and Francis Crick gave birth to an entirely new
Einstein, one of the premier scientists of the 20th field of molecular biology. The result has been
century, issued in rapid succession a theory of progressive elucidation of the structure of living
the photon, a theory of Brownian motion, and the things at the molecular level and rapid advances
Special Theory of Relativity, all of which served in the life sciences, including the establishment of
to overthrow the then-prevailing views of physics. gene recombinant technology by Stanley Cohen
Einstein’s Theory of Relativity became the and Herbert Boyer in 1973, the birth of a cloned
foundations for all later physics, contributing sheep, Dolly, in 1996, and completion in 2003 of
the project to sequence the entire human
 genome, conducted by the International Human the imperatives of socioeconomic progress in the
Genome Sequencing Consortium, a collaboration contemporary world. This has become a widespread
of six countries including Japan, and five other concern of governments especially since the post-
North American and European countries. These World War II years. Among Third World countries, an
recent advances in the life sciences have greatly important dimension of this concern was the problem
increased understanding of humans and other of dependence on science and technology as this is
living things, extending the frontiers of human closely tied up with the integrity of their political
activity, particularly in the medical field, and sovereignty and economic self-reliance. There exists
greatly affecting people’s “sense of life” and a continuing imbalance between scientific and
“sense of ethics.” Furthermore, advances in brain technological development among contemporary
research hint at the possibility of closing in on the states with 98 per cent of all research and
human soul, and progress in that area will surely development facilities located in developed countries
have a large effect on people’s sense of values. and almost wholly concerned with the latter's
The IT revolution of recent years is the problems. Dependence or autonomy in science and
culmination of many developments in computer technology has been a salient issue in conferences
technology, including the concept of the sponsored by the United Nations (Caoili, 2017).
computing machine proposed by Alan Turing, There is a very little reliable written
and the invention of the transistor by William information about Philippine society, culture and
Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Brattain, as technology before the arrival of the Spaniards in
well as the advent of the Internet and other 1521. According to sources, there were numerous,
advances in information and communications scattered, thriving, relatively self-sufficient and
technology. The IT revolution, however, does not autonomous communities long before the Spaniards
consist merely of the development of new arrived. The early Filipinos had attained a generally
products or improvement of people’s simple level of technological development, compared
convenience, but is also greatly changing with those of the Chinese and Japanese, but this
people’s modes of behavior and lifestyles, was sufficient for their needs at that period of time.
through the possibilities it has opened up for the Gradually, the early Filipinos learned to make
people of the world to use cyberspace for metal tools and implements of copper, gold, bronze
instantaneous exchange of information and and, later, iron. These were practically the same
opinions. The effects of the IT revolution have commodities of trade between the islands and China,
changed the nature of society in many which the first Spanish colonial officials recorded
dimensions, from the education, medical and when they came to the Philippines more than two
welfare, transport, finance, and manufacturing centuries later.
sectors to modes of work and play. Furthermore,
advances in nanotechnology have made possible The pre-colonial Filipinos were still highly
the elucidation and manipulation of phenomena superstitious. The Spaniards found no temples or
at the atomic or molecular level, feats that were places of worship. Although the Filipinos knew how
previously considered impossible, and are now to read and write in their own system, this was
expanding the range of possible human activities. mainly used for messages and letters. They seem
Nanotechnology was launched by a lecture given not to have developed a written literary tradition at
in 1959 by Richard Feynman, titled “There’s that time. This would have led to a more systematic
Plenty of Room at the Bottom,” and its progress accumulation and dissemination of knowledge, a
has been marked by advances in measurement condition that is necessary for the development of
technology, and supported by such scientific science and technology.
discoveries as the discovery of fullerenes in 1984
by Harold Kroto and others. Elsewhere, the Throughout the Spanish regime, University
television has become a major factor shaping our of Santo Tomas remained as the highest institution
modern society, as the communications medium of learning. It initially granted degrees in theology,
with the greatest influence. This device, as well, philosophy and humanities. During the eighteenth
is the culmination of various scientific results over century, the faculty of jurisprudence and canonical
the years, beginning with the invention of law was established. In 1871, the schools of
wireless communication by Guglielmo Marconi in medicine and pharmacy were opened. The study of
1895, the invention of the Braun tube in 1897, the pharmacy consisted of a preparatory course with
invention of the Yagi-Uda antenna in 1925, and subjects in natural history and general chemistry and
Kenjiro Takayanagi’s successful transmission of five years of studies in subjects such as
an electronic image using a Braun tube in 1926. pharmaceutical operations at the school of
pharmacy.
GROUP 3
At the start of the American regime, a
German physician of Manila submitted a report to the
authorities on the conditions at UST's medical
History of Science and Technology in the college. The report mentions, among others, its lack
Philippines of library facilities, the use of outdated equipment.
The need to develop a country's science and With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the
technology has generally been recognized as one of consequent ease in travel and communications that
it brought about, the liberal ideas and scientific In 1982, NSDB was further reorganized into a
knowledge of the West also reached the Philippines. National Science and Technology Authority (NSTA)
The prosperity that resulted from increased composed of four research and Development
commerce between the Philippines and the rest of Councils; Philippine Council for Agriculture and
the world enabled Filipino students to go to Europe Resources Research and Development; Philippine
for professional advanced studies. Council for Industry and Energy Research
Towards the end of the sixteenth century, the Development; Philippine Council for Health
religious orders had established several charity Research and Development and the NRCP. The
hospitals in the archipelago and in fact provided the expanding number of science agencies gave rise to
bulk of this public service. There was very little a demand for high caliber scientists and engineers to
development in Philippine agriculture and industry undertake research and staff universities and
during the first two centuries of Spanish rule. This colleges. Hence, measures were taken towards the
was largely due to the dependence of the Spanish improvement of the country’s science and
colonizers on the profits from the Galleon or Manila- manpower.
Acapulco trade. In 1935, the Philippine Commonwealth was
Meteorological studies were promoted by inaugurated and ushered in a period of transition to
Jesuits who founded the Manila Observatory in1865. political independence. The Constitution
In 1901, the Observatory was made a central station acknowledged the importance of promoting scientific
of the Philippine Weather Bureau which was set up development for the economic development which
by the American colonial authorities. It remained was by this time completely under Filipino
under the Jesuit scientists and provided not only management. On the whole, higher education was
meteorological but also seismological and provided mainly by the private sector. This led to the
astronomical studies. combined significant increase in trained scientists
There was very little development in science and engineers in the Philippines before the Second
and technology during the short-lived Philippine World War.
Republic (1898-1900). The government took steps
to establish a secular educational system by a The continuing dependence of the Philippine
decree of 19 October 1898, it created the economy on the United States even after
Universidad Liter aria de Filipinas as a secular, state- independence in 1946, as a result of the free trade
supported institution of higher learning. relations and the virtual imposition of the "parity"
Science and technology in the Philippines amendment to the Philippine Constitution by the US
advanced rapidly during the American regime. This Congress has perpetuated the predominantly
was made possible by the simultaneous government agricultural and rural character of Philippine
encouragement and support for an extensive public economy and society. This dependent development
education system; the granting of scholarships for of Philippine society and economy has had serious
higher education in science and engineering; the repercussions for the advancement of Philippine
organization of science research agencies and science and technology. Increasing social demand
establishment of science-based public services. for higher education has led to the growth of highly
The establishment of the University of the trained professional manpower, particularly
Philippines satisfied the short-run needs for scientists, engineers and physicians. However,
professionally trained Filipinos in the colonial because of the underdeveloped state of the
government's organization and programs. The economy, many of these science-based
University of the Philippines remained the only professionals have been unemployed or
publicly supported institution for higher education, underemployed. Consequently, many of them have
and, since it could not meet the increasing social been forced to migrate to developed countries, thus
demand for universities, was left to the initiative of creating a "brain drain" or loss of valuable human
enterprising Filipinos. For many Filipinos, private resources for the Philippines. There is thus a need
education became the alternative for professional for the government to critically re-examine the
education. interrelations between past and present education
Staff members of the Bureau of Government and science policies with those of its economic
Laboratories held concurrent appointments as faculty development policies in order to be able to redirect
members of the College of Medicine of the University these towards the goal of attaining a strong, self-
of the Philippines and other units of the University, reliant economy and society. A well-developed
as well as appointments at the Philippine General national science and technology is a critical factor in
Hospital. Officers of the Bureau of Health were the achievement of this goal (Caoili, 2017).
likewise appointed to the faculty of the College of
Medicine. All of these scientists conducted their
research work at the Bureau of Science.
In 1935, the Philippine Commonwealth was
inaugurated which was by this time completely under
Filipino management, continued to expand its public
school system to accommodate the increasing
number of schoolchildren. There was a significant
increase in trained scientists and engineers in the
Philippines before the Second World War.