Chapter 1.

2
History of Science &
Technology
(Historical antecedents in which social
considerations changed the course of
science
and technology)

To merely understand the

discoveries and inventions Learning Outcomes:
that scientists and  Discuss the interactions
technologists have made is between S&T and society
not enough. Beyond
scientific research, we must
throughout history.
see its benefits and  Discuss how scientific and
consequences affecting our technological
way of life here and now and developments affect society
in the future. Throughout and the environment.
history, science can be
viewed as a continuous  Identify the paradigm
expansion at the expense of shifts in history
religion, philosophy and the
humanities. Hence, the ways
and processes science
undertake to produce
changes and
transformations must be
conscientiously scrutinized.

15
 In the World: Ancient,
Middle and Modern Ages
Prehistoric Period
Although recorded as the longest
period in the history of men, this period of  First civilizations emerged independently
history is the least we know about. Time and along the river valleys of Mesopotamia
circumstances practically left no historical (Tigris-Euphrates Valley), Egypt (Nile
evidences of how people lived here and Valley), China (Huang Ho Valley) and
there. Because written records of any kind India (Indus Valley)
began from only 5,000 years ago,  People of the first civilizations developed
chronological events were documented science and technology as implements in
largely based on deductions from their search for food and other survival
archaeological findings. Therefore, anything needs.
prior to the first written accounts of history  Early hominids and primitive human used
is prehistoric. stone tools
 Stone Age and Metal Age

Stone Age (Paleolithic Age, Mesolithic

Age and Neolithic Age) – prehistoric
period in which stone was widely used
as implements for hunting. Started
during the 6000 BC and ended 2000 BC.

Paleolithic Age – consisted of hunter-

gatherer civilizations that utilized
primitive stone tools
• H. erectus utilized and controlled fire.
It was generated through percussion
method and used to produce heat for Metal Age
warmth and for cooking. Bronze Age – characterized by the use of
• Evidences of clothing, painting, copper and tin as the chief materials
sculptures and carvings/engravings in the production of implements such as
weapons and utensils. Wheel was used
Mesolithic Age – transitional period that as implement for transportation mechanics.
gave way to the rise of shifting-farming
civilizations Iron Age – characterized by the widespread
• Usage of microliths, small stone tools use of iron and steel which was used and
made of flint used as spearheads and modified for use such as in religious practices,
arrowheads. agricultural usage, artistic tools and weapons
• Evidences of construction such as and armors.
that of Stonehenge in England.
Neolithic Age – the first agricultural
revolution, making way for agricultural-
mining civilizations
• Developed complex evidences of
numeric counting
• Development of metallurgy and
metalworking, the art and science of
extracting mineral ores and modifying
them for practical use.
• Invention of the wheel, primarily
introduced in making pottery.

2
16
 Ancient Period
The ancient times saw the rise of the world’s first great
civilizations. Science and technology during this period have diverted from
being solely for survival needs but also to satisfy curiosity. During this period,
knowledge became increasingly available due to the creation of proper writing
systems and record keeping.

Sumerian Civilization
• Invented the world’s first writing system
called cuneiform; a set of word pictures
depicted in symbols made of triangular
marks.
• Standardized measuring following the
sexagesimal (60 as base) system of
counting, e.g. 60 mins is 60 seconds. Babylonian Civilization
Babylonia was the ancient region bordering
Tigris and Euphrates river, which once
Egyptian Civilization served as the center of commerce and
• Developed the first crude and early religion in the valley. During the rule of
version of paper from the plant papyrus. Nebuchadnezzar II, the Hanging Gardens
• Writing was in the form of pictorial of Babylon (one of the 7 wonders of the
symbols known as hieroglyphics. ancient world) was built.
• The Pyramids of Giza (wonder of the Minoan Civilization
Ancient World) was built during the Situated in the Island of Crete with
Golden Age of Egypt. Knossos as its capital. The Minoan’s script
system was called Linear A, which has not
been fully deciphered.
Roman Civilization
Emperor Hadrian designed the Pantheon.
Greek Civilization
The Colosseum was built during the reign of
Greece served as the foundation of cultural
Vespasian for gladiatorial contests.
and philosophical development in the west.
Vespasian also implemented a public urinal Thales of Miletus – Father of Philosophy, said
system called vespasiano. that nature was composed of or convertible
to water
Anaxagoras – argued that matter was
Arabic/Islamic Civilization composed of countless tiny particles
The Arabic cities prospered by exploiting Empedocles – stated that nature was a
their strategic location. Muhammad mixture of earth, fire, air and water.
founded the religion Islam at the Holy City Hippocrates – Father of Greek Medicine, was
of Mecca. In technology, the Arabs were the first to regard medicine as science apart from
first to use glass lens for magnification. religion.
Galen – Greek physician, made the first steps
for the advancement of anatomy.
Chinese Civilization Aristotle – regarded as Father of many
• Acupuncture was used to treat illnesses sciences, pioneered and discovered
• Royal astronomer Chang Heng invented information on variety, structure and
the earthquake weathercock (which is behavior of animals and plants.
now the modern-day seismograph) Archimedes – performed experiments which
• Cai Lun invent the paper and the paper- led to the discovery of the laws of levers and
making process. pulleys that resulted in the invention of
machines thereof.

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 SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION (17th Century)
MEDIEVAL ERA
One legacy of the Renaissance that pushed
The Middle Ages is generally known as the forward the spread of scientific knowledge
period between the Ancient Times and the was the emphasis on the supremacy of
Modern Times. It witnessed the rise of the reason over religion. And while no conflict
Christian empire of Byzantium; the Islamic existed between science and religion,
empire of the Arabs; the T’ang dynasty in Galileo’s defense of the Copernican Theory
China; Nara culture in Japan; and the launched the Scientific Revolution.
Mayans in Central America. Francis Bacon – English statesman who
The power of the Catholic Church served as a promoted observation and experimentation
unifying force in Europe. The most notable as the proper way of deductive reasoning in
invention during the Medieval Era was the the conduct of scientific method.
Printing Press of Johannes Gutenberg in Tycho Brahe – Danish astronomer who
Germany. It was the first movable metal type studied geometric calculations and
printing press. The Gutenberg Bible, was mathematical precisions on celestial
recorded as the world’s oldest mechanically observations.
printed book. Johannes Kepler – German astronomer who
made the crucial discovery that orbits of
RENASSAINCE ERA planets were not circular but elliptical,
based on the works of Brahe.
Renaissance is the history of western Europe John Napier – Scottish mathematician who
which served as the period of rebirth. This discovered logarithms, which shortened the
period regarded the publication of books and laborious process of multiplying, dividing
the technology of printing most impactful. and finding square roots.
The rebirth began with the publication of two Rene Descartes – French mathematician
books which shook the ancient foundations of who strengthened the power of reason
knowledge. against the philosophy of Aristotle and
Nicolaus Copernicus – Polish astronomer Ptolemy. He worked out analytical
who published On the Revolutions of geometry.
Heavenly Spheres. It challenged the Isaac Newton – English physicist who
centuries-old geocentric universe of Ptolemy. arrived at theories on revolutionary
Copernicus proposed the heliocentric theory hypotheses on astronomy and physics.
of the universe, which was not readily Invented calculus. Explained the properties
accepted and actually rejected by the Catholic of light in the book The Optiks.
Church. Gottfried von Leibniz – simultaneously and
Andreas Vesalius – recognized as the founder independently invented calculus with
of modern medicine, surgeon and anatomist Newton.
Vesalius published On the Fabric of the Christian Huygens – Dutch physicist who
Human Body. Vesalius laid out in detail the started the use of pendulum as time-
first scientifically accurate description of controller in clocks.
human anatomy. Hans Lippershey – improved the
Leonardo da Vinci – was a great Italian artist magnification of telescopes.
and inventor. He anticipated and drew up Jan Swammerdam – invented microscope
plans of future inventions such as the and discovered red blood corpuscles.
helicopter, submarine, machine gun and Anthony van Leeuwenhoek – invented
motor car. microscope and discovered animalcules.
Galileo Galilei – was a major scientist William Harvey – published diagrams of
prosecuted by the Church for heavily human circulatory system.
supporting the heliocentric system. He Robert Hooke – discovered cells, a term that
conducted scientific experiments on gravity he used to refer to thin layers of cork under
and falling objects, improved the telescope his microscope.
and discovered celestial bodies.

18
 Guglielmo Marconi – adapted Hertz’s works
and created a system of radiotelegraphy,
Evangelista Toricelli – Italian which became basis of the modern radio.
mathematician who invented the George Stephenson – developed the first
barometer. steam-powered locomotive.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (18th 19TH CENTURY

Century)
19th century witnessed the rise of modern
From the dawn of history, people relied on industry. An unending stream of new
physical labor, either directly or with tools products drove the emerging world. This
held or with animals guided by human century was considered as the age of machine
hands. Gradually, power of production was tools.
supplied by human muscle with assistance
from simple machines. The phenomenal John Dalton – published the atomic theory.
process of doing work from human muscles Louis Pasteur – developed pasteurization, a
to machines was aptly called Industrial method of food preservation by killing
Revolution. bacteria.
James Watt – Scottish engineer who Dmitri Mendeleev – formulated the Periodic
invented the first satisfactory condensing Table of Elements
steam engine. Hermann von Helmholtz – invented the
Benjamin Franklin – American statesman ophthalmoscope.
who experimented on electricy. Henri Becquerel – discovered radioactivity.
Luigi Galvani – pioneered Marie Curie & Pierre Curie – discovered the
bioelectromagnetic by putting two element radium.
different metals in contact with frog Joseph Thomson – discovered electron.
muscle. Karl Benz – made the first automobile.
Alessandro Volta – Italian physicist who Rudolf Diesel – developed the first diesel
successfully invented electric battery. engine.
Michael Faraday – British physicist who
conducted experiments on 20TH CENTURY
electromagnetism and in accordance with
Oersted and Ampere’s works, eventually 20th century is one of the most noticeable in
inventing the first dynamo. history in terms of technological
Hans Oersted – Danish scientist who advancements and scientific discoveries. With
confirmed and expanded Faraday’s works extensive use of the scientific method and
leading to the invention of electric motor. research funding, science and technology
Andre Ampere – French physicist who progressed rapidly. The Space Race between
explained magnetic effects. USA and Soviet Union proved that the sky is
Samuel Morse – used electromagnets and not the limit, with expeditions of men
practically produced the first telegraph reaching as far as the moon.
and developed the Morse Code system of
signals. Astronomy
Alexander Graham Bell – invented the Big Bang and Steady State Theory –
telephone and carried out the first explained the origin and evolution of the
telephone conversation. universe.
Thomas Edison – invented the Space probes closely observed the planets
incandescent light bulb, phonograph, and moons of the solar system.
motion picture equipment among others. Sputnik 1 – the first orbiting space probe
Heinrich Hertz – produced launched by the Soviet Union in 1957
electromagnetic waves through space and Yuri Gagarin – the first man to journey in
utilized them to broadcast and receive outer space
radio waves. Neil Armstrong – first human to walk in
another celestial body, the moon, through the
Apollo 11 mission.

19
Biology
DNA Structure – the double helix was
determined and elucidated by the Rosalind
Franklin, Maurice Wilkins, James Watson
and Francis Crick.
Vaccine – the first vaccine was developed
by Jonas Salk for polio.
Spanish Flu – killed an approximate of 20
Technology
to 100 million people from 1918-1919.
Computers were developed and improved
HIV – a viral disease which arose in Africa
and results in AIDS from the classical abacus.
Intel developed a microprocessor that
Engineering and Production made computers smaller, cheaper, and
more user-friendly.
Home appliances increased dramatically
Bill Gates founded Microsoft, which would
due to the availability of electricity.
eventually turn out to be one of the
Washing machines, dryers, refrigerators,
biggest corporations in techno-science.
electric stoves and vacuum cleaners
Steve Jobs & Steve Wozniak introduced
became popular. Cassette tapes, transistor
Apple in 1976.
radio, CDs, VCRs and VHS were made.
Internet was created for defense-related
New materials such as stainless steel,
Velcro, silicone, Teflon, polyethylene, research known as ARPANet or Advanced
nylon, PVC became widespread in Research Projects Agency Network.
Tim Berners Lee invented the World Wide
application. Thousands of chemicals were
Web.
developed for industry and home
Henry Ford devised a system of mass
application.
production for Model T in 1908 which
made cars available and affordable to the
Physics and Chemistry
masses.
Albert Einstein – explained physical
Artificial Intelligence was invented that
phenomena and published his Theory of
gave computers the capacity to perform
Relativity.
Wolfgang Pauli – developed the Pauli human-like intellectual processes. Modern
Exclusion principle, explaining the state of AI features specifically designed
computers that can respond similarly to
electrons in an atom in quantum state.
humans.
Werner Heisenberg – key creator of
quantum mechanics and published
Uncertainty Principle
Gilbert Lewis – suggested that a chemical
bond is a pair of electrons shared by two
atoms. Lewis Structures.
Niels Bohr – proposed the Bohr model of
the atom.

Social Sciences
Ivan Pavlov – proposed the theory of
Classical Conditioning.

20
 History of STS in the
Philippines

PRECOLONIAL S&T
SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD (1521-1898)
There is a very little reliable written
information about Philippine society, In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan discovered
culture and technology before the arrival of the Philippines for Spain. The colonization
the Spaniards in 1521. The early Filipinos has largely contributed to the development
had attained a generally simple level of of S&T in the country. The beginnings of
technological development, compared with modern science and technology in the
those of the Chinese and Japanese, but Philippines can be traced to the Spanish
this was sufficient for their needs at that regime. The Spaniards established schools,
period of time. hospitals and started scientific research and
Archaeological findings indicate that these had important consequences for the
modern men from the Asian mainland first rise of the country’s professions. Several
came over-land and across narrow expeditions from Mexico have been sent for
channels to live in Palawan and Batangas religious conversion. In 1571, Manila was
around 50,000 years ago. For about 40,000 established as the capital of the central
years, they made simple tools or weapons government of the Governor-general.
of stone flakes but eventually developed There was very little development in
techniques for sawing, drilling and Philippine agriculture and industry during
polishing hard stones. the first two centuries of Spanish rule. This
Filipinos had also learned to build boats for was largely due to the dependence of the
the coastal trade. By the tenth century Spanish colonizers on the profits from the
A.D., this had become a highly developed Galleon or Manila-Acapulco trade, which
technology. In fact, the early Spanish lasted from 1565 to 1813.
chroniclers took note of the refined plank- Roads for horses and coaches were built to
built warship called caracoa. These boats connect provinces and towns. Stone
were well suited for inter-island trade raids. churches were built as religious centers.
By the tenth century A.D., the inhabitants Stone walls and fortifications were also
of Butuan were trading with Champa built.
(Vietnam); those of Ma-i (Mindoro) with San Lazaro Hospital in Manila is
China. These indicate that regular trade considered the oldest in the Far East,
relations and barter between the two established in 1578 and still exists today. In
countries had been well established during 1602, Roman alphabet was introduced and
the tenth to the fifteenth centuries. Spanish and Tagalog texts were published.
By the time the Spaniards came to colonies Academic institutions were mandated to be
the Philippines in 1565; they found many built, and this sparked the progress of
scattered, autonomous village communities science in the country. The first educational
(called barangays) all over the archipelago. institutions offering courses above primary
These were kinship groups or social units levels were:
rather than political units. Colegio de San Ildefonso (University of
On the whole, the pre-colonial Filipinos San Carlos) 1595, Colegio de Nuestra
were still highly superstitious. The Senora del Rosario (University of Santo
Spaniards found no temples or places of Tomas) 1611, Colegio de San Juan de
worship. Although the Filipinos knew how Letran 1706, Ateneo Municipal de Manila
to read and write in their own system of 1859
baybayin, this was mainly used for In 1802, Escuela de Nautica was organized
messages and letters. They seem not to and offered courses in navigation,
have developed a written literary tradition meteorology and cosmology.
at that time.

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 AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD

S&T in the Philippines advanced rapidly during

Throughout the Spanish regime, the royal the American regime. This was made possible
and pontifical University of Santo Tomas by the simultaneous government
remained as the highest institution of encouragement and support for an extensive
learning. Run by the Dominicans, it was public education system.
established as a college in 1611 by Fray
Miguel de Benavides. It initially granted The Americans introduced a system of
degrees in theology, philosophy and secularized public school education as soon as
humanities. civil government was set up in the islands. On
In 1876, the UST granted the bachelor's 21 January 1901, the Philippine Commission,
degree in pharmacy to its first six graduates which acted as the executive and legislative
in the school of pharmacy. Among them was body for the Philippines until 1907,
Leon Ma. Guerrero, who is usually referred to promulgated Act No. 74 creating a Department
as the "Father of Philippine Pharmacy" of Public Instruction in the Philippines. It
because of his extensive work on the provided for the establishment of schools that
medicinal plants of the Philippines and their would give free primary education, with English
uses. Higher education during the Spanish as the medium of instruction. Subsequent
regime was generally viewed with suspicion establishment of public educational institutions
and feared by the colonial authorities as eventually led to the creation of the first state
encouraging conspiracy and rebellion among university in the country, University of the
the native Filipinos. For this reason, only the Philippines.
more daring and persevering students were Act in 1933 creating the National Research
able to undertake advantaged studies. Council of the Philippine Islands (NRCP). Aside
The prosperity that resulted from increased from working for the promotion of scientific
commerce between the Philippines and the research, the NRCP actively participated in the
rest of the world through the Suez Canal deliberations and drafting of provisions
enabled Filipino students to go to Europe for affecting science and industry in the 1934
professional advanced studies. These Constitutional Convention.
included Jose Rizal who was able to pursue
studies in Medicine and specialize in COMMONWEALTH ERA
ophthalmology in Spain and Germany; In 1935, the Philippine Commonwealth was
Graciano Apacible who studied medicine in inaugurated and ushered in a period of
Madrid; Antonio Luna who obtained his Ph.D. transition to political independence. The
in pharmacy in Madrid and later worked with Constitution acknowledged the importance of
renowned scientists in Ghent and Paris; Jose promoting scientific development for the
Alejandrino who took up engineering in economic development by incorporating a
Belgium, and others. provision (Article XIII, Section 4) "The State
Meteorological studies were promoted by shall promote scientific research and invention,
Jesuits who founded the Manila Observatory Arts and Letters shall be under its patronage..."
in 1865. The Observatory collected and made The government, which was by this time
available typhoon and climatological completely under Filipino management,
observations. These observations grew in continued to expand its public school system to
number and importance so that by 1879, it accommodate the increasing number of
became possible for Fr. Federico Faura to schoolchildren.
issue the first public typhoon warning. In On the whole, higher education was provided
1901, the Observatory was made a central mainly by the private sector. By 1936, there
station of the Philippine Weather Bureau were 425 private schools recognized by the
which was set up by the American colonial government, 64 of which we institutions at the
authorities. College level and 7 were universities. These
were Centro Escolar University, Far Easter
University, National University,

22
Philippine Women's University, Silliman Science Education Institutions (SEI) was
University, University of Manila and the created to accomplish the task of
University of Santo Tomas. Together with administering scholarships, awards and
the University of the Philippines these had a grants in S&T and formulating plans for the
total of 19,575 college students in all promotion and development of S&T.
universities in the country. Science and Technology Information
In spite of all these efforts, the Institute was created to establish and
Commonwealth government was unable to develop a S&T databank and library.
achieve its goal of economic self-reliance. Philippine Council for Advanced Science
This was primarily because foreign trade and and Technology Research and
tariff policies remained under the control of Development was a sectoral council of the
the American government. Moreover, the DOST tasked for the coordination of a
Pacific War broke out in 1941 and the national system of advance S&T.
Philippines was occupied by Japanese Philippine Atmosphere Geophysical and
troops. Astronaut Services Administration was
The occupation of the Philippines by the established to give environmental protection
Japanese during the War brought and utilize scientific information to ensure
educational and scientific activities safety of the nation.
practically to a halt as able bodied citizens
joined the resistance movement. Manila, CURRENT STATE OF S&T IN THE
which was the center of all educational and PHILIPPINES
scientific activities, was razed to the ground,
destroying everything that had been built up According to the Technology Index of
before. It was in this condition that the 1982, the S&T in the Philippines is defined
Philippines became an independent state. to be -0.1 compared to the U.S., the world's
technology leader, which is 100. The
SINCE INDEPENDENCE technology index is defined as the average
of the sum of the number of patents and
The Science Act created the National registration of new designs, technology
Science Development Board (NSDB) to trade, value added in manufacturing and
formulate policies for the development of the export of technology-intensive goods.
science and coordinate the work of science The Philippines also ranks low in terms of
agencies. In 1982, NSDB was further technological capacity. This is seen in the
reorganized into a National Science and shortage of scientists and engineers doing
Technology Authority (NSTA) composed of R&D (research and development), and of the
four research and Development Councils; inadequate national resources and budget
Philippine Council for Agriculture and devoted to R&D. All these factors translate
Resources Research and Development; to the minimal patents granted in the
Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Philippines, which likewise indicates little or
Research Development; Philippine Council no economic significance.
for Health Research and Development and With regards to the type of basic
the NRCP. In 1987, under Aquino’s technologies--Materials Technology,
administration, the NSTA was reorganized Equipment Technology, Energy
into the Department of Science and Technologies, Information Technologies, Life
Technology (DOST). DOST is a central Technologies and Management
agency mandated to provide direction, Technologies, the Philippines has only a
leadership and coordination of all scientific pre-operative capability in the third-wave of
and technological activities in the country. development in these technologies.

23
Recommended learning materials and resources for supplementary reading

Goddard, J. (2010). Concise history and inventions: An illustrated Timeline. Washington DC.,
USA: National Geographic Society.
Moistero, A.P. (2006). Science, technology and society. Manila: Educational Publishing House
Scribd. (2010), History of science and technology in the Philippines, Retrieved from:
https://www.scribd.com/doc/36969608/4-7-B- History-of-Science and
Technology- in-the Philippines

Flexible Teaching Learning Modality (FTLM) adopted

Online (synchronous)
//Edmodo and Facebook group
Remote (asynchronous)
//module, exercises, problems sets and ppt lectures

References
Goddard, J. (2010). Concise history and inventions: An illustrated Timeline. Washington
DC., USA: National Geographic Society.
123 Help me. (n.d.) History of science and technology. Retrieved from
http://www.123helpme.com/history-of-science-and-technology
view.asp?id=158842
Moistero, A.P. (2006). Science, technology and society. Manila: Educational Publishing
House
Scribd. (2010), History of science and technology in the Philippines, Retrieved from:
https://www.scribd.com/doc/36969608/4-7-B- History-of-Science an
Technology- in-the Philippines
Scribd. (2009), Science, technology and society. Retrieved from https://www.6cribd.
com/doc/23367406/LECTURE-NOTES ON-INTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE
TECHNOLOGY AND-SOCIETY

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