General Concepts and Historical Events in Science, Technology and Society

LESSON 1 HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS IN THE COURSE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

ANTECEDENTS

a precursor to the unfolding or existence of something.

Antecedents of science and technology are factors that paved way for the presence of advanced and sophisticated
scientific and technological innovations today.

ANCIENT TIMES

In the ancient times, people were concerned with transportation and navigation, communication and recordkeeping, mass
production, security and protection, as well as health, aesthetics, and architecture.

SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION

Sumer was an ancient civilization founded in the Mesopotamia known for their innovations in language, governance,
architecture and more.

CUNEIFORM

Cuneiform allowed the Sumerians to keep records of things with great. historical value or their everyday life. It is also one
way of passing their traditions, cultures, and their legacy. It is a system that utilizes word pictures and triangular symbols
which are carved on clay using wedge instruments and then left to dry.

URUK CITY

The Sumerians were able to build the city using only mud or clay from the river, which they mixed with reeds, producing
sunbaked bricks-a true engineering feat. There were no building stones in the location of this city and lumber was limited,
making the construction a big challenge.

THE GREAT ZIGGURAT OF UR

The Ziggurat, also called the mountain of God, was built in the same manner that they constructed the City of Uruk.

Without much building materials, the structure was constructed using sunbaked bricks. The Ziggurat served as the sacred
place of their chief god, where only priest was allowed to enter.

IRRIGATION AND DIKES

Sumerians created dikes and irrigation canals to bring water to farmlands and at the same time control the flooding of the
rivers. This method was considered as one of the world's most beneficial engineering works.

SAIL BOATS

Sumerians wanted to discover faraway lands to settle since the population was getting larger, and boats were not enough
to

accommodate more people and products. Sailboats were essential in transportation and trading as well as in fostering
culture, information, and technology.

WHEEL

In the latter part of their history, the Sumerians were able to invent the wheel since the specialized tools needed to create it
were already available. The first wheels were not made for transportation but for farm work and food process.

With the use of the wheel and axle, mass production was made easier. Farmers were able to mill grains with less effort in
less time.

THE PLOW

The plow was invented to dig the earth in a faster pace. As the plow breaks the ground, the farmer would just drop the
seeds and farm work would already be done

ROADS

In order to facilitate faster and easier travel, the Sumerians developed the first roads. With this work, the flow of traffic
became faster and more organized. They made the roads with the same technology they used in making sunbaked bricks
that they laid down on the ground

BABYLONIAN CIVILIZATION

Babylonian civilization emerged near the Tigris and Euphrates river. The Babylonians were great builders, engineers, and
architects.

HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON

It was said to be a structure made up of layers upon layers of gardens that contained several species of plants, trees, and
vines. However, no physical evidence has been found to prove the existence of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Its exact
location is unknown.
EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION

Another early civilization famous for its legacy is the Egyptian civilization located in North Africa. Many stories tell about the
engineering feats of the Egyptian especially regarding infrastructures established by the Pharaohs.

PAPER OR PAPYRUS

Aside from the Sumerians, Egyptians also developed a system of writing, they were able to make writing easier for the
world. Before, they are using tables made from clay tablets but they find it fragile, heavy, and delicate to handle. Hence, the
Egyptian invention of paper or papyrus was a. welcome development. They were able to process the plant in order to
produce thin sheets on which one could write down things.

INK

When Egyptians invented the papyrus or the paper, engraving ceased to be used in writing. As a result, the Egyptians
invented ink by combining soot with different chemicals to produce inks of different colors.

HIEROGLYPHICS

Egyptians also developed a system of writing using symbols, known as hieroglyphics. Although some say that
hieroglyphics was adapted from the early writing system established in Mesopotamia as a result of trade between
civilizations the Egyptians believed that this writing systems was provided to them by their gods.

Their way of writing is also the root cause why many scientists are confused about their history.

Hieroglyphics is not just an ordinary writing of text, but it is also consisting of many different symbols and illustrations that
may lead the scientist to misinterpretation of data or meaning. Hieroglyphics was the language that tells the modern world
of the history and culture of the ancient Egyptians. Their records were well-preserved since they were carved at the walls
of pyramids and other important Egyptian structures.

COSMETICS AND WIG

Although cosmetics in the modern times are used to improve and highlight the facial features of a person, their function in
ancient Egypt was for both health and aesthetic.

Egyptians wore kohl around the eyes to prevent and even cure eye diseases. Kohl was created by mixing soot or
malachite with mineral galena.

During the ancient Egyptian times, wigs were used for health and wellness rather than for aesthetic purposes. They used it
to cover their head from the harmful rays of the sun.

WATER CLOCK/ CLEPSYDRA

This device utilizes gravity that affects the flow of water from one vessel to another. This invention also leads to our
modern-day clock through series of improvement done by the succeeding civilization.

GREEK CIVILIZATION

Greece is an archipelago in the southeastern part of Europe. Europe is known as the birth place of western philosophy,
some of the major achievements of the Greeks include in-depth works on philosophy and mathematics.

Greek civilization has contributed much to the world especially in the fields of science and technology.

The first proponents of an atomic theory were the Greek philosophers Leucippus and Democritus in the field of science and
on the field of math they have Pythagoras who was perhaps the first to ealize that a complete system of mathematics could
be constructed and later called Pythagorean Theorem.

ALARM CLOCK

One of the most utilized gadgets today was invented by ancient Greeks is the alarm clock. Although the alarm clock during
that time does not resembles the present-day clocks, the purpose was just the same- to tell an individual when to stop or
when to start. This invention according to the scientist resembles that of the Egyptians but this is more complex but more
accurate.

WATER MILL

Watermills were commonly used in agricultural processes like milling of grains which is necessary form of food processing
during that time. Mass production of rice, cereals, flours and the like became common with the help of watermills.

Modern-day watermills also help for converting mechanical energy into electricity which also leads to invention of windmill
and turbine.

ROMAN CIVILIZATION

The Roman Empire was perceived to be the strongest political and social entity in the west. Political because of its huge
population and territory and social because of religion. It was considered to be the cradle of politics and governance during
the period.
Because the Roman Empire was so large, other civilizations looked up to it as their model in terms of legislation and
codified law. That is why many other civilizations were conquered by the Roman Empire because of its existing laws which
make it more complex and more stable compared to the other civilizations or empire.

NEWS PAPER

The first known newspaper was the Roman Acta Diurna, published on orders from Julius Caesar. It was first published in
Rome in 1605. The first newspaper became very famous and helped people know important events that has happened.

BOUND BOOKS/ CODEX

Julius Caesar commissioned the very first bound book → a collection of papyrus - to form a codex. This provided a safer
and more manageable way to keep the information secure.

The codex could hold many volumes, had a built-in cover for protection, and the pages could be numbered for reference,
allowing the use of a table of contents and index.

ROMAN NUMERALS

Roman numerals originated in ancient Rome, but survived for some uses after the end of the Roman Empire. The numbers
in the system are represented by combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet.

Starting in the 14th century, Roman numerals began to be replaced by Arabic numerals, which benefitted from the use of
the zero, making them much more useful for arithmetic and counting.

PLUMBING AND SANITARY MANAGEMENT

Romans were very knowledgeable when it came to civil engineering. But their talent wasn't limited to building large
structures like the Colesseum or roadways. While it may seem less visually impressive, their engineering excellence is
highlighted by their sewage and sanitary plumbing systems.

The drainage pipes were connected and were flushed regularly with the water running off from streams. Romans also had
covered gutter systems and public 'bathrooms' that ensured that the streets stayed clear of human waste.

SURGICAL TOOLS

Romans weren't just about spears and daggers, they also developed precision medical instruments that influenced many
modern-day surgical tools.

Some Roman armies employed a trained chirurgus (essentially, a medic trained in surgery) to staunch blood loss, remove
arrows, sew up wounds, and administer medicines.

CHINESE CIVILIZATION

The Chinese civilization is considered the oldest civilization in Asia, if not the world. Also known as the middle kingdom,
China is located on the far east of Asia. It was very famous among the other ancient civilization because of its silk trade.

The following are contributions of Chinese civilization to the world: Silk industry, Tea production, Worlds Famous Great wall
of China, Gun powder

China even until know controls the production of almost everything. Most of the things like gadget, furniture, weapon,
medicine, basic necessities, any many other are made in China. That is why Chinese economy is getting bigger and its
control over the international politics is indeed very impressive.

MEDIEVAL/MIDDLE AGES

The start of the middle ages was marred by massive invasions and migrations. Wars were prevalent during this time. As
such, great technology was needed in the field of weaponry, navigation, mass food and farm production, and health. Most
innovative minds came from this period to control the increase of trade and commerce among nations.

PRINTING PRESS

Johann Gutenberg was able to invent the printing press, a more reliable way of printing using a cast type. This general
invention soon evolved to be the mechanical printing press which was eventually used all over the world. The printing
press was invented to address the need for publishing books that would spread information to many people at a faster rate

MICROSCOPE

Growing population caused massive migration and urbanization during the period. More and more people are transferred
to polluted and populated urban areas which resulted in more people getting sick and needing medical attention.

To develop the proper medicines for the illness, experts must understand the sickness through investigation that is why the
invented this device to magnify the small things that are invisible to the naked eye.

TELESCOPE

Since the Middle Ages was also known as the age of exploration, the need for nautical inventions was high. Considering
the vast and empty oceans that separated lands, ship captains needed to see far and wide for them to navigate or avoid
dangers at sea.

WAR WEAPON
Since wars were widespread during the Middle Ages, great development in the weaponry technology also occurred. One of
the keys to gain victory during this time are well crafted bows, spears, even armors which are used in close range hand-to-
hand combat and for open-area battles.

MODERN TIMES

The booming world population during the nineteenth century onwards demanded that more goods be produced at a faster
rate. People needed efficient means of transportation to trade more goods and cover a larger distance. Machines that
required animals to operate must thus be upgrade. Faster and easier means to communicate and compute should be
developed to establish connections between and among nations. Because of these, the birth of various industries takes
place. However, due to massive industrialization, the modern times again faced more complicated problems.

PASTEURIZATION

As people were able to develop better means of production to meet the needs of the population, food preservation and
food safety became an issue. The challenge to keep manufactured from deteriorating was greater for dairy products,
especially milk, since they usually spoiled faster. If this food is not consumed immediately after the production, it might lead
to food poisoning, diphtheria, and typhoid fever.

Louise Pasture, a French biologist, microbiologist, and chemist, found a way to solve the problem. He invented
pasteurization, the process of heating dairy products to kill the harmful bacteria that allow the m so spoil faster. Through
this process, milk could be stored and consumed for a longer period.

PETROLEUM REFINERY

Samuel M. Kier was able to invent kerosene by refining petroleum.

Kerosene was later on referred to as the "illuminating oil" because it was used at first to provide lighting to homes. After
some time, it was applied for heating purpose. Nowadays, kerosene is still present as still used by many people for
powering automobiles, factories, and power plants, among others.

TELEPHONE

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and it was one of the most important inventions at that time. But before, the
connection is very limited, the commoners cannot afford to buy one, and it is not that reliable in terms of stability and
consistency.

CALCULATOR

Although an earlier version of the calculator had already been developed, circumstances in the modern times required a
faster way to compute more complicated equations. The creation of modern-day calculator did not only pave the way for
easier arithmetic calculations, but also resulted in the development of more complex processing machines like computer.

PHILIPPINE INVENTIONS

Despite being considered a developing country, the Philippines also contributes to the global advancement of science and
technology. We have a group of inventors called the Filipino Inventors Society which aims to remedy the needs of the
consumers by inventing useful machines that could help us in our everyday living. These inventors are supported by the
DOST or the Department of Science and Technology.

KARAOKE

Roberto del Rosario invented his version of a karaoke machine between 1975 and 1977, his singalong system
incorporates an amplifier speaker, one or two tape mechanisms, an optional tuner or radio, and a microphone mixer with
features to enhance one's voice, such as the echo or reverb to simulate an opera hall or a studio sound. The whole system
was enclosed in one cabinet casing.

SALAMANDER: AMPHIBIOUS TRICYCLE

The Salamander is the tricycle reimagined. It can transform from traveling on land to traveling in water in a matter of
seconds, which would allow it to serve as a rescue vehicle in the event of flooding. The Salamander is the brainchild of
Victor Llave and his team at H2O Technologies, an innovation and technology company.

SALT LAMP

The Salt Lamp is an environment-friendly and sustainable alternative light source that runs on saltwater, making it suitable
to those who live in coastal areas.

"To light up the rest of the Philippines sustainably" was the vision of Filipina scientist Aisa Mijeno when she made the
Sustainable Alternative Lighting (SALt) lamp.

MEDICAL INCUBATOR

In 1941, to help rural communities without electricity, she designed the bamboo incubator, a makeshift incubator that
utilized two wicker laundry baskets of varying sizes.

She put hot water bottles in the space between the baskets to regulate the temperature of the infants then added a hood
and oxygen.