Lesson II

Historical Antecedents of Science and Technology

Introduction

This lesson tackles how social contexts shaped and were shaped by science and technology across
three historical periods. By introducing the historical antecedents of science and technology, the section
explores the dynamic interactions between different societal factors and science and technology. Along
with the discussion of these antecedents during the ancient period, Middle Ages, and modern ages, this
section also includes a discussion o important Philippine inventions and innovations. It emphasizes the
various social, cultural, economic, and political impacts of scientific and technological innovation
throughout history.

Desired Learning Outcomes

At the end of this section, the students should be able to:

1. discuss the historical antecedents of science and technology across time; and

2. explain how Philippine scientific and technological inventions shaped and were shaped by
various social contexts.

One of the key interests of STS as an academic field is the history of science and technology. As
a strand of STS, the history of science and technology focuses on how science and technology have
changed across time. Also, it explores the impacts of scientific and technological innovations on the
prevailing social, cultural, political, and economic contexts throughout history. Conversely, it also pays
attention to the conditions that shaped science and technology. Quite often, interests lie in historical
antecedents of scientific and technological innovations.

An antecedent is defined as a precursor to the unfolding or existence of something. Thus,

historical antecedents in science and technology are factors that paved the way for the presence of
advanced and sophisticated scientific and technological innovations today. Knowledge of the history of
science and technology is useful in appraising these innovations today. By understanding how previous
generations influenced and were influenced by developments in science and technology, today’s
generation can come up with informed decisions on the proper applications of science and technology to
daily life.

Ancient Period
 The rise of ancient civilizations paved the way for advances in science and technology. These
advances during the Ancient period allowed civilizations to flourish by finding better ways of
communication, transportation, self-organization, and of living in general.

Ancient Wheel. People from ancient civilizations used animals for transportation long before the
invention of the wheel. No one knows exactly who invented the wheel and when. There is, however, a
general agreement that the ancient wheel grew out of a mechanical device called the potter’s wheel—a
heavy flat disk made of hardened clay which was spun horizontally on an axis. It is believed that the
Sumerians invented the potter’s wheel shortly after 3500 BC. The invention of the ancient wheel is often
credited to the Sumerians since no other ancient civilization used a similar device at the time. It could be
that a potter thought of shifting the potter’s wheel to a 90-degree angle for the purpose of transportation
or the wheel was reinvented for this purpose. Nonetheless, it would not be until 1000 to 1500 years late
that the wheel was first used on carts.

Paper. Roughly around 3000 BC, the ancient Egyptians began writing on papyrus, a material
similar to thick paper. Papyrus is made from the pith of the papyrus plant Cyperus papyrus. It is
lightweight, strong, durable, and most importantly, portable. Before the Egyptians invented the papyrus,
writing was done on stone. Because of the difficulty of writing on stone, writing was reserve only for very
important occasions. With the advent of the papyrus, documentation and record-keeping became efficient,
widespread, and vast. Through its use, information dissemination became exponentially faster. Records
were kept and stood the test of time.

Shadoof. The shadoof was an early tool invented and used by ancient Egyptians to irrigate land.
Among Egyptians who lived near the Nile River, irrigation was necessary to water their crops. The
shadoof, also spelled as saduf, is a hand-operated device used for lifting water. Its invention introduced
the idea of lifting things using counterweights. Because of this invention, irrigation and framing became
much more efficient. The shadoof is also believed to be an ancient precursor of more sophisticated
irrigation tools.

Antikythera mechanism. Even before the invention of the antecedents of the modern computer,
the Greeks had already invented the ancient world’s analog computer orrery. Discovered in 1902 and
retrieved from the water of Antikythera, Greece, the Antikythera mechanism is similar to a mantel clock.
Upon its discovery, the bits of wood seen on its fragments suggest that it must have been housed in a
wooden case. It is akin to a clock in the way that the case has a circular face and rotating hands. A knob
on the side makes it possible for it to be wound forward or backward. As this knob moves forward or
backward, its mechanism allows it to display celestial time. Thus, it is widely believed that the
Antikythera mechanism was used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses for calendar and
astrological purposes. It is also believed that the Antikythera mechanism, which is antecedents of modern
clockwork, was invented by Greek scientist between 150 – 100 BC.

Aeolipile. Also known as the Hero’s engine, the aeolipile is widely believed to be the ancient
precursor of the steam engine. Hero of Alexandria is credited for the demonstration of the use of the
aeolipile during the 1st century AD. The aeolipile is a steam powered turbine which spud when the water
container at its center was heated, thus making it practically the first rudimentary steam engine. It is not
clear whether the aeolipile serve any practical purpose, but it is believed to be one of many “temple
wonders” at the time. Nonetheless, Vitruvius, a Roman author, architect, and civil engineer, described the
aeolipile as a scientific invention through which “the mighty and wonderful laws of the heavens and the
nature of winds” may be understood and judged.

Spinning Wheel. Another important invention of the Middle Ages is the spinning wheel, a
machine used for transforming fiber into thread or yarn and eventually woven into cloth on a loom.
Although no consensus could be made regarding the origin of the spinning wheel, it is theorized that the
Indians invented the spinning wheel between 6 th and 11th century AD. Prior to the invention of the
spinning wheel weaving was done predominantly through the more time-consuming and tedious process
of hand spinning. According to White (1974), the invention of the spinning wheel sped up the rate at
which fiber could be spun by a factor of 10 to 100 times. Thus, White argued that this invention ushered
in a breakthrough in linen production when it was introduced in Europe in 13 th century AD.

Modern Ages

As the world population steadily increased, people of the Modern Ages realized the utmost
importance of increasing the efficiency of transportation, communication, and production.
Industrialization took place with greater risks in human health, food safety, and environment which had to
be addressed as scientific and technological progress unfolded at an unimaginable speed.

Compound Microscope. A Dutch spectacle maker named Zacharias Janssen is credited for the
invention of the first compound microscope in 1590. Together with his father Hans, Zacharias began
experimenting with lenses by putting together several lenses on a tube. This led to an amazing discovery
that on object, when placed near the end of the tube, can be magnified far larger than what a simple
magnifying lens can do. Janssen’s compound microscope was an important progression from the single
lens microscope. It was capable of magnifying objects three times their size when fully closed and up to
ten times when extended to the maximum. Today, the compound microscope is an important instrument
in many scientific studies, such as in the areas of medicine, forensic studies, tissue analysis, atomic
studies, and genetics.

Telescope. Perhaps the single, most important technological invention in the study of astronomy
during the Modern Ages was the practical telescope invented by Galileo Galilei. This invention could
magnify objects 20 times larger than the Dutch perspective glasses. It was Galileo who first used the
telescope skyward and made important astronomical discoveries, and identified the presence of craters
and mountains on the moon. Galileo’s remarkable technological contribution drastically changed the
study of astronomy. For the first time, it became clear that the universe is far larger than previously
imagined and the Earth far smaller compared to the entire universe.

Jacquard Loom. As the Industrial Revolution reached full speed, the Jacquard loom was
considered as one of the most critical drivers of the revolution. Built by French weaver Joseph Marie
Jacquard, the Jacquard loom simplifies textile manufacturing. Prior to the invention of the Jacquard
loom, a draw loom was used which required two individuals to operate--- the weaver and a “drawboy”—
if figured designs on textiles were needed. As such intensified manual labor and greater effort had to be
exerted to produce complex designs. In 1801, Jacquard demonstrate the ingenuity of his version of a loom
in which a series of cards with punched holes automatically created complex textile designs and made
mass production easier. The Jacquard loom is also an important antecedent of modern computer
technology as it demonstrated the use of punched cards to instruct a machine to carry out complex task,
i.e., making different textile patterns.

Engine-Powered Airplane. Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright are credit for designing and
successfully operation the first engine-powered aircraft. The Wright brothers approached the design of
powered aircraft and flight scientifically. Orville and Wilbur proved that aircrafts could fly without
airfoil-shaped wings. The demonstrated this in their original Flying Machine patent (US patent #821393),
showing that slightly-tilted wings, which they referred to as aeroplanes, were the key features of a
powered aircraft. Their pioneering success marked an age of powered flights. Sans modern knowledge on
aerodynamics and a comprehensive understanding of the working of aircraft wing, the Wright brothers
were brilliant scientists who paved the way for modern aircraft technology.

Television. The Scottish engineer John Logie Baird is largely credited for the invention of the
modern television. Baird successfully televised objects in outline in 1924, recognizable human faces in
1925, and moving objects in 1926, and projected colored images in 1928. Baird’s television technology
caught on really swiftly. In fact, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) used this for its earliest
television programming in 1929. Despite being the first television invented, Baird’s television was later
criticized for its fuzzy and flickering images, primarily because it was mechanical compared to electronic
versions that were developed much later.

Inventions by Filipino Scientists

The Philippine boasts of, its own history and tradition of scientific and technological innovations.
Filipinos have long been known for their ingenuity. As with all other inventions, necessity has always
been the mother of Philippine inventions. Most of these inventions appealed to the unique social and
cultural context of the archipelagic nation. Throughout Philippine history, Filipinos are responsible for
developing many scientific and technological innovations focused on navigation, traditional shipbuilding,
textiles, food processing, indigenous arts and techniques, and even cultural inventions. The following are
some of the most important inventions by Filipino scientists.

Electronic Jeepney (e-jeepney). The jeepney is perhaps one of the most recognizable national
symbols of the Philippines and the most popular mode of public transportation in the country. It is also
perhaps one of the most enduring symbols of Filipino ingenuity. Jeepneys were deigned and improvised
from scratch out of military jeeps that the Americans left in the country after World War II. As demand
for more responsive transportation technology arose, the e-jeepney was introduced in Metro Manila and
Bacolod City. the e-jeepney is the inventive response to criticisms to the traditional jeepney that belched
smoke, directly causing air pollution which made it unsustainable and uneconomical. E-jeepneys are
designed to be environment-friendly, eliminating noise and air pollutions as they run on electricity is far
cheaper that ordinary diesel, allowing jeepney drivers to earn more profit.
 Erythromycin. Perhaps one of the most important medical inventions is the Erythromycin. The
Ilonggo scientist Abelardo Aguilar invented this antibiotic out of a strain of bacterium called
Streptomyces erytheus, from which this drug derived its name. as with the case of several other local
scientists, however, Aguilar’s US employer, to whom he sent the strain for separation. The US company
eventually owned the merits for this discovery.

Medical Incubator. World-renowned Filipino pediatrician and national scientist, Fe del Mundo,
is credited for the invention of the incubator and jaundice relieving device. Del Mundo was the first
woman pediatrician to be admitted to the prestigious Harvard University’s School of Medicine. She is
also the founder of the first pediatric hospital in the country. Her pioneering work in pediatrics that
spanned a total of eight decades won her the 1977 Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s premier prize
granted to outstanding individuals whose selfless service remarkably contributed to the betterment of
society. Her original improvised incubator consisted of two native laundry baskets of different sizes that
placed one inside the other. Warmth is generated by bottles with hot water placed around the baskets. A
makeshift hood over the baskets allows oxygen to circulate inside the incubator. Del Mundo’s incubator
was particularly outstanding as it addressed that state of Philippine rural communities that had no
electricity to aid the regulation of body temperatures of newborn babies. For this purpose, del Mundo’s
invention was truly ingenious.

Mole Remover. In 2000, a local invention that had the ability to easily remove moles and warts
on the skin without the need for any surgical procedure shot to fame. Rolando dela Cruz, is credited for
the invention of a local mole remover that made use of extracts of cashew nuts (Annacardium
occidentale), which are very common in the Philippines. The indigenous formula easily caught on for its
accessibility, affordability, and painless and scarless procedure. Dela Cruz won a gold medal for this
invention in the International Invention, Innovation, Industrial Design, and Technology Exhibition in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2000.

Banana ketchup. Filipino food technologist, Maria Orosa, is credited for the invention of
banana ketchup, a variety of ketchup different from the commonly known tomato ketchup. Her invention
appeals particularly to Filipinos who love using condiments to go along with their food. Historical
accounts posit that Orosa invented the banana ketchup at the backdrop of World War II when there was a
hug shortage of tomatoes. As a result, Orosa developed a variety of ketchup that made use of mashed
banana, sugar, vinegar, and spices, which were all readily available. Orosa’s banana ketchup is brownish-
yellow in natural color, but is dyed red to resemble the color of the most love tomato ketchup.
ASSESSMENT TASK: #2

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ____________

Instructions: Watch an 18-minute TEDx Talk by Hannu Rajaniemi titled The Big History of Modern
Science. Afterwards, write a 200 to 250-words essay on the topic, “Why is it important to study the
history of Science and Technology?” Come up with a five-to seven-word title for your essay.
ACTIVITY TASK 2. If I were an inventor…

Name: ______________________________________ Date Submitted: ____________________

Course/Section: __________________________

Instruction: In this section, you learned that necessity is the mother of inventions and innovations.
Inventions are not simply made, but are motivated by various social, political, cultural, and economic
contexts. In this task, you will address this question: “If you were and inventor, what would you invent?”
In thinking about an invention, make sure that you come up with one that has not been invented yet but is
possible to be invented in the near future. On the space below, sketch a draft of your invention then
answer the questions that follow.

1. What is your invention? What does it do?

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2. How is your invention similar to or different from existing tools or technologies in term of
function?
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3. Why is there a need for this invention? How will this invention make the world a better place
to live in?

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