HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
JUSTIFICATION OF A HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
We have many years of history for example political history draws with gov’t
administration processes, economic history (how people produce and
exchange resources, biographical history(addressing the history as an
individual)
➢ There are other variances of history which are less common but
equally important ,they include history of religion, science ,ideas
➢ Academically, history is a special discipline because it cuts across all
other disciplines hence it is described mediating discipline because
every discipline has its own history without which it cannot be
probably understood constantly we have a history of science and
technology.to understand the place of science.
➢ Science is a human activity or institution. Its human being who create
science .civilization in its material form will not be possible without
science.similary human civilization in us eventually and moral aspect
science is involved
➢ The development and application of science ideas had been involved
in determining and mounting the whole pattern of human thought.in
our aspirations and conflict science is involved on one hand science
and her twin sister technology had been made to improve man’s life
➢ Positive aspects of science :examples
1. Agriculture
2. Medicine
3. Transport
4. Work
5. Computer
➢ On the other hand man is on the brink of sell destruction because of
his own invention in science and technology. Example include, nuclear
invention, biology’s and chemical are a clear testimony of the dangers
of technological advancement.
➢ It is the light for great both for good and bad that is because
necessary to search out the past in order to understand the present
and to be able to anticipate and control the future
➢ Only the historical knowledge of science will arrest the stop of science
from being blinded that they are in the drama or use and misuse of
science. With the help of historical knowledge we can find ways and
means of developing and using science more harmoniously and with
the best result for humanity
The changing characteristics of science over time
1
,➢ The word science from Latin word Scientia which means knowledge
➢ According to now Cambridge advanced dictionary(2003) science is
knowledge obtained from systematic study of the structure and
behavior at the physical world especially by observing measuring
,experimenting and developing theories to describe the results of this
activities
➢ Science has been defined different by different people at different
level in human history .this is because science is as old as man and
its perception has undergone so many changes depending on the
context. This was well explained by Albert Einstein where he pointed
out that when one ask what science is he is bound to receive
different answers as different times from different people
concenqetlvy it is clearly not easily and it may not be useful to
attempt a hard and less definition of science because the definition
may only be an expression of only one or has as all the aspects of
science .When the term science is mentioned today it I s often
considered as resent phenomena that is associated with science and
industrial revolution beginning in the 10th and 18th century
respectively.
➢ The truth is that science and scientific studies did not begin in Europe
centuries ago man in all places and ages have always wan ted to have
scientific knowledge.
➢ Indeed every great situation has develop some science probably the
correct observation should be that science has not had a separate
definition for a long it excited at the dawn of civilization any that was
one aspect of the work of the magicians and smiths.
➢ Science defer back to antiquity (ancient times) when man began to be
curious about the sun,moon,stars and planets.in all probability this
is also how religion began in fact in ancient Egypt ,science was only
a department or religion for example; the science of mummification
was firmly tied up with religion.
➢ Sciences could be regarded as the work of gods or bad spirits, this
provides justification to go for magic.
➢ Indeed many remedies in Egypt resembled magical practices
(incitation) rather than medical description.
➢ For a long time science was included in the 3 elements of empirical
practice ,magic and rational thinking thus magic and esoteric
(something understood by few)were not dissociated from various
sciences before 17c.what the scientific and industrial revolution did
begin in the 17th century was not give back to the science but to
separate it from other areas of social activity so that this time the
word science gradually seized to be used to describe other skills
2
, and began to develop as present meaning with specific
characteristics.
➢ For the time being we can say that science is what science does. What
is involved in certain areas or knowledge in science?
➢ The descriptive aim of science enterprise is to provide systems and
responsibly supported explanation on issues (predictions)
➢ This means that the concept science can be successfully applied to
material systems whether for non-living organism or in the biotics
science or for human societies as in the social sciences.
CHARACTERSITCS OF MODERN SCIENCE
➢ FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS COURSE ,MODERN science is
regarded as the body of knowledge that has certain specific
characteristics,
i. Cumulative Nature of Science
➢ Science is cumulative in nature active scientists built or adds onto
what they find as being constructed.
➢ Where scientist disagree they use existing body of knowledge as a
point departure to generate trash knowledge therefore scientific
knowledge is not static but growing to quality as a scientist is not
just to know what is known but to add something to the growing
body of knowledge.
➢ It was in recognition of this reality that Isaac newton modestly
remarked on his achievements in the following words “if I have seen
further it is by standing on the shoulder it giant”.
ii) The method and procedure of
science.
➢ Modern science has its own methods or procedure and this has to do
with prescriptions, creation and understanding of human experience
➢ This method is not a fixed thing but also a growing process it
consists of several operations or phases
iii.Questioning
➢ This was probably the first scientific operation in history .it was first
applied in mathematics and then astronomy indeed questioning is the
first towards problem solving
b) Observation and classification
➢ This is systematic and it seeks to establish facts and relations which
are as much possible independent or all sentiments or emotions
c) Measurement
3
JUSTIFICATION OF A HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
We have many years of history for example political history draws with gov’t
administration processes, economic history (how people produce and
exchange resources, biographical history(addressing the history as an
individual)
➢ There are other variances of history which are less common but
equally important ,they include history of religion, science ,ideas
➢ Academically, history is a special discipline because it cuts across all
other disciplines hence it is described mediating discipline because
every discipline has its own history without which it cannot be
probably understood constantly we have a history of science and
technology.to understand the place of science.
➢ Science is a human activity or institution. Its human being who create
science .civilization in its material form will not be possible without
science.similary human civilization in us eventually and moral aspect
science is involved
➢ The development and application of science ideas had been involved
in determining and mounting the whole pattern of human thought.in
our aspirations and conflict science is involved on one hand science
and her twin sister technology had been made to improve man’s life
➢ Positive aspects of science :examples
1. Agriculture
2. Medicine
3. Transport
4. Work
5. Computer
➢ On the other hand man is on the brink of sell destruction because of
his own invention in science and technology. Example include, nuclear
invention, biology’s and chemical are a clear testimony of the dangers
of technological advancement.
➢ It is the light for great both for good and bad that is because
necessary to search out the past in order to understand the present
and to be able to anticipate and control the future
➢ Only the historical knowledge of science will arrest the stop of science
from being blinded that they are in the drama or use and misuse of
science. With the help of historical knowledge we can find ways and
means of developing and using science more harmoniously and with
the best result for humanity
The changing characteristics of science over time
1
,➢ The word science from Latin word Scientia which means knowledge
➢ According to now Cambridge advanced dictionary(2003) science is
knowledge obtained from systematic study of the structure and
behavior at the physical world especially by observing measuring
,experimenting and developing theories to describe the results of this
activities
➢ Science has been defined different by different people at different
level in human history .this is because science is as old as man and
its perception has undergone so many changes depending on the
context. This was well explained by Albert Einstein where he pointed
out that when one ask what science is he is bound to receive
different answers as different times from different people
concenqetlvy it is clearly not easily and it may not be useful to
attempt a hard and less definition of science because the definition
may only be an expression of only one or has as all the aspects of
science .When the term science is mentioned today it I s often
considered as resent phenomena that is associated with science and
industrial revolution beginning in the 10th and 18th century
respectively.
➢ The truth is that science and scientific studies did not begin in Europe
centuries ago man in all places and ages have always wan ted to have
scientific knowledge.
➢ Indeed every great situation has develop some science probably the
correct observation should be that science has not had a separate
definition for a long it excited at the dawn of civilization any that was
one aspect of the work of the magicians and smiths.
➢ Science defer back to antiquity (ancient times) when man began to be
curious about the sun,moon,stars and planets.in all probability this
is also how religion began in fact in ancient Egypt ,science was only
a department or religion for example; the science of mummification
was firmly tied up with religion.
➢ Sciences could be regarded as the work of gods or bad spirits, this
provides justification to go for magic.
➢ Indeed many remedies in Egypt resembled magical practices
(incitation) rather than medical description.
➢ For a long time science was included in the 3 elements of empirical
practice ,magic and rational thinking thus magic and esoteric
(something understood by few)were not dissociated from various
sciences before 17c.what the scientific and industrial revolution did
begin in the 17th century was not give back to the science but to
separate it from other areas of social activity so that this time the
word science gradually seized to be used to describe other skills
2
, and began to develop as present meaning with specific
characteristics.
➢ For the time being we can say that science is what science does. What
is involved in certain areas or knowledge in science?
➢ The descriptive aim of science enterprise is to provide systems and
responsibly supported explanation on issues (predictions)
➢ This means that the concept science can be successfully applied to
material systems whether for non-living organism or in the biotics
science or for human societies as in the social sciences.
CHARACTERSITCS OF MODERN SCIENCE
➢ FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS COURSE ,MODERN science is
regarded as the body of knowledge that has certain specific
characteristics,
i. Cumulative Nature of Science
➢ Science is cumulative in nature active scientists built or adds onto
what they find as being constructed.
➢ Where scientist disagree they use existing body of knowledge as a
point departure to generate trash knowledge therefore scientific
knowledge is not static but growing to quality as a scientist is not
just to know what is known but to add something to the growing
body of knowledge.
➢ It was in recognition of this reality that Isaac newton modestly
remarked on his achievements in the following words “if I have seen
further it is by standing on the shoulder it giant”.
ii) The method and procedure of
science.
➢ Modern science has its own methods or procedure and this has to do
with prescriptions, creation and understanding of human experience
➢ This method is not a fixed thing but also a growing process it
consists of several operations or phases
iii.Questioning
➢ This was probably the first scientific operation in history .it was first
applied in mathematics and then astronomy indeed questioning is the
first towards problem solving
b) Observation and classification
➢ This is systematic and it seeks to establish facts and relations which
are as much possible independent or all sentiments or emotions
c) Measurement
3
