Conclusion
141 Conclusion
Kate Billingsley and Alexander Daichendt
introduction
The field of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) “seeks to promote cross-disciplinary integration, civic engagement, and critical thinking” of concepts in the worlds of science and technology (Harvard University, n.d.). “Science, technology and innovation each represent a successively larger category of activities which are highly interdependent but distinct.”(Harvey Brooks). These key aspects of our world collaborate and take from each other on a daily basis all for the sake of improvment. As an aspect of everyday life, technology is continuously evolving to ensure that humanity can be productive, efficient, and follow the path of globalization. STS is a concept that encompasses countless fields of study, all while being it’s own main point of focus as a whole. “Scientists, engineers, and medical professionals swim (as they must) in the details of their technical work: experiments, inventions, treatments and cures. “promotes cross-disciplinary integration, civic engagement, and critical thinking”It’s an intense and necessary focus” (Stanford University, n.d.). On the opposite side of the spectrum is also STS, which “draws attention to the water: the social, political, legal, economic, and cultural environment that shapes research and invention, supports or inhibits it — and is in turn shaped by evolving science and technology” (Stanford University, n.d.). But what about the center of that spectrum? What about the relationship between all three of these aspects? The belief that the system in its inner workings may not be that of an equal relationship, but rather a system of a push and pull arrangement. (modified)
According to Oberdan (2010), science and technology share identical goals. “At first glance, they seem to provide a deep and thorough going division between the two but, as the discussion progresses, it will become clear that there are, indeed, areas of overlap, too” (Oberdan, 25). Philosophers believe that for a claim to be considered knowledge, it must first be justified, like a hypothesis, and true. Italian astronomer, physicist, and engineer, Galileo Galilei, was incredibly familiar with the obstacles involved with proving something to be a fact or a theory within the scientific world. Galileo was condemned by the Roman Catholic church for his beliefs that contradicted existing church doctrine (Coyne, 2013). Galileo’s discoveries, although denounced by the church were incredibly innovative and progressive for their time, and are still seen as the basis for modern astronomy today. Nearly 300 years later, Galileo was eventually forgiven by the church, and to this day he is seen as one of the most well known and influential astronomers of all time. Many new innovations and ideas often receive push back before becoming revolutionary and universal practices.
Let’s review the relationships using what we just discussed as the basis. First, consider the relationship between science and technology, in comparison to society of the time. Many know that the Catholic Church and religion controlled what was the truth of the worlds, how people were saved and similar. Yet, Galileo still pushed foward, with his most progressive idea being the switch from Geocentric to Heliocentric, which the Catholic church were not fans of. The relationship was strained between society, and science and technology. “Yet R&D is also necessary for learning about technology even when it is not ‘new to the universe’ but only in the particular context in which it is being used for the first time” (H. Brooks, 1994). Research and development have always played a piece in the work that advances soceity. It is not just seen within the past however where R&D depict the push for improvement. “In the past few years, we have seen information technology developing rapidly and reshaping the food industry” (Du 1). Not only in China but all over the world, technology has been used to boost and improve the conditions for farming, transporting, and consuming food. The digitization of the world has led and continued to lead to overall quality of life improvements. AI has also proven to be of assistance as well, “Artificial intelligence and robotics can also improve the automation of food assembly, and this can lower the cost and control negative impact on workers and production from the pandemic”(Du 3). The world has become increasingly more expensive overtime, and if technology were to drive those costs down thanks to the research of others and societies acceptance of it, people could live easier, more stable lives overall.
INNOVATION IN TECHNOLOGY
Flash forward to modern time where we can see that innovation is happening even more around us. Look no further than what could be considered the culmination of modern technological innovation: the mobile phone. Cell phone technology has developed exponentially since the invention of the first mobile phone in 1973 (Seward, 2013). Although there was a period for roughly 20 years in which cell phones were seen as unnecessary and somewhat impractical, as society’s needs changed and developed in the late 1990s, there was a large spike in consumer purchases of mobile phones. Now, cell phones are an entity that can be seen virtually anywhere, which is in large part due to their practicality. Cell phones, specifically smartphones such as Apple’s iPhone, have changed the way society uses technology. Smartphone technology has eliminated the need for people to have a separate cell phone, MP3 player, GPS, mobile video gaming systems, and more. Consumers may fail to realize how many aspects of modern technological advancement are involved in the use of their mobile phones. Cell phones use wifi to browse the internet, use google, access social media, and more. Although these technologies are beneficial, they also allow consumers locations to be traced and phone conversations to be recorded. Modern cell phone technologies collect data on consumers, and many people are unsure how this information is being used. Additionally, mobile phones come equipped with virus protection which brings the field of cybersecurity into smartphone usage. The technological advances that have been made in the market for mobile phones have been targeted towards the changing needs of consumers and society. As proven by the rise in cell phones, with advancements in the field of STS comes new unforeseen obstacles and ethical dilemmas.
Along with the invention of the mobile phone, society overall saw an increase in materialism. Materialism is the world view that consumers purchase items to feel better towards themselves, rather than doing other actions such as going to church, or spending time with friends and family. However, in order to discuss materialism, we have to cover what society expects out of its relationships with others. “In capitalism and society in general, everything exists in and through societal relations. The commodity, capital, labour, money, value, classes, exploitation, domination, capitalism, struggles, socialism, etc. are societal relations”(Fuchs 6). In this scope, materialism can take root in those who purchase items to be seen by their peers and surroundings. Such can be seen with the mobile phone, as I have personally witnessed peers of mine acting out in superiority for simply purchasing an iPhone. Peers, who once considered themselves lower than others for having a cellphone at all, acting out and bragging to others of their new phone. Beyond this, it also depicts a bridge between technology and society.
Technology is changing the way we live in this world. Innovations in the scientific world are becoming increasingly more advanced to help conserve earth’s resources and aid in the reduction of pollutants. Transportation is a field that has changed greatly in recent years due to modernization in science and technology, as well as an increased awareness of environmental concerns. The transportation industry continues to be a large producer of pollution
due to emissions from cars, trains, and other modes of transportation. As a result, cars have changed a great deal in recent years. A frontrunner in creating environmentally friendly luxury cars is Tesla, lead by CEO Elon Musk. Although nearly every brand of car has an electric option that either runs completely gas free, or uses significantly less fuel than standard cars, Tesla has taken this one step further and created a zero emissions vehicle. However, some believe that Tesla has taken their innovations in the transportation market a bit too far, specifically with their release of driverless cars.
“The recent reset of expectations on driverless cars is a leading indicator for other types of AI-enabled systems as well,” says David A. Mindell, professor of aeronautics and astronautics, and the Dibner Professor of the History of Engineering and Manufacturing at MIT. “These technologies hold great promise, but it takes time to understand the optimal combination of people and machines. And the timing of adoption is crucial for understanding the impact on workers” (Dizikes, 2019).
As the earth becomes more and more polluted, consumers are seeking to find new ways to cut down on their negative impacts on the earth. Eco-friendly cars are a simple yet effective way in which consumers can cut back on their pollution within their everyday lives.
THE INTERSECTION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Asides Society
The way in which energy is generated has changed greatly to benefit consumers and the environment. Energy production has followed a rather linear path over time, and is a prime example of how new innovations stem from old technologies. In the early 1800s, the steam engine acted as the main form of creating energy. It wasn’t until the mid-late 1800s that the combustion engine was invented. This invention was beneficial because it was more efficient than its predecessor, and became a form of energy that was streamlined to be used in countless applications. As time has progressed, this linear path of innovation has continued. As new energy creating technologies have emerged, machinery that was once seen as efficient and effective have been phased out. Today, largely due to the increased demand for clean energy sources, the linear path has split and consumers are faced with numerous options for clean, environmentally friendly energy sources. Over time, scientists and engineers have come to realize that these forms of energy pollute and damage the earth. Solar power, a modern form of clean energy, was once seen as an expensive and impractical way of turning the sun’s energy into usable energy. Now, it is common to see newly built homes with solar panels already built in. Since technology develops to fit the needs of society, scientists have worked to improve solar panels to make them cheaper and easier to access. A total of 173,000 terawatts (trillions of watts) of solar energy strikes the Earth continuously, which is more than 10,000 times of the world’s total energy use (Chandler, 2011). This information may seem staggering, but is crucial in understanding the importance, as well as the large influence that modern forms of energy can have on society.
While the understanding of the effect that energy innovations and inventions has had on society, the understanding of how society felt on the situation is a different matter, as the two are not correlated very heavily. “On the other hand, there is a danger of aligning research too closely with current social problems and exploitation logics and thus missing out on innovations that are more likely to be sustainable in the longer term”(Berlin Science Survey) as often times, most of society comes to believe in the short term. When exploring new regions of science, researchers often teeter the line between moral and immoral for the sake of progress. People forget how things are made and look back to critque the process but not their lives. Alongside this, we must understand how science and technology work as well. “The relations between science and technology are complex and vary considerably with the particular field of technology being discussed.”(Harvey Brooks). As discussed during the introduction, research and development has always played a role in the workings of science and technology. A key component of R&D is prototyping. Something which heavily involves both science and technology, and even society. “A more common example of a direct genetic
relationship between science and technology occurs when the exploration of a new field of science is deliberately undertaken with a general anticipation that it has a high likelihood of leading to useful applications, though there is no specific end-product in mind.”(Harvey Brooks). The key thing about development is during the testing phase of it. The engineering cycle states that the problem is defined, brainstormed, tested, corrected, then implemented. That key phase of testing often ties parts of the world where needed. For example, if a new car was being made, often times manufacturers will release body’s of the car at a car show prior to a vehicle’s release date. This way, they can accurately judge the public’s reactions, as they are the consumers, witnessing this from a personal account. There will always be an input from society that determines what technology and science will head towards.
Conclusion
Technology has become a crucial part of our society. Without technological advancements, so much of our everyday lives would be drastically different. As technology develops, it strives to fulfill the changing needs of society. Technology progresses as society evolves. That being said, progress comes at a price. This price is different for each person, and varies based on how much people value technological and scientific advancements in their own lives. Thomas Parke Hughes’s Networks of Power “compared how electric power systems developed in America, England, and Germany, showing that they required not only electrical but social ‘engineering’ to create the necessary legal frameworks, financing, standards, political support, and organizational designs” (Stanford University). In other words, the scientific invention and production of a new technology does not ensure its success. Technology’s success is highly dependent on society’s acceptance or rejection of a product, as well as whether or not any path dependence is involved. Changing technologies benefit consumers in countless aspects of their lives including in the workforce, in communications, in the use of natural resources, and so much more. These innovations across numerous different markets aid society by making it easier to complete certain tasks. Innovation will never end; rather, it will continue to develop at increasing rates as science and technological fields becomes more and more cutting edge.
Chapter Questions
- True or False: Improvements in science and technology always benefit society
- Multiple Choice: Technology is:
A. The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry
B. Tools and machines that may be used to solve real-world problems
C. Something that does not change
D. Both A and B - Short Answer: Discuss what you believe the relationship in the aspects of STS are.
References
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Building bridges between science and society for a better future. | Nadine Bongaerts | TEDxSaclay