Archive for January 2012
Science and Technology – Definition by Real Life Examples
How someone could define what is Science and Technology?
Science is search for the profound knowledge. Scientists investigate the world around us. They observe how things work and develop ideas about ways to make them work better. Sometimes they try to test an idea to explain how something works. Scientists perform experiments to find out how things work. The knowledge that they discover is useful for many things. It can help to build new machines. It can help scientists to develop new medicines or cure a disease. Technology is the use of scientific knowledge to create new things.
Then what is an Inventor?
An inventor is a person who creates a new idea or device to perform a task. An invention is the new technology created. An inventor with a new idea or design for an invention may decide to have the idea protected. The idea gets protection from the law in a paper called a patent. A patent prevents other people from making, using, or selling the new idea without permission from the inventor. Some inventions are simply a better way of doing or building something. They may improve an existing technology. Other inventions are much more complicated.
Today’s technology has been in the process of development for thousands of years. New inventions are constantly changing how people work and play. They change how people think and live. The future constantly brings us even more changes. This will happen as we continue to learn about the world.
Do we depend on science and technology?
What did you do today? Did you talk on the telephone? Did you ride in a car or on a bus? Did you use a computer or turn on a light? If you did any of these things, you used technology.
Almost everybody uses some form of technology at work, home, or school. Computer programmers use computer technology to write a computer program. People may write letters using a computer program called a word processor. Many people work in the entertainment industry. Camera operators use television and motion-picture cameras. They use them to make TV shows and movies. Disc jockeys, or DJs, play records and CDs on the radio.
Scientists use all sorts of technology to study the Earth and the Universe. Businesses often have telephones, fax machines, and computers. Graphic designers use desktop publishing programs to create books and magazines. Doctors frequently use medical technology. They use it to treat injuries, illnesses, and diseases such as cancer. Pilots fly airplanes and helicopters. Who knows what jobs will be created by new technologies in the future!
Science, Religion and Philosophy
In our modern world it seems as if natural science is completely incompatible with religion and (to a large extend) philosophy. In spite of some imaginative scientists trying to soften and modify the scientific community’s view of the world as a huge machine, the general impression is that a war between two different world views is taking place. On one hand the scientific view of the world as pure matter without any kind of spirit (and certainly not any kind of divine purpose or interference) and on the other hand the religious or philosophic views where spirit (and in many cases also some kind of divine power) plays an important role in our whole existence.
Why does it have to be like that? Albert Einstein, who is regarded as one of the greatest scientists of all times, said: “Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind.” If one of the most esteemed scientists in modern times found it necessary to combine the two subjects then, why does the vast majority of scientists and religious representatives continue their seemingly endless fights?
It is evident that natural science explains a lot about nature and our universe. It is a fact that without science we would not have been able to create our modern civilizations with complex infrastructures enabling us to travel by land, air and sea. We wouldn’t have computers, cell phones and internet. Modern hospitals, institutions and organizations would not exist…
But the fact that natural science has helped us immensely in understanding the nature surrounding us doesn’t necessarily mean that we can find all answers that way. Our consciousness is still a mystery to natural science because it can only be experienced as a first-hand, subjective experience!
On the other hand, most religions are based on very old information that was originally given to people much less educated than the majority of people today. Also, it might very well be distorted by misinterpretations and misunderstandings during centuries. Nevertheless, in spite of all the wisdom contained in these religions it would have been impossible for anybody to explain scientific laws to people at that time. Remember that until a few centuries ago everybody was convinced that the earth was flat and also the center of the universe!
To me, modern philosophy should include knowledge from both natural science and religion. If scientists on one hand and religious people on the other hand are reluctant to change their views (maybe partly because it would force them to change their whole personal identity), philosophers ought to be seeking the truth without prejudice.
I also think that philosophy should include a total world view. In spite of the standpoint of existentialism that the individual has total freedom and responsibility to create his values alone, I find it very important to have a total personal world view.
Without a fundamental and comprehensive world view we are (in spite of the evolutionary principles) lonely beings in a world of chaos, coincidence and injustice.
Kids’ Science – Gravity For Beginners
Here’s a science activity for kids that offers basic exposure to density and the law of gravity. It also gives your child an opportunity to engage in the trial and error method of problem solving. It’s very simple and lots of fun.
You’ll be making a miniature version of hot air balloons. Each balloon should take about one minute to make. Your child will love helping to put the hot air balloons together.
Here’s what to do:
Pick up helium balloons from your community party supply store. You’ll need one balloon for each participant.
For the basket part of the hot air balloon, use a paper cup or 12″ x 12″ felt square. If you use a paper cup, tape three pieces of string to the top of the cup, and then tie the string to the base of the balloon. If you use a felt square, tie each of the four corners and attach those to the base of the balloon. (If you want to go a step further, for a more realistic looking basket cut off the bottom four inches of an empty bag of specialty coffee and rinse it out-the material is perfectly suited for this activity.)
Your living room is the perfect location to get started.
The objective: fill the basket with just enough household items to cause the balloon to hover for ten seconds without touching the ceiling. The items might include marbles, buttons, bottle caps and Q-Tips. Put these items in a bowl for selection. Keep a pair of scissors handy–as your child fine tunes the density it may become necessary to cut a Q-Tip in half.
Consider the following variation: put all the items in a line for selection. Take turns selecting one item until each person has ten. Place items into balloon baskets and launch the balloons. The objective is to have your balloon float slowest to the ceiling. In order to improve results, each person may exchange one of their items for a new item. Re-launch the balloons. Continue the process of exchanging one item after each launch. Keep experimenting until one player causes a balloon to hover for ten seconds.
There are many other variations to this science activity that you can pursue on your own (–for example, log the difference in items used from one day to the next as the balloons lose helium). Regardless of how you go about it, this activity will give your child an opportunity to engage in trial and error problem solving while gaining basic exposure to density and the law of gravity. You may also find it surprisingly adept at bringing out the fidget and tinker nature of parents. Have fun!