The Symbiotic Relationship of Science and Technology in the 21st Century

A. Emerson Wiens Considering the range of human experience, both science and technology are relatively new fields of study. Certainly, primitive societies had some elementary understanding of nature, at least those elements that were most observable and obvious in their everyday experiences. Thousands of years before Christ, natural processes were used to produce cheese and beer, but without sophisticated instruments, there was little or no understanding of the science behind these processes. Evidence also shows that simple machines and tools were used long before Newton’s laws were formulated and the principle of mechanical advantage elucidated. Science before the scientific revolution was typically an intellectual pursuit, and the idea of using scientific knowledge to improve the quality of life through technological manipulation and product design was rarely pursued. What little innovation and invention occurred was typically done by artisans and craftsmen who knew little of scientific theory. Some of the most elaborate mechanisms were created to entertain the aristocracy and had little practical value. Besides being hampered by crude research instruments, scientific discovery and understanding were also restricted by social institutions that valued conformity and status quo over discovery and exploration. This conservative philosophy led to the trial of Galileo as a heretic in 1633 for defending Copernican theory. Copernicus had challenged the concept that the earth is the center of the universe, a concept that was at the core of established religion. Just 34 years earlier, Giordano Bruno had been burned at the stake for questioning orthodox opinion in mathematics, theology, and philosophy. But science gained acceptance as exploratory tools improved, more observations were made, and ideas were promulgated via the printing press. And the church had to modify its perception of the universe. The obvious connection between scientific principles and practical applications (technology) developed during the scientific revolution and was expanded in the industrial revolution. In recent times, many leaders and the public have developed an unflagging faith in the science-technology enterprise. Pytlik, Lauda, and Johnson (1978) asserted that this faith led the public to believe that “every flaw affecting the human was definable and could be solved through science and technology. To The Symbiotic Relationship of Science and Technology in the 21st Century