Case 2: The Relationship between Science

and Technology

Science and TechnologyThe Nature and Development of Science and Technology

What is technology? Science and technology are very similar to each

other, yet they are actually different

For understanding what technology is, we have to distinguish the difference between science and technology first.

Science ≠Technology

Science ≠Technology

The easiest difference between science and technology for people to understand is their starting points are originated from different causes with different purposes.

The basic purposes of science

Simply speaking, scientific investigation is originated from people’s intellectual curiosity to the nature. The main purpose of science is to observe natural environment and understand how it operates.

Science researchers apply scientific investigation methods to investigate the process of nature and find out the laws controlling the operation of nature.

The basic purposes of technology

Technology is originated from people’s desire and intelligence from the hope of being able to control and handle the requirements for living.

People can design and produce different tools to assist them in solving problems according to different situations and needs. Technology also includes the techniques and methods allowing people to achieve some purposes.

The establishment of Science reflects the systematic pursuance of people to understand the nature.

The development of Technology reflects people’s multi-disciplinary organizing ability and creativity to improve the surrounding environment and living standard.

What is technology?

Technology is the advancement and interflow of skills from generation to generation. The design keeps improving in the whole process to produce new technologies and products continually

In the 19th century, technology was regarded as the applied

technique for producing a product

In the 20th century, the area of technology included all of the knowledge, skills, products and services, which are for satisfying what people need and desire. Technology involves application of scientific knowledge and product design.

Examples of human’s application of technology

Improve the living environment: Eskimo’s igloo

How do the Eskimos solve the problem of living in the icy cold North Pole? Traditional Eskimos live above the glacier, how do they make use of the surrounding abundant resources - ice - to solve the problem of housing?

Eskimo’s igloo

Igloo

• ‘Ice’ gives a cold feeling to human, but how can the igloo (the ice house) produced by ice help people to withstand the severe cold weather?

‘ice’ as ‘bricks’ ‘water’ as ‘mud’＋

‘igloo’

How to build the igloo?

Reference: http://www.benmeadows.com/refinfo/Tips/Article1.htm

1. Cut the ice

• Use broadsword or saw to cut the hard ice into blocks• The size is about

– Length 1 m– Height 0.4 m– Depth 0.2 m

2. Form a circle

• Form a circle with blocks around the hole created where you cut the blocks

• Cut the circle from the top of the last block to the bottom of the first block in a spiral form. This will make it easy to construct a dome (as shown in the figure)

3. Build up walls• Stack the blocks for building walls and shape

them so that they lean inward• Cut a hole under the wall for the ‘cold sink’

and ‘entrance’• Put several blocks along one wall for a

sleeping platform

4. Sealing the top

• The last block must initially be larger than the hole

• Place the block on top of the igloo, then, from inside, shape and wiggle it to slot exactly into the hole

5. Air circulation

• Hot air from your body rises and is then trapped inside the dome

• Cold air falls into the ‘cold sink’ and flows away to the outside

• It is essential to open ventilation holes in the walls for keeping sufficient air circulation 

6. Finished Igloo

• With warmth inside the igloo, the surface of the walls will melt and freeze over, to form a smooth, airtight ice surface.

• The roof over entrance tunnel prevents snow from blowing into igloo

WARNING! • It is vital to make at least one air hole in the roof to avoid suffocation• The use of stoves in an enclosed shelter is not recommended due to dangerous build-up of carbon monoxide

Technology of building igloo

• Why are ‘ice’ and ‘water’ used as construction materials?

• The principle to keep warm inside the igloo

• The characteristics of dome-shaped architectural design

Reasons for using ‘ice’ and ‘water’ as construction materials

• To obtain material from local sources, ‘ice’ and ‘water’ are the most convenient materials for construction there

• As ice blocks from the igloo would blend with each other through continual melting and freezing, which increase the strength of the ice wall

• The density of ice prevents wind penetration and keep the freezing wind away from the house

• Ice is an extremely weak heat conductor

– It insulates heat effectively, the heat energy indoor can hardly be conducted outside through the ice and thus indoor temperature is kept

The principle to keep warm inside the igloo

• Based on the principle that hot air rises and cold air sinks– The hot air inside the igloo (hot air from human body) would concentrate

at the dome position– Cold air falls into the ‘cold sink’ and flows away to the outside– The ice-made bed is raised to a higher position and ensure the place of

sleeping is warm.• There is at least a ventilation hole in the igloo to keep efficient air circulation and prevent melting of the inner wall• Temperature inside the igloo is kept within several degrees below zero to more than 10 degrees. It is much warmer when compared with

the outdoor temperature of -50 ℃ and allows the Eskimos to pass the cold winter

The characteristics of dome-shaped architectural design

1. The smallest ratio of [surface area : volume]

- enables using the least materials (ice block) for building the largest igloo

2. The structure is relatively stable and it is not easy to collapse

– Examples of other dome-shaped architecture ：• an arch bridge

• Church with a dome-shaped roof

END

The process of technological design

and realisation

Technology – since the ancient time, people have already known how to create different ways to solve problems for dealing with the needs in living. To solve problems, one should understand the situation facing and the needs for dealing with.

Having the ideas and thoughts, people can produce useful products, such as tools and machines in various scales through design and realization.

Identify the problems

Find out the needs

Design brief and specifications

Collect information and investigation

Consider design factors

Propose, analyse and evaluate different solutions

The best solution fulfilling all necessary condition, requirements and constraints

Draw up a realisation plan and prepare materials, finish with final solution

Design and realisation process

What is the problem to be solved?

What is the expected final result you hope you can achieve?

For achieving the expected result, what are the design factors having to be considered?

After integrating the result of investigation and information collection, what kind of feasible solutions can be proposed?

Can we choose the most suitable solution? What kind of conditions should the best solution fulfill?

What are the materials and working procedures needed to realize the plan to solve the problem.

The design factors

Anthropometrics When people use the products, it should be able to enhance comfortable feelings,

the working perfomance and keeping healthy

Ergonomics Users and the products complement each other including the size, the weight, the

position and the users’ habit

Psychology Related to the science of human’s nature and behaviours

Aesthetics Whether the appearance of the product is appealing

In the research and development stage of the designing process, designers need to consider other factors such as anthropometrics, ergonomics, aesthetics, materials and safety, etc. Some design factors are listed below:

Example: massage chair with design suit for human body to slacken fatigue feeling Image: http://tns.ndhu.edu.tw/~wlliu/service.htm

Environmental problems The scheme of reducing waste from the source, repairing, reconstruction, restoration and recycling

Safety Products must not be harmful to users

Materials Physical, chemical and manufacturing properties （ included heat, electric,

acoustic, optical, mechanical and anti-oxidation properties, etc. ）

Cost effectiveness Use the lowest cost to produce products that can satisfy the customer’s need

Legal problems Intellectual property, patent right and copyright

Other design factors

Example: rechargeable batteries

The advantages and disadvantages of technology brings to human

The development of science and technology has inevitably greatly improved the quality of human living. But matters always have two sides, while the science and technology improve human’s lives, they also bring about the crises to us.

The crises come from different factors, included the drawbacks from technology itself and also from the errors made by human when applying the technology, and part of them is caused by the inappropriate application of technology.

Example 1: The drawbacks of technology itself

DDT for killing pestsPlastic products

Carcinogenic?

Toxic? Pollution?

Example 2: Accidents due to human errors when applying technology

Errors in architectural design Industrial accidents

Negligence

Collapse of Charles de Gaulle-Roissy Airport in Paris

Image:http://www.ycwb.com/gb/content/2005-02/22/content_852724.htm

Example 3: Abuse or inappropriate application of technology

Electronic crime

CRIME SCENE DO NOT ENTER CRIME SCENE DO NCRIME SCENE DO NOT ENTER CRIME SCENE DO NDummy websites

of banks

Embezzlement of credit card account

Computer viruses

Hacking

Phishing

Virus

Related teaching activities

For the discussion questions and articles about examples 1, 2, 3, please refer to the teaching materials in Lesson 5, 6