Contemporary Science and Contemporary Science and Technology:Technology:

Some Important CharacteristicsSome Important Characteristics

Four Dimensions of Scientific and Four Dimensions of Scientific and Technological ActivitiesTechnological Activities

ProductsProducts SettingsSettings ResourcesResources PractitionersPractitioners

Characteristics of Contemporary Characteristics of Contemporary Science and TechnologyScience and Technology

Polymorphism: unfolds in many formsPolymorphism: unfolds in many forms

• Design of a particular technic by an Design of a particular technic by an independent inventorindependent inventor

• Quantitative analysis by an investigator to Quantitative analysis by an investigator to determine the best or an acceptable way of determine the best or an acceptable way of setting the parameterssetting the parameters

• Scientific research into the structure and Scientific research into the structure and properties of natural or synthetic materialsproperties of natural or synthetic materials

• New kinds of practice continue to be added New kinds of practice continue to be added to the arsenal of contemporary technologyto the arsenal of contemporary technology

Ex: Nuclear Medicine, nanotechnology, Ex: Nuclear Medicine, nanotechnology, genetic engineeringgenetic engineering

Products of Contemporary Products of Contemporary Science and TechnologyScience and Technology

Technology:Technology: ComplexityComplexity System- EmbeddednessSystem- Embeddedness Production specialization and Production specialization and

IncomprehensibilityIncomprehensibility Sociotechnical Systems Analysis: Sociotechnical Systems Analysis: Quantitative Quantitative

examination of a particular system of interest to determine examination of a particular system of interest to determine how it behaves under certain conditions.how it behaves under certain conditions.

Science:Science: Abstract and abstruseAbstract and abstruse Theory-dependenceTheory-dependence Growth of Scientific Knowledge: 100-fold Growth of Scientific Knowledge: 100-fold

every centuryevery century

Proof: 1665- 1; 1765-100;1865-10,000;1965-Proof: 1665- 1; 1765-100;1865-10,000;1965-1,000,000; 100,000,000-20651,000,000; 100,000,000-2065

SettingsSettings

In the 20In the 20thth century: tremendous expansion century: tremendous expansion and consolidation of the housing of scientific and consolidation of the housing of scientific and technological activities in an extensive and technological activities in an extensive network of firmly established, substantial-network of firmly established, substantial-sized formal organizations.sized formal organizations.

Ex. 1980:Ex. 1980: 6, 700 university-related and other not-for-profit 6, 700 university-related and other not-for-profit

centers devoted to research and development in centers devoted to research and development in Canada and US.Canada and US.

In 1980:10,200 organizations in the US were In 1980:10,200 organizations in the US were active in doing research and development active in doing research and development for industry , THE GREAT MAJORITY for industry , THE GREAT MAJORITY OWNED AND OPERATED BY PRIVATE OWNED AND OPERATED BY PRIVATE CORPORATIONS.CORPORATIONS.

Laboratory is the characteristic setting of Laboratory is the characteristic setting of contemporary SCIENCE, while contemporary SCIENCE, while CONTEMPORARY TECHNOLOGICAL CONTEMPORARY TECHNOLOGICAL ACTIVITY takes place primarily in design ACTIVITY takes place primarily in design offices, on shop floors, and in production, offices, on shop floors, and in production, operations, and maintenance facilities.operations, and maintenance facilities.

Institutionalization of 20Institutionalization of 20thth century Science century Science and Technologyand Technology

Institutionalization: a process by which a Institutionalization: a process by which a social phenomenon gradually assumes well-social phenomenon gradually assumes well-established forms of organization and established forms of organization and practice, eventually becoming recognized as practice, eventually becoming recognized as part of societal culture.part of societal culture.

ResourcesResources

Input resources: Materials, natural Input resources: Materials, natural phenomena, and moneyphenomena, and money

Materials:Materials:The available stock of such inputs is The available stock of such inputs is

unprecedentedly large and diverseunprecedentedly large and diverseMany are designer materials derived using Many are designer materials derived using

scientific knowledge from fields like organic scientific knowledge from fields like organic chemistry.chemistry.

The process by which such material inputs The process by which such material inputs are produced are themselves often based are produced are themselves often based on scientific knowledge and the use of on scientific knowledge and the use of sophisticated instruments, techniques, and sophisticated instruments, techniques, and equipment.equipment.

Many technological input materials are Many technological input materials are obtained from global marketplaceobtained from global marketplace

Natural Phenomena: the domain of natural Natural Phenomena: the domain of natural phenomena accessible to scientific phenomena accessible to scientific exploration is constantly expanding due to exploration is constantly expanding due to the invention and development of new the invention and development of new technics.technics.

Money: Money: Expensive technology, numerous highly Expensive technology, numerous highly salaried workers, and heavy institutional overhead salaried workers, and heavy institutional overhead costs are prime contributors to the high price of costs are prime contributors to the high price of much contemporary research.much contemporary research.

Transformative Resources: used in Transformative Resources: used in converting inputs of scientific and converting inputs of scientific and technological activities into their respective technological activities into their respective products.products.

o First-order Resources: technics and First-order Resources: technics and technical systems, mathematical technical systems, mathematical techniques, labor power, materials alteration techniques, labor power, materials alteration processes, and energy formsprocesses, and energy forms

o Second-order resources: METHODS AND Second-order resources: METHODS AND KNOWLEDGEKNOWLEDGE

METHODS: experimental methods based on METHODS: experimental methods based on direct observation and first-hand experiencedirect observation and first-hand experience

KNOWLEDGE: INTUITIVE INSIGHT AND KNOWLEDGE: INTUITIVE INSIGHT AND IMAGINATION or nonverbal thoughtIMAGINATION or nonverbal thought

Knowledge in contemporary technology rests Knowledge in contemporary technology rests less and less on the direct observation of less and less on the direct observation of nature and more and more on the results of nature and more and more on the results of formal scientific and engineering research.formal scientific and engineering research.

Four-part taxonomy: observation, experiment, Four-part taxonomy: observation, experiment, science, intuitionscience, intuition

Empirical method and intuitively based Empirical method and intuitively based knowledge.knowledge.

Contemporary technological is not always Contemporary technological is not always generated with particular immediate generated with particular immediate practical need in mind but the motivation of practical need in mind but the motivation of pursuing it is often more generalized for pursuing it is often more generalized for future use or profitability.future use or profitability.

PractitionersPractitioners

Numbers and density: IncreasingNumbers and density: Increasing Collaboration and teamsCollaboration and teams Management SkillsManagement Skills Individual Practitioner: Individual Practitioner: It is the synthesis of the It is the synthesis of the

individual, social, and institutional components of individual, social, and institutional components of contemporary scientific and technological activity that is contemporary scientific and technological activity that is responsible for much of its distinctive and potent character.responsible for much of its distinctive and potent character.

Training and SpecializationTraining and Specialization

Salient Characteristic Trends in Salient Characteristic Trends in Contemporary Science and TechnologyContemporary Science and Technology

Increasing scaleIncreasing scale International characterInternational character RationalizationRationalization Symbiotic InterdependenceSymbiotic Interdependence