The Relation Between Science and Technology, Research Paper Example

The two are distinct scopes yet they are in most cases confused and mixed up, one taken to be the other or treated as the same thing. To try to understand the difference and relation between the two, we have to get the clear definitions. For our case, we will define technology as the practical application of science.

With the above definition we can deduce that technology is under the big umbrella of science. The big question now is how they are related and how is technology a distinct science on it’s on. In most cases technology is just termed as applied science but the fact will still remain that the two can never be separated to be two different scopes as they are related in so many ways.

To get the relationship between the two, we have first to get the clear difference so as to determine how the two are different from each other. Some of the differences include; for technology its main aim or goal is coming up with artifacts and systems that will meet the people needs using technological processes while for science as an independent scope is the search of knowledge and understanding for the sake of its own importance using scientific processes.

Technology is centralized on designing things, invention of systems and items and the final production; on the other hand science mainly deals with discoveries of new things and does this using experiment (Robert, pg67). Technology workings are mainly analysis and synthesis of a given design while science puts its concentration on analysis, generalization and coming up with theories which technology will base on in its production and designing

Technology can be said to be Holism, to mean it’s at the heart of integrating many theories and demands. Data and ideas which are in some way similar but have to be distinguished and the most appropriate chosen. Science is taken to be Reductionism; this is because it involves the separation and definition of distinct theories and concepts. The activities of technology are always geared towards coming up with a final valued product but science deals with making important statements that are valued.

In the area of concentration of technology, it searches for new processes and theorizes them for example control information. Science does the same but the search is on the cause of happenings, for example gravity and electromagnetism. Technology pursues accuracy that has to be sufficient in its processes so as to come out successful. Science modeling concerns mainly its accuracy.

Technology is faced with challenge of making good decisions on data that is incomplete and approximating its models, likewise science is challenged the same way but on the basis of conclusions on the theories and the data collected (Jan,pg88). Technology activities involve designing, construction, testing, planning, quality assurance, decision making and communication skills. The sciences are limited as they include mostly entail experimental logical skills.

Technology faces the challenge of ensuring even poor decision become effective whereas science uses predictions especially the false ones and turns them or improves the theories behind them or manipulates the data behind the incorrect theories. This is a number of the few differences that distinguish the two.

The similarities are so many so to try and get their relation, we will try and see how the two interact or borrow from each other. To start with, let’s see the interactions in history; the two have been linked in history to be interchanging theoretical or abstract models on phenomenon that are mostly natural and technology to come up with practical ideas and devices that can be consumed by human beings. The knowledge from science has been included to improve or more so predict technologies in the day to day life. There has been a flow of information from science to technology and also in some unique but few ways from technology to science.

Each of the two has its areas of specialization hence lends and receives from the other. Technology is believed to have better instruments that in many and important ways affect scientific theories. It has also come up with new methods that pose a challenge to scientists to come up with new theories to explain them. For example, the Galileo invention of the telescope that had a great impact on astronomical measurements and gave rise to many theories a bout the earth, planets, orbits etc.

With time, the interaction and relation between the two has been in the increase and mostly from science to technology. For example theories such as ‘fuzzy logic and adaptive control’ have been included in technology in automotive production and it’s said that theoretical understanding is becoming very vital in the development of automotive technology. The interaction in the past was not that evident as the scope of the two was small hence they couldn’t cross each others paths but with the rapid growth of each one of them, they now come to contact more and more often.

The discovery and use of computer has been the major step in linking the two. Before this, science was independent as its theories could be applied in way only to minute and idealize the quantities of matter. The problem with this was that when applied on a practical scale, the mathematics couldn’t be solved due to its complexity, hence the predictions were impossible. This was the major limitation of science but thanks to technology, with the innovation of computers, all that was made possible with little ease.

Computers are helping put the scientific theories to practical devices hence much more interaction between science and technology. An example of how computers are applied in even biological sciences is in the prediction of how large molecules will behave hence enabling the scientists in designing of new drugs and on a faster scale.

It’s come to our realization that scientific theories are information. Information on how the natural world works. Like for example the first two Toffler’s waves of change which are technologies. They are the ‘agriculture society after agriculture and Industrial Society after Industry’ the above and other technology has been very fundamental and a determining characteristic of the society (Jan, pg100). This applies also to scientific knowledge. The following are examples of technologies that have been borrowed from scientific theories; DNA engineering, radio and TV, Atomic Energy, Computers, Lasers, Microchip and Designer drugs.

Another example basing on science is about the space flight, many of the scientists had the notion that space flights that were powered by rocket engines would be impossible because of lack of something for the rocket to push at so as to enable the rocket move. But that was put to pass with explanations basing on scientific grounds; that is using the ‘action reaction ‘Newton’s law.

In summary we are going to look at the positive contribution on each other. Science contribution to technology include: Science comes up with new knowledge which in turn enables technology to come up with ideas for new technology thus serving as its source. It has form a basis of tools and techniques that give rise to more efficient designs and source of knowledge in modern technology. Scientific researches and scientific laboratory techniques, together with scientific analytical methods are included in researches that yield technological designs and industrial practices.

Scientific activities such as practice research have been sources of introduction and application of new skills that are been incorporated in technology. The scientific knowledge has been used to assess the technology in the areas of social and environmental impacts and lastly science has formed a base of knowledge which has enabled the coming up of new and more efficient strategies that are being applied in research and development of new technologies.

Technology also has its contribution and effects on science and they include; Technology provides a field from where science directs its questions enabling it to come up with theories and form a basis of trying out its findings. That’s to mean it gives scientist challenges and problems for them to come up with solutions. Technology is an experimental tool in science putting the theories in practice and provides the tools and equipments for coming up with the scientific ideas and theories.

The level of contribution differs depending on the field of interest. For example when we narrow down to the mechanical technology, its contribution to science is very small, hence can be successful without the inclusion of the knowledge borrowed from science. On contrary, there are other fields like the electrical, chemical and nuclear technology that takes a lot from science hence deeply depends on it. In this field, most inventions come up only after considerable knowledge and training in science.

We can deduce from the above that the ‘Scientization of technology’ may with time lead to the transfer of knowledge from science to technology being offset in greater efficiency in formal systems. Also the use of modern scientific tools and better planning in the developing of technological processes will yield more and more significant values.

Works cited

Jan Kyrre Berg. A Companion to the Philosophy of Technology. Wiley-Blackwell, 2009:78-156

Robert Scharff. Philosophy of Technology: The Technical Condition. Wiley-Blackwell, 2009:23-90