1, Compare Life in the Past and at Present According to Development of Science and Technologies
Science and Technology
1, Compare life in the past and at present according to development of science and technologies.
In pre-historic times, people's lives and their needs were simple. Everything needed for life was at hand. People hunted for food, and made tools from stones and wore simple clothes to protect them from the cold. The only tool they had was the human hand.
Step by step, people started changing the world, trying to make their lives easier and more comfortable.
The 1st inventions were very simple. As the 1st important discoveries we consider the discovery of fire and the invention of wheel to make transportation of goods easier.
Later inventions in mathematics, astronomy, medicine or chemistry began to develop. People tried to improve their way of life and because of that new and better tools appeared.
Important discoveries, exploration and inventions came in the 15th and 16th centuries such as the discovery and exploration of new continents, such as America, Asia, Africa;
The 18th and 19th centuries were centuries of the Industrial Revolution that completely changed the world. It brought important inventions: the steam engine (J. Watt), the electric light bulb (T. A. Edison), the electric motor (Michael Faraday), and the first petrol-driven car (G. Daimler, K. Benz).
Traditional materials (wood, stone, horns, steel, silver; gold, copper) were still used, but as technologies improved new and cheaper materials were introduced, e.g. rubber, glass, paper and later plastics.
2, Describe some of the most significant inventions and discoveries
The most significant inventions:
Paper - was invented in China in 105 AD. The 1st paper was made of silk or bark of trees.
Printing- Johannes Gutenberg developed 1st mechanical printing machine in 15th century. This invention helped to spread knowledge and information much faster.
Electricity – now we ca not imagine our life without electricity, it is used for lighting, heating etc. Thomas Edison´s electric bulb was used for the first time in 19th century. The electricity is important, because all things of our everyday life depend on electricity. Home appliances, computers everything needs electricity.
The telephone – enables us communicate with others. It dates back to 1876 when A.G. Bell developed his “speaking box”.
Car – this invention made transport faster and more comfortable and shortened travel time.
Television – is a relatively recent invention. 1st TV transmissions were made in England in 1926.
Computer – the history of computers started actually in 1960s when 1st electronic computer was developed. 1st computers were very big and gradually appeared smaller and smaller ones. They help us work faster and more effectively.
The most remarkable was the invention of the cell phone.
The amount of people using mobile phones has rapidly increased. Mobile phone has become a symbol of comfortable, quick communication and also a fashion mainly among youngsters. Newer and newer services /functions for cell phones are being developed: they allow to download music, take and send photos , you can log on to the Net etc. On the other hand some people think that radiation from mobiles causes cancer. Teenagers are among the biggest users of mobile phones and many of themare becomingaddicted to using them.
3, What invention can make learning easier?
Use of computers can be better if you have an access to the Internet. It was invented only in 1989 and it enables people to get information from different places, such as libraries, museums or other institutions. It connects people even on the other side of the world. It is popular especially among young people because they can download music, chat with their friends, send e-mails, play games or watch films, even do our shopping from home by mail order. These are the advantages of new technologies. The problem, however, is that we spend less time with our families and friends. We communicate with a computer, not with real people. People are more lazy, they don’t go out. They aren’t in personal touch with people. They can become addict on the Internet.
4, Can you name any examples of scientific research in the field of medicine?
Great progress has been made in the field of medicine. Science and technology has helped ease the pain of certain types of diseases. It has even cured and prevented some diseases that were considered incurable in the past. It helps prolong the life of people and makes the lives of the handicapped easier. Nowadays, it is possible for doctors to help in surgeries that are taking place in another part of the country or even on the other side of the world. The doctor can see the patient and vital information about the patient on his video phone and speak directly to the surgeons performing the operation.
In the field of biology, especially microbiology, the scientists do not prolong life, but they create it. "In vitro" fertilization and cloning are currently the most debated issues in this field. The first one presents a technique for the treatment of infertility in which egg cells are fertilised outside the woman's body. Cloning an organism means creating a new organism with the same genetic information as a cell from an existing one. This invention of molecular biology can be used for many purposes, e. g. to produce organs or tissues to repair or replace damaged ones. However, many people do not agree with human cloning saying that the potential for abuse is very big.
5, What appliances do you use at home?
New technologies are everywhere. Our households are equipped with modern appliances, such as refrigerators and freezers, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, dishwashers, microwave ovens, computers, TV sets, stereos and DVD and video players. All these appliances and entertainment equipmentsmake our lives much easier and more comfortable but on the other hand it all have negative influence on our environment, for example cars which contribute to pollution.
6, How can science and technology be misused?
MISUSE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Everything has its own pros and cons. It’s very satisfying how science has influenced our lives from positive side of view, but it has influenced our lives also from a negative side. Science can be misused. The best example how the science can be abused is a weapon. Nuclear weapons have been used twice in war, by the United States against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima (Little Boy) and Nagasaki.
7, What inventions of technology cannot you exist without? Why? (vypracovať)
8, COMPARISION BETWEEN LIFE IN THE PAST AND IN THE PRESENT (vypracovať)
Compare life in the past and present:
- transport
- lifestyle (work, free time)
- life expectancy
- environment