IGNOU BDP FST-1 SCIENCE IN THE ANCIENT WORLD-STONE AGE

IGNOU BDP FST-1 SCIENCE IN THE ANCIENT WORLD-STONE AGE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The process of understanding nature and using that understanding to control nature is what may be called science.It can be easily seen that none of the questions which arise out of the intimate interaction of science with our lives or with society in general, can be answered without due reference to the history of science. The history of science is not a chronological description of events of scientific discovery. it is the story of an ongoing process of the interaction of science and technology.

The history of science is a story of human life. It is a story of human striving in all its frailties and strengths. It is a story of the interaction of science with other forces in society such as economics, politics, psychology, culture and social organisation.

The large and diverse scientific activity which is well organised, gives science the nature of an institution.

Science as an institution is used to solve specific problems in different areas, within the broad framework of existing social conditions.

In the final analysis, it is we the common people, who are the ultimate judges of the meaning and value of science.Therefore science should not be kept as a mystery in the hands of a few.The scope of science and its working as an institution has to be understood by all of us. Only then will we be able to demand that science be linked to our needs and be used for common welfare.

The method of science is made up of a number of operations, some mental, some manual. In a broad sense, economic and social necessities pose problems to be solved.

For an individual scientist, however, the problem he solves often a logical extension of the work of an earlier scientific worker. It is also to be noted that important advances in science are made by people who are just curious and who want to resolve the so-called mysteries of nature.

Scientific endeavour,  at any point of time, depends on the existence of previous knowledge. In science, it is only the current state of knowledge which is the utmost importance as the past is fused into the present.

Results of science can always be checked, verified and repeated by anybody anywhere. This gives science a "universal" character.

The truth of science lies in its application. The final test of validity lies in testing scientific knowledge in real life, in controlling nature towards some chosen ends.

Science has always played a crucial role in the production. Generally, science thrived whenever a society had organised itself to increase the production of goods and to create a degree of satisfaction in its members.The most fruitful periods of scientific advance were also those in which practice and theory could be combined, either in individual scientists or in groups where practitioners of medicine, artisans, and technicians mixed on equal terms with learned men.

The growth of science not only increase production but also leads to an improvement in the methods of production.

An equally essential part of science is theory and concepts, which have played an important role in its advance.

The theories of science are also influenced by the general intellectual atmosphere in the society in which scientists work.

IGNOU BDP FST-1 SCIENCE IN THE ANCIENT WORLD-STONE AGE

STONE AGE

In the earlier stages of human society, the human existence revolved around food gathering and hunting. In the primitive society, human beings invented tools for catching animals, and for collecting, transporting and even preparing food. They looked for protection against the elements of nature in the form of clothing and shelter in the caves. The tools are all made up of stones. This is why that era has been named as Stone Age.

The toolmaker first thought of what tool he was going to make (design) and how he was going to do it(plan). Then he took a large chunk of stone and shaped it accordingly. This primitive practice reflects the features of designing and planning that characterize modern science.

The use of clothing enabled primitive human beings to withstand cold weather. The domestication of animals increased their mobility and also the availability of food. Thus, the primitive society could hope to survive in adverse conditions.

END OF STONE AGE

The end of stone age came mainly because of two reasons. Firstly, there was not enough food to feed the increasing population. This happened because primitives were unable to control nature to satisfy their needs. Rather, they were dependent on nature. Secondly, natural calamities also affected the growth of population. The onset of Ice Age was one such disaster. Food gathering and hunting became impossible in the cold conditions. Society had to adopt a different mode of production to survive. Thus a transition from the primitive society to an agricultural society came about.

See Also

IGNOU BDP FST-1 SCIENCE IN THE ANCIENT WORLD- BRONZE AGE 

FST-1 SCIENCE IN THE ANCIENT WORLD-IRON AGE

IGNOU BA/BDP FST-1 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY -NOTES