RELATIONSHIP OF TECHNOLOGY WITH NATURAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES - SCIENCE - 2026

The relationship of technology with the natural and social sciences has been symbiotic, especially after the Industrial Revolution. It is generally assumed that all scientific developments in one way or another will lead to some new or improved technologies.

Also, it is often assumed that successful developments of new technologies require some advance or discovery in science.

Furthermore, many of the recent developments in the so-called hard sciences would not have been possible without the development of new technologies.

But also, technology is an essential tool for the collection and interpretation of empirical data in the social sciences.

Aspects that denote the relationship of technology with natural and social sciences

On many occasions the terms science and technology are used interchangeably. This is an indication of the close relationship of technology with the natural and social sciences.

However, although in modern society they are interdependent, there are differences between the two concepts.

The key difference is that the role of science is to create knowledge, while that of technology is to create artifacts, norms, or action plans.

In this way, science seeks to understand the natural or social world. For its part, the goal of technology is to control natural or social processes for the benefit of some social group.

Despite their divergent purposes, there are several aspects that make technology's relationship with the natural and social sciences evident.

Creation and use of knowledge

Science has the function of creating new knowledge. This includes elucidating phenomena and discovering new laws and principles.

For its part, technology uses that acquired knowledge and applies it in the real world. These two functions interact and are therefore difficult to separate. Both involve accumulation of knowledge.

At the same time, this accumulation expands the limits of people's activities in both space and time, expanding the possibilities and serving as a driving force in society.

Innovation

Throughout recent history, there are several examples of technological innovation processes arising from new discoveries in science.

Some of these examples are the atomic bomb, radar, laser, and computer. In addition, mention can be made of the discovery of recombinant DNA techniques that has resulted in an incipient biotechnology industry.

All of these innovations have had a profound impact on the lifestyle of society.

Source of ideas

Science is a constant source of ideas for technological development. But this relationship is two-way, as technology has also inspired scientific knowledge.

An obvious example of this is the invention of the steam engine. The science of thermodynamics was born out of the need to build better engines. The same happened with computer science.

Expansion of horizons

Technology makes it possible to extend the frontiers of science. The more sophisticated the technology, the greater the possibility of making more detailed observations. This often leads to revision or adjustments of theories.

This can be clearly seen when comparing the contributions of the early telescopes and those of the Hubble space telescope, for example.

References

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