The Intertwined Relationship of Science and Technology
Technique is a form of knowledge applied to the resolution of a practical question. The systematic organization of such practical knowledge is the basis of technology. Techno-science constantly raises new challenges to technology and, in turn, provides new materials and techniques for scientific development. It is a bidirectional relationship. The term ‘technology’ is not an element that appears only in our time; it is attached to human beings in their progress from their origins. However, the ability to use technology is not reserved only for humans. Other species, such as chimpanzees or bonobos, have a more limited capacity to develop simple tools from materials found in their surroundings with the aim of obtaining food, self-defense, and so on.
Written technology is expressed by a code, such as the alphabet or Braille, and on a physical medium, such as clay tablets, paper, or CDs, and with a tool to carry it out, such as a chisel or pencil. All technological elements that have been introduced throughout the twentieth century in developed countries, such as nuclear energy, electricity, medical advances, automotive technology, and aviation, demonstrate the tremendous change that science and technology have undergone in a hundred years. In contrast, some communities have been bypassed by even the most basic technologies, suffering consequences such as a lack of potable water, high child mortality, and diseases.
We can say that the impact of science leads us to acknowledge the improvement in the quality of life, such as remedies for illnesses or industrial food production. However, these benefits are opposed to new problems, such as effects on the environment (deforestation, extinction, etc.), the globalization of disease transmission, the exploitation of the third world, and the increased stress of developed countries.
Scientific Progress
Scientific development allows us to explain more and more phenomena of nature. No technology is inherently better or worse; scientific and technological development responds primarily to the adaptation to the changing needs of our surroundings.
The falsificationism of Karl Popper states that science continually improves because it gets closer to the truth, so old theories are gradually phased out by new ones that are considered more accurate or explanatory. This vision of the progress of science has been criticized by several authors. Paul Feyerabend argues that science is not a more valid form of knowledge than others and that the scientific method also poses problems because, when applied to the letter, the method limits the freedom of science. Feyerabend defends epistemological anarchism in science, arguing that scientists should have the freedom to explore nature and thus be able to innovate. Thomas Kuhn argues that science is more than rules and methods; it is also an activity developed by a group (scientists) who live in a particular historical moment and social context with identified needs that move them in a specific direction. Each epoch is governed by a particular scientific paradigm.