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1Unit9ScienceandTechnologyUsefulInformationScienceisknowledgeoffacts,lawsandrelationshipsthatisobtainedthroughsystematicobservationandexperimentation.Whenwethinkofsciencewenormallythinkofexactscienceslikebiology,chemistryandphysics.Butmanyotherbranchesofsciencehavedevelopedoverthepastcentury.Sociologyandpsychology,forexample,arenotexactsciencesalthoughtheirfindingsarebasedontheprinciplesofscientificinvestigation.Sincemostpeopleinsocietydonotworkasscientists,theytendtoperceivescienceasitaffectsthemintheirdailylives.Inotherwords,theyseethepracticalandtheappliedaspectsofscience.Scientificknowledgeappliedtopracticalusesisnormallyreferredtoastechnology.Robotics,forinstance,isabranchoftechnologyinvolvingthestudyandproductionofmanlikemachinescapableofperforminghumantasks.Formanyyears,robotsbelongedtotherealmofsciencefiction,butnowtheyareusedinvariousmanufacturingsectorsincludingtheautoindustry.Robotshavebecomeincreasinglycomplexandsophisticated.Somepeoplepredictthat,inthenottoodistantfuture,robotswillbecapableoffeelingthesameemotionsashumans.Itishardtoimagineanemotionallyindependentmachine,butmanyofthethingswetakeforgrantednowwereonceconsideredtoberidiculousdreams.Thetechnologicalchangesthattookplaceinthe20thcenturyrevolutionizedvirtuallyeveryaspectoflifefromcommunicationtomaterialcomfort.Inthespaceoftwoorthreegenerations,peoplewitnessedmajoradvancesinmedicalresearch,nuclearenergyandspaceexploration.Intheearlypartofthecentury,itseemedthatscienceandtechnologycoulddonothingbutgood.Peoplehadimplicitfaithinscientificprogress.However,wars,pollutionandnewdiseaseshaveunderminedourconfidence.Theconsequencesoftechnologicalinnovationshavenotalwaysbeenpositiveandthemoralorpoliticalchoicesregardingnewinventionshaveoftenbeenquestionable.Videomachines,computerizedbankingandtheInternethaveallaffectedourlivesinonewayoranother.Insomecases,theyhavemadelifemoreconvenientandmorepleasurable.Inothercases,however,theyhaveresultedinaseriouserosionofourprivacy.Informationandactivitiesthatweconsiderprivatearenowreadilyavailabletopublicandprivateagencies.Whetherwelikeitornot,wearebeingwatchedandmonitoredonaregularbasis.Despitethenegativereactionswhichmanytechnologicalinventionshavegeneratedinrecentyears,somepeoplestillregardscienceinsuchapositivelightthattheybelievesciencecansolvealmostanyproblem.Suchisthecaseforpeoplewhobelievethatcryogenicsusingliquidnitrogenholdsthekeytothelong-termpreservationofthebody.Thesepeopleoftenbelievethatdeathismerelyanillness,whichsciencewilleventuallybeabletocure.Theirhopesseemstrangetoday.Butwhoknowswhatthefuturewillbring?PartOnePREPARATION1.CloudyDaysinTomorrowlandNotesfortheteacher:Indoingthisactivity,theteachershouldtrytodrawthestudents’attentiontowhatactuallyhappened.Theteachermaydividethequotationsamongdifferent2groupsandaskeachtocollectdataforwhatactuallyhappenedanddoapresentationinclass.Notes:1)OrvilleWright(1871-1948)andWilburWright(1867-1912)arefamousformakingthefirstpoweredflightintheiraircraftin1903,atKittyHawk,NorthCarolina.2)HerbertGeorgeWells(1866-1946)wasanEnglishnovelist.AfterstudyingbiologywithT.H.Huxley,hewrotesomeoftheearliestscience-fictionnovels,suchasTheTimeMachine(1895)andTheWaroftheWorlds(1898).Thesecombinedpoliticalsatire,warningsaboutthedangerousnewpowersofscience,andahopeforthefuture.Thepredictionmeans:Idon’tthinkthatsubmarineswilldoanythingexceptcausepeopletodie(becauseofthelackofair)andmoveabouthelplesslyinwater.H.G.Wellsfailedtopredicttheimportantrolethatsubmarineswouldplay.3)FerdinandFoch(1851-1929)wasaFrenchgeneral.Hestronglysupportedtheuseofoffensivewarfare,whichresultedinmanyofhis30thCorpsbeingkilledbyGermanmachine-gunsinAugust1914.HebecameSupremeCommanderofallAlliedForcesontheWesternFrontinearly1918,andservedastheseniorFrenchrepresentativeattheArmisticenegotiations.Hefailedtopredicttheroleoftheairplaneinmilitaryaffairs.4)HenryFord(1863-1947)wasanAmericanindustrialistandmakerofthefirstmotorcars.HesetuptheFordMotorCompanyin1903,designedthefamousModelTcarin1908andover15millioncarshadbeensoldbeforethemodelwasdiscontinuedin1928.Heisknownasoneoftherichest,mostsuccessfulAmericanbusinessmen.5)LeeDeForest(1873-1961)wasanAmericaninventorwhowasapioneerinthedevelopmentofradiocommunication.Hefailedtopredictthemagicpowerthatsciencecanmake.Mancannowgotothemoononspaceflight.6)AlexanderGrahamBell(1847-1922)wasaScottishscientistandinventorwholivedintheU.S.andCanada,bestknownforinventingthetelephonein1876.HealsostartedtheBellTelephoneCompany.7)Thefirstcomputersweighedseveraltons.8)KennethOlsen(1926-)isaU.S.computerentrepreneur.Hefailedtopredictthewidespreaduseofcomputersbeginninginthe1980s.9)SirWilliamKelvin(1824-1907)wasanScottishphysicistandinventor.Kelvinfailedtopredictthewidespreaduseofradiointhe20thcentury.10)DarrylF.Zanuck(1902-1979)wasanAmericanmotion-pictureproducerandpowerfulstudioexecutive,wholedthe20thCenturyFoxfilmstudiofromthemid-1930sthroughthemid-1950s,whichwereamongitsmostsuccessfuldecades.HefailedtopredictthepopularityofTVthroughouttheworld.2.MakingYourOwnPredictionsSampleansw