INTRODUCTION

Considering the range of human experience, both science and technology are relatively
new fields of study. Primitive societies have some elementary understanding of nature, those
elements that were most observable and obvious in their every day experiences.
Science is an organized body of knowledge obtained through observation and facts. It is
knowledge about the structure and behavior of the natural and physical world, based on facts that
can be proved and tested it is an in!uiry into the nature of things. "tymologically, science came
from the word sciencia which means knowledge. Science seeks to understand the natural world.
Science can be seen as an activity, body of knowledge, and a method. #s an activity,
science is an investigation and in!uiry into the structure and content of the things in the world. It
is an attempt to discover and realize the nature of nature and reality, the universe and all it
contains. #s a body of knowledge, science is a system and set of theories hypothesis, and laws.
#s a method, science is a model and a paradigm of knowledge, truth and rationality. Science
applies rationality, logic and analyses to be comprehensible. Science is a systematic, rational,
logical approach to investigation. Science is verifiable.
$escribing science as knowledge ac!uired by observations, by making deductions of the
laws that govern changes and the conditions of nature and man, and testing the deductions so
made by experiments, implies that a scientific person is one who uses methods that are based
upon those facts that are well established and e!ually upon well established laws. In science,
hypothesis manifests to theories then from theories to laws. Science proceeds according to
hypothetical%deductivism by taking hypothesis, no matter arrived at deducing predictions from
them and seeing whether these predictions are fulfilled in reality, then other procedures to theory
and law follows.
&apid progress in science and technology affected every aspect of the human endeavour.
'echnology is a practical application of scientific knowledge. 'his is an attempt by man to
control the natural world. Science is the pillar of technology science serves as a background to
technology. 'here is a correlation between science and technology. 'echnology embraces a
variety of practical activities that provide goods and services for man(s usage.
'he study of science and technology includes both processes and bodies of knowledge.
Scientific processes are the ways scientists investigate and communicate about the natural world.
'he scientific body of knowledge includes concepts, principles, facts, laws, and theories about
the way the world around us works. 'echnology includes the technological design process and
the body of knowledge related to the study of tools and the effect of technology on society.
'echnology involves an application of scientific understanding of natural phenomena. It
is a manifestation of science and a scientific method of achieving a practical purpose. It is a
science of technical processes. 'echnology has to do with culture it derives from the non%
material content, it is built up as people put their knowledge together, compare it and profit from
one another(s experience and interpretation. 'echnology can further be defined as a methodical
utilization of natural resources and forces on the basis of the knowledge of nature in order to take
care of man(s need.
)
'echnology is the innovation, change, or modification of the natural
environment in order to satisfy perceived human wants and needs.
*
'he goal of technology is to
make modifications in the world to meet human needs.
+
,hile technology and science have a common denominator being the natural world, they
are similar yet very different. 'echnology is not any more -applied science. than science is
-applied technology., but the concerned and interest of this paper is to elaborate the conceptual
basis and elements of the relationships between science and technology in whatever form it may
be.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SCIENCE
Science stimulates and excites people(s curiosity about phenomena and events in the
world around them. It also satisfies this curiosity with knowledge. /ecause science links direct
practical experience with ideas, it can engage learners at many levels. Scientific method is about
developing and evaluating explanations through experimental evidence and modeling. 'his is a
spur to critical and creative thought. 'hrough science, peoples understand how ma0or scientific
1Ayo Fadahunsi (Ed). Philosophy, science and technology, Omoade printing press, Ibadan.2003. pg19
2Standards for Technological Literacy, IEA, 2000
3 National Science Education Standards, !"#, 199$
ideas contribute to technological change impacting on industry, business and medicine and
improving !uality of life. People recognize the cultural significance of science and trace its
worldwide development. 'hey learn to !uestion and discuss science%based issues that may affect
their own lives, the direction of society and the future of the world.
1
THE CONCERN OF SCIENCE
Science is very concerned with what is 2existence3 in the natural world. 2i.e.4 /iology,
Chemistry, Physics, #stronomy, 5eology, etc.3. It is also concerned with processes that seek out
the meaning of the natural world by -in!uiry., -discovering what is., -exploring., and using
-the Scientific 6ethod..
THE IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLO!
$esign and technology prepares pupils to participate in tomorrow(s rapidly changing
technologies. 'hey learn to think and intervene creatively to improve !uality of life. 'he sub0ect
calls for pupils to become autonomous and creative problem solvers, as individuals and members
of a team. 'hey must look for needs, wants and opportunities and respond to them by developing
a range of ideas and making products and systems. 'hey combine practical skills with an
understanding of aesthetics, social and environmental issues, function and industrial practices. #s
they do so, they reflect on and evaluate present and past design and technology, its uses and
effects. 'hrough technology, all pupils can become discriminating and informed users of
products, and become innovators.
7
THE CONCERN OF TECHNOLO!
'echnology is very concerned with what can or should be designed, made, or developed
from natural world materials and substances to satisfy human needs and wants. It is concerned
with such processes that we use to alter or change the natural world such as -Invention.,
1 %aper &or %A'1( )aar*em 200(+ A ,ase study o& the inter re*ationship bet-een .,ien,e and
e,hno*ogy+ Eng*and 19/0'2000
( ibid
Innovation., Practical Problem Solving, and $esign. Skills of technology progressed from
suggestion of uses for given resources to investigation and selection a range of resources and
processes.
"HAT SHOULD #E UNDERSTOOD A#OUT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLO!
Investigating both the discourses around people(s understanding of science we are struck
by the inherent vagueness of the term -understanding-. Scientists involved in the communication
initiatives, have dealt more or less explicitly with this notion, which represents a rather important
rhetoric means to position their efforts to communicate science and technology in a specific
context. ,e will also see that the notion of understanding only is filled with meaning in the
context of application and that we are often confronted with the coexistence of partly
contradictory meanings.
'here is a $ichotomy in representing science and technology. #nalyzing the different
settings where science and technology are involved, there is a tendency of representing science
first. 8ther such privileged moments are of more commemorative kind, presenting the
exceptional contributions of outstanding men of science. In such constellations science can be
presented as un!uestioned, as outstanding, as challenging the frontiers of knowledge and as
opening new territories to be con!uered. 'here is a little possibility to !uestion the discovery and
0ustification of scientific theories and laws. 'he advantage of such a form of representation is
that science is portrayed as an enterprise producing facts, which then through more or less
lengthy processes can be transformed into products contributing to societal progress.
9inally, science and technology should be appreciated as being a source of innovation
that contributes in an important way to the economic development of a country. 'he relationships
between the two systems, techno%science and economy : would thus be much more complex and
dependent on multiple factors.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLO!
Science as I have discussed can be understood as a body of knowledge or a process
through which we understand reality using a method. Scientific developments are translated into
new and improved products and processes through technology. 'echnology can be defined as an
application of scientific knowledge and research with the aim of developing product and process
for the attainment of man(s basic and necessary needs. 'echnology is characterized by devices,
processes, and materials. 'echnology is a collection and processing of ideas for human use. It is
an application of scientific ideas to mechanical usages.
IMPORTANCE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLO!
'he factors that distinguish our age and the past ages are science and technology the
increased pace of scientific and technological advancement which makes it our daily experience.
'hese advancements are noticeable in the political, social, religious and communitarian aspects
of our everyday human life. Science has replaced the primitives implements once used with new
ones as a result of development.
; Science and technology without doubt contributes to the improvement in the physical and
social society of man to the betterment of human life. It helps in the increment of the
!uality and standard of human life in all its ramifications, health sector, transportation
sector, etc. Science has helped in uniting the human society.
THE RELATIONSHIP #ET"EEN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLO!
'he purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that, increasingly, the paths of science and
technology are not separate but illustrate a relationship of mutual dependency, that is, symbiotic.
Science and technology complement each other, where one does not consistently lead, the other
will follow. 'here is a significant positive correlation between science and technology. 'his
relationship is variously described in terms of the impact, application and usage of the fruits of
scientific research and technological development.
$espite the differences between science and technology, they are interrelated in terms of
symbiotic relationship. 'echnology improves every day because of further scientific
developments and progress. In former times people travel on foot or by beasts of burden. 'oday,
things are made easy through the means of technology. 9ormerly farming implements were crude
but today, we have a full mechanized farming system. 'he use of <%ray was discovered through
scientific research and it has helped in various scientific researches such that we can talk about
certain behavior within an atom instead of talking about atoms as an indivisible elements,
science helps technology to improve while technology helps science in making further
investigations.
Science is propelled by curiosity. Scientists are curious to understand matter, reality,
chemical and the physical nature of the universe, the basic nature of the universe, the biological
component of the universe. 8n the other hand, technology is motivated by the desire to translate
ideas and plans into concrete product and process the aim is to produce and not formulated ideas
or laws, hypothesis or theories. 'his is the function of science. 'he ideas that are implemented by
technology are formulated by scientists or they are derived from science.
In today(s age of science and technology when scientific knowledge has grown
exponentially, technological innovations have progressed at a rapid pace, and the effects of
science and technology are clearly witnessed in all aspects of our lives, it is obvious that science
and technology education plays a key role for the futures of societies.
=
Scientific and technical
knowledge and guidance influences not 0ust issues and policies related to science and technology,
but also many of today(s public policies as policymakers seek knowledge to enhance the !uality
of their decisions. /ecause science and technical knowledge and guidance influences public
policy decision making on many other issues, people had got to experience the relationship
between science and technology.
'he relationship between science and technology in these formative years is illustrated by
>urd(s 2)??13 statement4 -Science is a tool for generating new technologies and technology is a
means for extending the frontiers of science. 2p. )+@3. 'he use of more sophisticated technology,
such as the >ubble space telescope, often leads to -unexpected observations that will re!uire
new theories or the modification of older theories to provide valid interpretation. 2p. )+@3.
'echnology has been defined as a systematic knowledge and action, usually industrial
processes but applicable to any activity. It is related to science in so many ways, and it deals with
the tools and techni!ues of carrying out plans.
A
Science and technology provide people with the
= 1ourna* o& 2"3I.) .#IE!#E E42#AIO! 5o*ume $, Issue 3, 4e,ember 2009
6 %rin,e-i** I. A*o7ie (Ed). Technology, science and environment, E*' .apphire *imited, 8agos, !igeria.
200$. pg21(
knowledge and tools to understand and address many of the challenges. "very flaw affecting the
human was definable and could be solved through science and technology.
'he relationship between science and technology deals with human understanding of the
real world around us.
B
It reconciles and identifies the relationship between facts, theories and
practical. 'he relationship between science and technology is intimate science is a mode of
human activity by which we have progressively gained control over our environment. 'his is
closely connected with craft traditions, artisans and technology. It also emphasizes the scientific
practices grown out of the ordinary ways of coping with the world.
/oth science and technology imply a thinking process both are concerned with causal
relationships in the material world, and both employ an experimental methodology that results in
empirical demonstrations that can be verified by repetition. Science, at least in theory, is less
concerned with the practicality of its results and more concerned with the development of
general laws, but in practice science and technology are inextricably involved with each other.
'he varying interplay of the two can be observed in the historical development of such
practitioners as chemists, engineers, physicists, astronomers, carpenters, potters, and many other
specialists. $iffering educational re!uirements, social status, vocabulary, methodology, and types
of rewards, as well as institutional ob0ectives and professional goals, contribute to such
distinctions as can be made between the activities of scientists and technologists but throughout
history the practitioners of pure science have made many practical as well as theoretical
contributions. 'echnology has been a dialectical and cumulative process at the center of human
experience. It is perhaps best understood in a historical context that traces the evolution of early
humans from a period of very simple tools to the complex, large%scale networks that influence
most of contemporary human life. 9or the sake of simplicity, the following account focuses
primarily on developments in the ,estern world, but ma0or contributions from other cultures are
also indicated.
?
/ 9,:ra- )i**+ Encyclopedia of Science and technology, 10
th
ed. !e- ;or<+ 9,:ra-')i**, 2006.
? 6icrosoft C "ncarta C *@@?. D )??+%*@@B 6icrosoft Corporation. #ll rights reserved.
Esing a framework of analysis, science and technology as an epistemological unit,
Science and technology merge in the pursuit of knowledge and solutions to problems that re!uire
the application of scientific understanding and product design. Solving technological problems
demands scientific knowledge while modern technologies make it possible to discover new
scientific knowledge. In a world shaped by science and technology, it is important for students to
learn how science and technology connect with the demands of society and the knowledge of all
content areas. It is e!ually important that students are provided with learning experiences that
integrate tools, knowledge, and processes of science and technology.
6odels of scientific investigation are depicted as problem%solving processes. #lthough
such models are not simplistic step%like processes, they are interpreted as such 0ust as design
processes are in technology education.
THE RELATIONSHIP IN #IOTECHNOLO! AND ENETIC ENINEERIN
"ven in name, biotechnology is a synthesis of science and technology. /y definition, bio%
technology is a multidisciplinary applied science that draws on knowledge from biology,
chemistry, physics, and engineering to use living organisms to make or modify products, to
improve plants or animals, or to develop micro%organisms for specific uses 28ffice of
'echnology #ssessment, )?B13. /iotechnology has applications in a number of fields4 medicine,
agriculture, botany, waste treatment, marine and a!uatic fields, and food and beverages 2Seenath,
)?BB3.
)@
Part of the history of biotechnology and genetic engineering must include the instrument
makers such as Fanssen, >uygens, Geeuwenhoek, and >ooke who, in the )= and )Ath centuries,
developed the early models of the light microscope and other laboratory e!uipment so necessary
for examination and discovery. 'hese technologies were crucial for the microbiologists,
biochemists and other scientists for scientific discoveries and technological developments in
biotechnology and genetic engineering.
th
TECHNOLO! AS SCIENCE IN PRATICALS
10 =arnum, .. ". (199/). =iote,hno*ogy+ An introdu,tion. =e*mont, #A+ >ads-orth.
th >iens, A. E. ? >iens, 3. .. (199$). e,hno*ogy and the @ua*ity o& *i&e+ Introdu,tory perspe,tiAes. In ".
#usters ? A. E. >iens (Eds.), e,hno*ogy and the @ua*ity o& *i&e (pp. 1B00). %eoria, I8+ :*en,oeC9,:ra-'
)i**.
Science before the scientific revolution was typically an intellectual pursuit, and the idea
of using scientific knowledge to improve the !uality of life through technological manipulation
and product design was rarely pursued. ,hat little innovation and invention occurred was
typically done by artisans and craftsmen who knew little of scientific theory. Some of the most
elaborate mechanisms were created to entertain the aristocracy and had little practical value.
))

/esides being hampered by crude research instruments, scientific discovery and under%
standing were also restricted by social institutions that valued conformity and status !uo over
discovery and exploration. 'his conservative philosophy led to the trial of 5alileo as a heretic in
)=++ for defending Copernican theory. /ut science gained acceptance as exploratory tools
2technology3 improved, more observations were made, and ideas were promulgated via the
printing press. #nd the church had to modify its perception of the universe.
)*
'he obvious connection between scientific principles and practical applications
2technology3 developed during the scientific revolution and was expanded in the industrial
revolution.
SCIENCE AS MANIFESTED IN TECHNOLO!
&ustum &oy 2)??@3, a leader in the Hational #ssociation for Science, 'echnology, and
Society, argued that historically, technology led to science more often than science led to
technology. Surprisingly, recent studies have indicated that most technological knowledge is still
built, not on science, but on previous technological knowledge.
)+
#nother study analyzing /ritish firms reported similar findings. >owever, a more recent
analysis found a median delay of nine years between a scientific finding and its conversion to
technology, a finding that would have modified the results of Pro0ect >indsight somewhat if the
researchers would have extended their study over a longer period.
)1
)) ibid
12 Ibid
)+ "oy, ". The relationship of technology to science and the teaching of technology. 1ourna* o&
e,hno*ogy Edu,ation, 1(2), (B1(. (1990).
10 5o*ti, ". .o,iety and te,hno*ogi,a* ,hange (2nd Ed.). !e- ;or<+ .t. 9artinDs %ress. (1992).
,hile it is true that applied science is generally technology 2i.e., it is designed to extend
human capability or modify an environment3, it is also true that much technology that exists and
is practiced is not applied science in the strictest sense of the term.
)7
S!M#IOTIC RELATIONSHIP
'he symbiotic relationship was not initially apparent. /ut as the *@th century progressed,
the technology and science of biotechnology became so intertwined that it became increasingly
difficult to distinguish between the two. -It is the union of science, mathematics, and technology
that forms the scientific endeavor and that makes it so successful. #lthough each of these human
enterprises has a character and history of its own, each is dependent on and reinforces the
others..
)=

8ne of the shifts in the old science%technology paradigm that strengthened the symbiotic
relationship was the identification of new tools for performing the work of both science and
technology. 'hese tools retroviruses, adenoviruses, and bacteria plasmids are not mechanical but
biological in nature, too small to be seen by the naked eye. >ence, the methods of technology
and science have become so similar in genetic engineering that the primary means of
distinguishing them is by the purpose of a given enterprise, that is, whether the process was
being done strictly to gain new scientific information or to make a marketable product. /ut even
this distinction is artificial since research scientists, employed by biotechnology industries,
continue to add to the body of scientific knowledge while developing new bio%related products
and techni!ues. If a commercial company identifies a new retrovirus for opening a human cell,
or develops the process for manufacturing an important therapeutic human protein in a vat of
bacteria, or identifies a plasmid vector that is capable of crossing the brain barrier, the company
has extended our understanding of the biology and chemistry of the human body and provided
)7 >iens, A. E. ? >iens, 3. .. (199$). e,hno*ogy and the @ua*ity o& *i&e+ Introdu,tory perspe,tiAes. In ".
#usters ? A. E. >iens (Eds.), e,hno*ogy and the @ua*ity o& *i&e (pp. 1B00) . %eoria, I8+ :*en,oeC9,:ra-'
)i**.
)= Ameri,an Asso,iation &or the AdAan,ement o& .,ien,e.. .,ien,e &or a** Ameri,ans. >ashington, 4#+
Author. (19/9) p. 2(
another tool for conducting research. 5enentech, founded in )?A=, was one of the new
companies that were formed exclusively to exploit the commercial potential of genetic
engineering. 5enentech established an early success pattern by producing insulin outside the
human body in )?AB 2licensed to "li Gilly3 the human growth hormone to counter dwarfism in
)?A? interferon, a tumor%reducing protein, in )?B) and more.
)A
THE RELATIONSHIP #ET"EEN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLO! IN
COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
'he waves are scientific but the gadgets and machines are technological. >umans have
being talking to each other using some form of speech for at least 7@,@@@ years so it is not
surprising that most people would take the relationship between science and technology in
communication for granted. Speech is an extremely complex process, and the simplest sentence
contains a world of information besides its literal content. Spoken language is communicated
through the air via a longitudinal pressure wave. It is an extraordinary effective method of
transferring information between humans and has the capacity to reliably communicate complex
ideas and emotions under constantly varying and hostile environmental conditions. Hot
surprisingly, getting a machine to generate such subtle speech is somewhat of a challenge
making gadgets which can understand it is even more daunting.
)B
#lthough digital techni!ues have been pre%eminent in recent years, speech processing
itself is not a new sub0ect. "arly voice coders, such as $udley(s I8$"&, date back to the late
)?+@s, and Ion Jempelen made a voice synthesizer as early as )A?). 'he mathematics system
on which many current speech processing systems are based was established *@ years ago, such
as with the work of #tal, 6akhoul and Itakura%Saito on linear prediction in the )?=@s and early
)?A@s.
)?
>owever, it was the advent of the digital signal processing microcomputer in the late
)?A@s that helped to convert research into practical, cost%effective systems, and heralded an
upsurge of interest in new telecommunication applications. 'elephone applications are today in
the vanguard of this minor revolution, 0ust as, to lesser extents, modems were a few years ago.
16 >iens, A. E. ? >iens, 3. .. he symbioti, re*ationship o& s,ien,e and te,hno*ogy in the 21
st
,entury.
1/ = te*e,ommuni,ations series, spee,h te,hno*ogy &or te*e,ommuni,ation
19 ibid
'he latest digital mobile, aeronautical and multimedia terminals all depends on speech coding.
'he /' intelligent network answering service, Call 6inder, uses speech recognition to allow
customers without a touch%tone phone to access the service, and speech coding to store
efficiently the vast amounts of data generated. Speech echo cancellers are regularly used on
international calls to facilitate two%way, simultaneous, speech conversations. Synthesized speech
is used for services as diverse as speaking clock, operator services, and reading e%mail over the
phone.
*@

E$ALUATION AND CONCLUSION
9rom the foregoing discussion, it is evident that neither science nor technology
exclusively can claim a monopoly of knowledge of our ever unfolding and complex universe. So,
in both Science and technology, there has been debate over the last twenty years as to the balance
that should exist in the fields of the both between procedural knowledge and conceptual
knowledge. >owever, these debates have largely been within each field community, independent
of each other, and tend to emphasize the inevitable differences between the goals of each field
rather than the common ground between the fields. 'he science community has attempted to
introduce courses which exploit the relevance of science to contemporary life.
'he last twenty years has seen extremes in both science and technology education. 'asks
in technology, such as building and testing various model bridges to destruction, at the one
extreme, to lock%step production of a textile bag where the only design decisions concern the
decoration, at the other. In science, tasks have ranged from making twenty observations on a
burning candle to open%ended investigations on conditions for plant growth to memorizing the
names of the parts of a flower.
People should understand or at least realize the wide ranging positive conse!uences of
science and technology, get a feeling for the potentials behind these developments, accept the
explanatory authority of science and in a certain way subscribe to the idea of social and
economic progress through scientific and technological advances.
20 ibid