Table of Contents
Introduction
In the development of any society, science and technology are present. But do you see what the difference is between science and technology. Although we tend to confuse them and treat them similarly, the truth is that both the methodology and the objective followed by both areas are different.
What are Science and Technology
Science and technology are two fundamental tools in transforming and developing any society. To differentiate them, it is essential to know the definition of both disciplines, their objectives, and each area’s fields of action since we tend to confuse them.
What is Science
Science is responsible for rigorously studying all those natural, social or artificial phenomena that occur in our day to day, basing its analyzes on the remark, research and dimension.
Its key objective is to react to the unidentified, understand how the universe works and clarify, explain and establish processes, rules and systems. Science is an expressive area because it aims to help improve our understanding, betting on theories that allow us to improve and grow our knowledge in any subject.
What is Technology
Technology is a set of information and techniques that allow us to modify our environment, either physically or virtually, to meet our needs if applied with order and logic. The technology aims to generate useful and practical solutions to improve our daily lives.
Technology is not intend to know the world but modify and adapt it to satisfy human needs. That is to say, its objective is not knowledge but application, which is why we consider that technology is always used “for” some specific thing: from any manufacture of objects to the cure of illnesses, commercial or financial utility or our communication, among others—many other application areas.
How Science and Technology are Related
Therefore, the major transformation between science and technology is their objective. While science helps us know the world, describe it, and improve our knowledge, the technology aims to modify it and adapt it to our needs. However, the relationship between both disciplines is close and intimate, so much so that we tend to confuse them.
But what is the relationship between science and technology? It’s simple: both use each other’s advances to reach their goal. The technology uses the knowledge generated by science to improve its technique. Science uses advanced technology to move out more precise, concrete and effective research.
In addition, scientific research is often direct towards a specific direction or a specific field aimed at solving technical questions, as can happen with cell biology. On the other hand, new technologies appear after scientific improvements, sometimes even unexpected, such as genetic engineering.
For all these causes, the bond between science and technology is such that, as we have said, they are often confused to the point of using expressions such as ” applied science “, which is nothing more than an activity that blends both activities and is halfway between the two. Two disciplines.
Types and Examples of Science
Now that we know the difference between science and technology, we will see different types and examples of both disciplines to help you differentiate them better. Let’s start with the sciences. Since there is not the only type of science, the sentence has been diversified into three types according to the ability to obtain knowledge:
Formal Sciences
They are those that do not want concrete or noticeable content. Through the analysis, ideal structures are observed that go beyond the power of intervention. This division usually studies formal systems, and its theories are validated base on propositions, axioms, definitions, and inference rules.
Some examples of formal sciences are mathematics, geometry, statistics, arithmetic, logic, or computer science.
Natural Sciences
Almost all those sciences try to analyze the world and what lives in it from a physical point of view. Decisions are acquire thanks to the objective method, but the instruments of experimentation or the context are also present, which refutes some apparent truths of later times.
Natural sciences contain physics, chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy, medicine, and other health sciences.
Social Sciences
Ones that deal with studying human activity, particularly social relations, but the human being as a colonial subject at the center. These sciences do not intend to achieve objective results since, being the human who studies the issue, it is considered that there is always a certain subjectivity.
The social sciences remain psychology, sociology, anthropology, law, economics, history, communication, politics or geography.
Science Examples
We will see examples to understand the difference between science and technology better. These are examples of science:
- Chemistry: science that reads the composition, structure, and things of the problem and its changes in the face of chemical reactions.
- Astronomy: a study of the celestial bodies of the universe (stars, planets, satellites, comets, asteroids, interstellar matter, nebula…).
- Political science: studies the theory and training of politics, systems and political behavior in culture.
- Biology: science that lessons living beings’ structure and energetic processes. In this further article, we tell you the main divisions of biology.
- Sociology: Its objective is to analyze human culture, behavior, and collective phenomena.
- Medicine is a science focused on preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases and health problems.
- Geometry – a branch of mathematics that studies the properties of figures in planes or space.
- Logic: science that studies the forms of thought of the human being, establishing valid laws or principles to obtain conditions that bring us closer to the truth.
- Physics: science that studies energy, matter, time and space.
- Psychology: studies and analyzes the mind of human beings and their behavior.
Types and Examples of Technology
Technology is the product of science. The innovation of techniques, processes, instruments, or tools seeks to improve our daily lives and satisfy our needs. It is essential to apply scientific knowledge to diversify technologies according to their purposes. Thus, we can differentiate technology according to the kind of product, the level of innovation, and its application.
Technology According To Product
Within this category, we must differentiate between:
Hard technologies: They use the information of hard sciences such as physics, chemistry or mathematics. In this way, tangible and obvious products are achieved. Hard technologies are used to produce material goods.
Soft technologies are based on humanistic sciences such as psychology, sociology, or economics. These technologies are use to achieve greater efficiency and improve processes in companies and institutions. Therefore, the products they obtain are not material or tangible, but they try to develop services, strategies and theories.
Technologies according to innovation
Depending on the degree of innovation of the technology, we can discern between:
State-of-the-art technology: High technology, the latest technology, or cutting-edge technology is the one that encompasses the most progressive technologies available at a given time and place. They are state-of-the-art technologies.
Appropriate technologies: are persons that are designe taking into account the impact at a social, economic and also, ecological level that it can represent in a given society.
Technology According To Your Application
Operating technologies: are those that are got after a long time of study, observation and also, experience.
Equipment technologies are established by manufacturers of a exact and also, determine product.
Product technologies: are those that combine utensils and information with being able to generate a specific product.
Technology Examples
We have put together some examples to understand the difference between science and technique better. These are examples of technology:
- Robotics: Uses tools and knowledge from computer science, electrical engineering, or electronic engineering to make robots.
- 3D printing: this is a three-dimensional printing of unique pieces and also, complex geometries through a wide variety of materials.
- Artificial intelligence is the creation of machines that mimic the cognitive function of human beings.
- Biotechnology creates products from biological systems and living organisms.
- Cryptocurrencies: They are digital currency that uses distributed ledger technology.
- Genetic technology allows the expansion of medicine through big data calculations or the manipulation of genes to cure diseases.
- Internet: interconnected communication networks.
- Nanotechnology: allows manipulating matter on an atomic and also, molecular scale.
- Atomic energy: obtaining electrical, thermal and mechanical energy from nuclear reactions.
- Smart Cars: Technology creates vehicles programmed to run without a driver.