Science, Technology, Society, and the Environment
What you must understand
Science seeks explanations about the natural world; technology applies scientific knowledge to solve practical problems. Understand that they influence each other - new instruments enable new discoveries, and new discoveries enable new tools.
Know how to evaluate benefits and risks of a technology (e.g., fertilizers increase crop yield but can pollute waterways). Recognize renewable resources (sunlight, wind, water) vs. nonrenewable resources (fossil fuels, minerals). Understand pollution, conservation, and sustainability - meeting present needs without harming future generations. Know that scientific evidence informs public decisions but is weighed alongside economic and social factors.
Traps to expect
Questions often present a technology as purely good or purely bad - real evaluation weighs trade-offs. Another trap is labeling a resource renewable when it is consumed faster than it forms (fossil fuels). Watch for claims that science alone decides policy; science informs decisions but does not make them. Also be careful with "natural" - natural substances can still be harmful.
Worked example / rule of thumb
A town considers a wind farm. Benefits: renewable energy, fewer emissions. Costs: land use, noise, effects on wildlife. A strong answer cites evidence for both sides and proposes monitoring. Rule of thumb: identify the benefit, the risk, and the evidence - then judge.
Key ideas
- Science vs. technology and their interaction
- Weighing benefits and risks with evidence
- Renewable vs. nonrenewable resources
- Pollution, conservation, and sustainability
- Science informs but does not alone determine policy