The science is the set of disciplines that allow obtaining rational knowledge of natural phenomena, in a systematic, objective, verifiable and improvable way. The technology is any process, method or instrument that serves as a means to solve a problem.
The difference between science and technology lies in the fact that science studies natural phenomena y technology makes use of natural phenomena.
Between science and technology there is a symbiotic relationship: they benefit from each other. However, we should not confuse science with technology. Science is based on the scientific method as a research strategy; technology can be a method, a process or a piece of equipment.
| Science | Technology | |
|---|---|---|
| Product | New knowledge. | New inventions, better products. |
| Strategy | Scientific method. | Design. |
| Natural phenomena | He studies, discovers and explains them. | He uses them and takes advantage of them. |
| Knowledge | Creates it. | Applies it. |
| Key verbs | To know, to discover | To make, to invent. |
| Effects | Positive. | Positive or negative. |
| Examples | Physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics. | GPS system, magnetic levitation, solar panels, printing press. |
What is science?
We can define science as the set of disciplines that allow us to obtain rational knowledge of natural phenomena, in a systematic, objective, verifiable and improvable way.
Examples of science
Mathematics
Mathematics is a formal science that deals with abstract objects, thus describing the behavior of the real. It is an indispensable instrument of the other sciences and also of technology.
Physics
Physics is one of the natural sciences with the broadest spectrum of action. The main objective of physics is to try to explain how our Universe works and thanks to it, valuable and novel technologies have been developed.
Biology
Biology is the science in charge of the study of living beings. It covers from microscopic beings such as bacteria and protozoa, to the interrelationship that exists between living beings. Thanks to biology we know why we get sick and what are the treatments to improve our health.
What is technology?
Technology encompasses the means that, by manipulating natural phenomena, allow us to put these phenomena at our service to solve problems.
Technology is much older than science. When prehistoric man hunted with bow and arrow, he was using technology to feed himself. It was only many centuries later that the laws of physics explaining the phenomenon of elastic energy were discovered.
The development and creation of new technologies in modern society is due to the efforts of scientific research. Therefore, investment in scientific and technological research is key to the development of countries.
Examples of technology
Metallurgy
Metallurgy comprises a wide range of technologies with which minerals are extracted from deposits and processed for further use. Together with agriculture, metallurgy is one of the oldest technologies of mankind.
Magnetic levitation
With magnetic levitation it is possible to lift a train above the railroad tracks thanks to the application of enormous magnetic fields. This technology is the result of studies in the physics of superconductors, materials that when cooled to 0 K lose their electrical resistance.
Vaccination
The first vaccination was performed in 1798 by Dr. Edward Jenner, studying the protective effect of cowpox against smallpox in humans. With the implementation of this technology, millions of humans and animals have survived the attack of infectious agents that, until less than two hundred years ago, were fatal.
You may be interested to know the advantages and disadvantages of the technology.
PhD in Biochemistry from the Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), with a degree in Bioanalysis from the Universidad Central de Venezuela.
