File 3 Science and Technology

Question 1

What are examples of the first scientific discoveries that had technological implications? What did these imply?

Answer 1

1.Biotechnology: modify genese to accelerate process of moving to more desirable characteristics (pest)
2. Plant genetics: selective breeding/cultivation to produce livestocks and crops with desirable caracteristics
=> shift: role of science in producing technology got larger

Question 2

What is an early example of science in the development of technology? How does this example differ from the earlier history of the industry?

Answer 2

The case of Gilchrist and Thomas (G&T):
1.to make steel, you need to remove impurities from the steel including Carbon. To remove impurities requires melting ore. The hotter the molten material, the more impurities burned off.
2. Henry Bessemer: developped the blast furnace which required forced air through the furnace which caused oxidation and removing carbon
3. This process failed to remove phosphorous which causes the brittleness of steel
4. G&T: did basis research on the chemistry of steel making and concluded that lining the furnace with limestone would cause the phosphorous to form a slag on the surface which could be drawn off.
=> made possible the use of cheaper ores, improved predictability and control of output of the process
=> previously research in steel chemistry was detached from refined process, divisionof labour: G&T did science and industry used knowledge they generate

Question 3

Why did Germany’s economic performance exceed Britain’s?

Answer 3

(in heave industry-steel, iron and new in new industries-organic chemicals, electrical equipment)

1. not bc of advantages in terms of resources, market size, access to capital (both equal) altho Britains investment were directed overseas (britain had higher return of investments overseas but germany had higer domestic revenue growth)
2. Bc of their education system, organization or r&d
3. Germany: elementary education more widely available, training in applied technology available, well dev system of engineering school, tradition of scientific research in universities, education system were government funded whilst in britain: government and private funding
4. germany hired science graduate students in the development of industrial research labs
5. firms in germany took out 86 patents whilst in britain individuals took out 6 patents

Question 4

What is the model of Innovation Process?

Answer 4

science-> technology-> product and process innovations
research labs take available science and apply it to the solution of practical problems => technology is exogenous of scienc e(dev from)

Question 5

What is the difference between product innovation and process innovation?

Answer 5

product: innovation that people consume
process: innovation on how u make a good (bessemer converter)
computer can be both!

Question 6

Why does Rosenber argue that technology should not be considered only exogenous to science?

Answer 6

1. technology= reservoir of knowledge independent to science
   EX1:people transmitted shortwave radio signals over long distance before science explained how it worked
   EX2:knowledge of brittleness of steel produced under different condtiont existed ed before science explained it
   EX3:alloys developped before understanding it
2. Technological innovations modifiy direction of scientific research: there are finanncial incentives to coordinate scientific research w technology that are profitable, a new innovation generates technology related scientific questions, a high price material creates incentiveto research on its properties (more use lower costs)
   3.Pushing technology to its performance limits: leads to focus on reasearch on those limits, provides inofrmation about use of technology in real world
   EX: change in air temperature due to jet speed allowed understand of aerodynamics, long distance telephone calls alloowed dev of cosmology, effect of high speed and temp of rolling mills allowed understanding of property of steel, pipeline in northern environment: effects of extremecold on brittlenessof steel

Question 7

Why does Rosenberg argue that technology is becoming increasingly more important to science?

Answer 7

1. cost of research is increasing: need for funding from those interested in technology which means technology is likely to shapte the future scientific research agenda
2. gov and private lab plau role in research and are tehcnology dirve