THE ESCALATION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROGRESS AND SURVIVAL OF HUMANITY

Fernando Alcoforado*

“The escalation of science and technology and their contribution to the progress and survival of humanity” is the title of my 16th book to be published, which is subtitled “Science and technology and its contribution to economic and social development and as a passport to save humanity from extinction”. This book of more than 300 pages aims to present the evolution of science and technology from its origins to the contemporary era, as well as its contribution to economic and social progress and the survival of the human species from the internal threats of planet Earth and from threats outsiders from outer space. This book that I publish incorporates all the knowledge I have acquired over 60 years of studies and research on science and technology and the experience in dealing with scientific and technological issues as an engineering professional.

Historically, science and technology have contributed to economic and social development and constitute a passport to save humanity from extinction. Science and technology are the two greatest inventions in human history. Science aims to explain, describe and predict phenomena in nature through the development of methodological procedures that can be constantly verified and reproduced. Technology, in turn, concerns the practical application of scientific knowledge consisting of the use of techniques, methods and processes used in the production of goods or services.

This book has the following chapters:

Chapter 1- Introduction

Chapter 2- The origins of science and its methods in search of scientific truth

Chapter 3- Science and the advancement of human knowledge

Chapter 4- Science, technology and the advancement of artificial intelligence

Chapter 5- Science and technology and its contribution to economic and social revolutions throughout history

Chapter 6- Science and technology and the energy, transport and communications revolutions throughout history

Chapter 7- Science and technology as a passport to save humanity from extinction

Chapter 8- Science and technology and their use for the good or ill of humanity

Chapter 9- Science and technology and development in Brazil

Chapter 10- Conclusions

Chapter 2, The origins of science and its methods in search of scientific truth, presents the development of science from its origins, the genesis of the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution, the relationship between science, philosophy and religion, the methods used in the search for scientific truth and the contribution of science to the progress of humanity. This chapter covers the following topics:

• The genesis of science and its evolution throughout history

• The truth about the genesis of the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution in Europe

• The true genesis of the Renaissance, of the Scientific Revolution and of the discovery of America

• Science and the evolution of the scientific method

• Science and truth

• The concept of scientific truth

• Methods for the search for scientific truth

• The scientific method and its questions

• Proof of scientific truth

• The methods of science in the validation of medicines and vaccines and the new Coronavirus pandemic

• Science and the contribution of Mathematics in its development

• Science and Philosophy to know and interpret reality

• The conflict between Science and Religion

• Science and progress.

Chapter 3, Science and the advancement of human knowledge, presents the contribution of science to the development of various areas of human knowledge. This chapter covers the following topics:

• Science and advances in knowledge in education systems

• Science and advances in knowledge in Psychology

• Science and advances in the knowledge of Medicine

• Science and advances in knowledge in Chemistry

• Science and advances in knowledge about the evolution of species

• Science and advances in knowledge from classical Physics to quantum Physics

• Science and the development of Chaos Theory

• Science and advances in knowledge in Energy

• Science and advances in information systems knowledge

• Science and advances in knowledge in Economics

• Science and advances in knowledge in Sociology

• The unscientific paradigm of economic sciences

• Science and sustainable development

• Science and advances in knowledge about the Universe.

• Engineering and scientific and technological progress

Chapter 4, Science, technology and the advancement of artificial intelligence, presents the contribution of science and technology to the development of artificial intelligence, with its impacts on the world of work and the advent of technological singularity. This chapter covers the following topics:

• Artificial intelligence – uses in production systems and impacts on the world of work

• The progress of artificial intelligence and its consequences

• Job in the age of artificial intelligence

• The advent of artificial superintelligence and its impacts

• The benefits and risks of technological singularity based on artificial superintelligence

Chapter 5, Science and technology and its contribution to economic and social revolutions throughout history, presents technological advances as the main responsible for the economic revolutions that changed the world, the contribution of science and technology to the progress resulting from economic revolutions and that have taken place throughout human history, for the informational or post-industrial revolution and for the future of industry. This chapter covers the following topics:

• Technological advancement as the main responsible for the economic revolutions that changed the world

• The great scientific, economic and social revolutions and the progress of humanity

• The informational or post-industrial revolution

• Science and the future of industry.

Chapter 6, Science and technology and the energy, transport and communications revolutions throughout history, presents the contribution of science and technology to the development of the energy, transport and communications sectors throughout human history. This chapter covers the following topics:

• Energy revolutions throughout history and their future evolution towards clean and renewable energy

• The revolutions in the means of transport from prehistory to the contemporary era and their future evolution

• The great inventions in land and pipeline transport throughout history and their future evolution

• The great inventions in waterway transport throughout history and their future evolution

• The great inventions in air and space transport throughout history and their future evolution

• Revolutions in communications from writing in prehistory to 5G internet in the contemporary era.

Chapter 7, Science and technology as a passport to save humanity from extinction, presents the contribution of science and technology to the knowledge of the Universe and its future evolution, as well as the strategies that can help to save humanity from catastrophes caused by human beings and natural catastrophes from planet Earth and from outer space. This chapter covers the following topics:

• Necessary advances in cosmology to save humanity from extinction

• How to save humanity with the end of the Universe

• The future of the Universe, the Sun, the Earth and Humanity

• The future of the Universe and Humanity

• How to save humanity with the death of the Sun and the collision of the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies

• How to save humanity from the consequences of the Moon’s continued departure from Earth

• How to save humanity from cosmic rays

• How to save humanity from the collision on planet Earth of bodies coming from outer space

• How to save humanity from natural disasters caused by earthquakes, tsunamis and volcano eruptions

• The future of humanity in the face of internal and external threats to life on planet Earth

• The advancement of science and technology and the future of humanity

• The frontiers of science to increase the cognitive, physical and psychological capacity of the human being.

Chapter 8, Science and technology and its use for the good or ill of humanity, presents a critical analysis of the role of science and technology in promoting the progress and well-being of humanity and its opposite with its use in promoting of evils that affect the progress and well-being of humanity. This chapter covers the following topics:

• Science and technology in question

• Science, technology and progress in capitalism

• Capitalism, science, technology and barbarism

Chapter 9, Science and technology and development in Brazil, presents the contribution of science and technology to the development of Brazil. This chapter covers the following topics:

• Brazil’s weaknesses in science, technology and innovation

• How to promote the development of science, technology and innovation in Brazil

• Obstacles to the development of science, technology and innovation in Brazil.

Chapter 10, Conclusions, presents the main conclusions regarding the contribution of science and technology to the progress of humanity and Brazil and about the future of science and technology.

The methodology used in the elaboration of this book consisted, basically, in structuring its chapters with the use of articles object of studies and research by me published in several websites and specialized magazines covering the themes related to each chapter.

To the readers of this article, I inform that I will communicate the release of this book as soon as the Publisher makes it available for sale.

Fernando Alcoforado, 82, awarded the Medal of Merit for Engineering of the CONFEA/CREA System, member of the Bahia Academy of Education and of the SBPC – Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science, engineer and doctor in Territorial Planning and Regional Development from the University of Barcelona, university professor and consultant in the areas of strategic planning, business planning, regional planning and energy systems planning, he was Advisor to the Vice President of Engineering and Technology at LIGHT S.A. Electric power distribution company from Rio de Janeiro, Strategic Planning Coordinator of CEPED- Bahia Research and Development Center, Undersecretary of Energy of the State of Bahia, Secretary of Planning of Salvador, is author of the books Globalização (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 1997), De Collor a FHC- O Brasil e a Nova (Des)ordem Mundial (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 1998), Um Projeto para o Brasil (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2000), Os condicionantes do desenvolvimento do Estado da Bahia (Tese de doutorado. Universidade de Barcelona,http://www.tesisenred.net/handle/10803/1944, 2003), Globalização e Desenvolvimento (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2006), Bahia- Desenvolvimento do Século XVI ao Século XX e Objetivos Estratégicos na Era Contemporânea (EGBA, Salvador, 2008), The Necessary Conditions of the Economic and Social Development- The Case of the State of Bahia (VDM Verlag Dr. Müller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG, Saarbrücken, Germany, 2010), Aquecimento Global e Catástrofe Planetária (Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, 2010), Amazônia Sustentável- Para o progresso do Brasil e combate ao aquecimento global (Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, 2011), Os Fatores Condicionantes do Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2012), Energia no Mundo e no Brasil- Energia e Mudança Climática Catastrófica no Século XXI (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2015), As Grandes Revoluções Científicas, Econômicas e Sociais que Mudaram o Mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2016), A Invenção de um novo Brasil (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2017),  Esquerda x Direita e a sua convergência (Associação Baiana de Imprensa, Salvador, 2018), Como inventar o futuro para mudar o mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2019) and A humanidade ameaçada e as estratégias para sua sobrevivência (Editora Dialética, São Paulo, 2021) .