Lesson 7: Advances in Science and Technology

Question 1

AIDS Definition

Answer 1

acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a disease that attacks the immune system and is often fatal

Question 2

Biotechnology

Answer 2

technology based on biology

Question 3

Climate Change Definition

Answer 3

any measurable long-term change in climate

Question 4

Drought Definition

Answer 4

a shortage of water that hurts plants, animals, and energy production and increases the risk of wildfires

Question 5

Emission Definition

Answer 5

gas released into the air

Question 6

Environmental Protection Agency Definition

Answer 6

a federal agency established in 1970 to protect human health and the environment

Question 7

Fossil Fuel Definition

Answer 7

a fuel formed in the distant past that has limited supplies and cannot be renewed, such as oil, coal, and natural gas

Question 8

Gene Definition

Answer 8

a bundle of hereditary material in organisms considered a building block of life

Question 9

Greenhouse Gas Definition

Answer 9

a gas, such as carbon dioxide, that blankets Earth and traps energy, causing the temperature to increase

Question 10

HIV Definition

Answer 10

the Human Immunodeficiency Virus that can cause AIDS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Question 11

Internet Definition

Answer 11

an electronic communications network that connects computer networks and organizational computer facilities around the world

Question 12

Pollution Definition

Answer 12

harmful impurities added to the environment

Question 13

Smartphone Definition

Answer 13

a phone with sophisticated computing capability and an ability to connect to the Internet via radio signals

Question 14

True or False: During the early 2000s, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) explored the solar system. Orbiters circled planets to gather information about each planet’s chemical structure, magnetic field, and formation.

Answer 14

During the early 2000s, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) explored the solar system. Orbiters circled planets to gather information about each planet’s chemical structure, magnetic field, and formation.

Question 15

What did NASA’s studies require? How long did it take the “Messenger” to reach Mercury after its launch in 2004? How long did it take the “New Horizons” to reach Pluto after being launched in 2006? How long did it take “Juno” to reach Jupiter after its launch in 2011?

Answer 15

NASA’s studies required planning and patience. It could take years from the time an orbiter is launched until it reached its destination. It took the Messenger orbiter seven years after its launch from Earth in 2004 to reach orbit around the planet Mercury. The New Horizons space probe needed a nine-year voyage after its launch in 2006 to reach Pluto, and the Juno orbiter needed five years after its launch in 2011 to reach Jupiter.

Question 16

Which planet did NASA give special attention to? What did Presidents Bush and Obama support concerning Mars? What did NASA do to explore the planet? What were the “Mars Odyssey”, “Mars Express”, and “Mars Reconnaissance”?

Answer 16

NASA gave special attention to Mars. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama expressed support for the idea of sending astronauts to Mars in the future. To explore the planet, NASA sent orbiters to Mars during the 2000s. The Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, and Mars Reconnaissance orbiters circled Mars. They took photographs, recorded the weather, mapped the terrain, and sent the information back to Earth.

Question 17

Beginning in 2004, what was NASA doing on Mars?

Answer 17

Beginning in 2004, NASA also sent scientific rovers to explore Mars. The Opportunity and Spirit rovers traveled across the planet’s surface and sent images back to Earth. The Curiosity science laboratory collected and analyzed Martian soil and rocks. NASA’s goal was to look for evidence of water and for fossils or organic materials to find out whether ancient life existed on Mars.

Question 18

What was NASA’s Kepler mission?

Answer 18

NASA also explored space beyond our solar system. Through the Kepler mission, NASA studied our Milky Way Galaxy in a search for new planets. Instead of using rovers and orbiters for this mission, NASA used a space-based telescope. The Kepler telescope collected images from the galaxy and sent them back to Earth. Scientists analyzing those images identified more than 1,700 planets outside Earth’s solar system.

Question 19

Remember: As the global economy grew, it consumed growing amounts of energy. Most of that energy came from fossil fuels, such as oil, coal, and natural gas. Fossil fuels are fuels formed in the distant past that have limited supplies and cannot be renewed. Once they are burned, they are gone and cannot be replaced. They also cause environmental damage by polluting the air when they are burned. Pollution, or harmful impurities added to the environment, is a worldwide problem. Air or water pollution from other countries may affect the United States.

Answer 19

As the global economy grew, it consumed growing amounts of energy. Most of that energy came from fossil fuels, such as oil, coal, and natural gas. Fossil fuels are fuels formed in the distant past that have limited supplies and cannot be renewed. Once they are burned, they are gone and cannot be replaced. They also cause environmental damage by polluting the air when they are burned. Pollution, or harmful impurities added to the environment, is a worldwide problem. Air or water pollution from other countries may affect the United States.

Question 20

What stated the modern environmental movement in the 1960s? What did “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson discuss? What is DDT? What are its effects? How did Congress respond to the book?

Answer 20

The modern environmental movement began in the 1960s with the publication of Silent Spring. In this book, Rachel Carson, a marine biologist, warned readers of the dangers of DDT. DDT is a chemical that farmers used to kill insects. Carson explained that DDT sprayed on crops did not just kill insects. It killed birds and fish and even threatened human food supplies. Congress responded by passing a law to restrict the use of DDT.

Question 21

After the publication of “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson, which environmental groups formed? In 1970, which agency did President Nixon create? In the same year, which holiday did environmentalists hold? In the 2000s, what issues did environmentalist address?

Answer 21

Soon environmental groups like the Sierra Club, the National Wildlife Foundation, and the Audubon Society lobbied Congress for additional protective laws. In 1970, President Richard Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In the same year, environmentalists held the first Earth Day. In the 2000s, environmentalists in the United States and throughout the world continued to address global environmental problems. They were concerned about such issues as groundwater contamination, chemical spills, depletion of the ozone layer in Earth’s atmosphere, nuclear waste disposal, reliance on fossil fuels, the extinction of plants and animals, and the destruction of the rainforest.

Question 22

What is the issue of climate change?

Answer 22

Climate change is any measurable long-term change in climate. Climate change may affect precipitation, wind patterns, or temperature. Global warming, defined as an increase in average temperatures near Earth’s surface, is one form of climate change.According to the Environmental Protection Agency, during the 1900s, the temperature near Earth’s surface rose 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit. The EPA estimated that the temperature would increase another 2 to 11.5 degrees by 2100.

Question 23

Remember:In the early 2000s, scientists expressed concern that climate change could affect farming, the water supply, personal health, and the weather. Scientific studies suggested that climate change had caused some areas, such as the eastern United States, to experience heavier rain and increased flooding. Other areas, such as the western United States, had less precipitation and more frequent droughts. A drought is a shortage of water that affects plants and animals and energy production and increases the risk of wildfires. Climate scientists concluded in the early 2000s that humans were the greatest contributors to climate change. Burning fossil fuels released carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases, which blanket Earth, are gases that trap energy and cause the temperature to increase. Some amount of greenhouse gases is needed for a stable climate, but too much will permanently change Earth’s climate. The main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, remains in the atmosphere for almost 100 years, so past and present human action will affect future generations. In the 2000s, the EPA collected information on pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, or gases released into the air. It also encouraged energy conservation and the development of cleaner energy. The EPA worked to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Since both pollution and climate change were global issues, the EPA also worked with international partners.

Answer 23

In the early 2000s, scientists expressed concern that climate change could affect farming, the water supply, personal health, and the weather. Scientific studies suggested that climate change had caused some areas, such as the eastern United States, to experience heavier rain and increased flooding. Other areas, such as the western United States, had less precipitation and more frequent droughts. A drought is a shortage of water that affects plants and animals and energy production and increases the risk of wildfires. Climate scientists concluded in the early 2000s that humans were the greatest contributors to climate change. Burning fossil fuels released carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases, which blanket Earth, are gases that trap energy and cause the temperature to increase. Some amount of greenhouse gases is needed for a stable climate, but too much will permanently change Earth’s climate. The main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, remains in the atmosphere for almost 100 years, so past and present human action will affect future generations. In the 2000s, the EPA collected information on pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, or gases released into the air. It also encouraged energy conservation and the development of cleaner energy. The EPA worked to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Since both pollution and climate change were global issues, the EPA also worked with international partners.

Question 24

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, what did the U.S. government encourage? Why did environmentalists support this? Why were critics against it?

Answer 24

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the U.S. government encouraged the use of renewable energy sources. Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy sources have potentially unlimited supplies.Energy from the sun, wind, moving water, Earth’s heat (geothermal energy), and organic plant and waste material (biomass) can restore itself. Environmentalists preferred these energy sources to fossil fuels. They had the potential to decrease America’s dependence on foreign oil, diminish greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce pollution. Critics argued, however, that these sources are often more expensive than fossil fuels and that relying on them could harm the economy.

Question 25

What happened to a nuclear power plant in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1979? How did this cause controversy over nuclear power plants? What other controversies are there on nuclear power?

Answer 25

Nuclear power and biofuels provided additional alternatives to fossil fuels. The dangers of nuclear power made it controversial, though. In 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, experienced a meltdown in its reactor. This accident caused radioactive material to leak and it forced people to evacuate the area. Radioactive material is harmful and can be deadly to people and other living things. Nuclear power plants convert radioactive nuclear fuels into energy by capturing the force of splitting atoms. This process leaves behind nuclear waste, or radioactive material. Nuclear waste remains hazardous to people and other living things for hundreds of thousands of years. During the early 2000s, experts could not agree on a safe way to dispose of nuclear waste, so there was the risk that it could harm people for many generations to come.

Question 26

What are biofuels, and why were they controversial?

Answer 26

Biofuels are alternative energy sources produced from converting biomass, plant, and waste material into liquid fuels. The most common forms of biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel. During the early 2000s, most ethanol in the United States was produced from corn. Beginning in 2005, federal law required a percentage of the gasoline sold in the United States to be mixed with at least small quantities of ethanol. Biodiesel is produced from oil crops such as soybeans. Both fuels can power automobiles. Biofuels, however, were also controversial. Growing, processing, and transporting crops to create biofuels uses fossil fuels that contribute to pollution and consume energy. There were questions about whether the energy that biofuels produce was greater than the energy used to create the biofuels themselves. Critics also noted that using crops for fuel could increase food costs.

Question 27

True or False: In the years after 2000, scientists made progress identifying the building blocks of life, particularly genes. Genes are the hereditary material in organisms, including humans. Scientists, doctors, and other healthcare providers also made progress fighting disease.

Answer 27

True

Question 28

What is biotechnology? What have advances in biotechnology help do? In the years after 2000, what happened to biotechnology? What did biotechnology improve? Which industry did it create?

Answer 28

Biotechnology is technology based on biology. Advances in biotechnology helped feed, fuel, and heal the world. Biotechnology made rapid advances in the years after 2000. Not only did biotechnology improve medicine and agriculture, it also supported a growing industry based on creating products and services with biotechnology.

Question 29

What does the medical field use biotechnology for? What was the Human Genome Project in 1990? When was the Human Genome Project completed? How many genes are there in the human body? What is known as the human genome? What did studying the human genome help researchers learn?

Answer 29

The medical field uses biotechnology to detect and fight disease. In 1990, the Human Genome Project brought the international scientific community together to map all the genes in the human body. The project was completed in 2003. Scientists concluded that there are about 20,500 human genes. The complete set of genes in the human body is known as the human genome. Studying the human genome helped researchers understand human diseases. With this knowledge, they could develop new plans for the detection, treatment, and prevention of diseases.

Question 30

How is biotechnology used in drugs to treat diseases? During the early 2000s, what was the impact of this effort?

Answer 30

Researchers also used biotechnology to make drugs to treat diseases. They learned to adjust the genes of microorganisms, such as bacteria, to make them produce useful drugs and other treatments. During the early 2000s, these efforts produced better and safer vaccines and brought down the cost of some medicines.

Question 31

How do farmers use biotechnology in crop production and livestock?

Answer 31

Farmers use biotechnology to increase crop production, develop crops that are resistant to insects, and enhance food nutrition. By adjusting the genes of crop plants, researchers were able to create varieties of crops that produced more food or that resisted drought, insects, and other agents that harmed crops. Ancient techniques of breeding also adjusted the genes of plants and livestock, but biotechnology does so in a targeted way using scientific methods. These advances helped many farmers and consumers.

Question 32

What did critics and researchers say against biotechnology in farming?

Answer 32

Critics raised concerns about genetically modified organisms, including crops or livestock. These concerns include the rising dependence of farmers on biotechnology companies. Researchers also expressed concern about possible dangers to the environment or human health from some uses of biotechnology in agriculture. However, scientists believed that genetically modified foods, as part of a healthy diet, posed no risk to human health.

Question 33

How did Globalization increase the impact and extent of disease? How did the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) work to solve this?

Answer 33

Globalization increased the impact and reach of illnesses and infectious diseases. The frequency of travel intensified the rate at which diseases could be transmitted throughout the world. This increased rate of transmission led to increased concern about health security. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) worked with governments around the world to address this concern. The CDC helped other countries learn how to detect and prevent the spread of potential disease epidemics.

Question 34

How did the CDC support programs against AIDS and HIV?

Answer 34

The CDC also supported HIV/AIDS programs in more than 70 countries. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. HIV can cause AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, an often fatal disease that attacks the human immune system. Although the human body cannot get rid of HIV, medication can prolong the lives of people infected with the virus. During the 1990s, medications for AIDS improved. By the 2000s, nearly all Americans had access to effective AIDS treatments.

Question 35

Remember: The United States has been a leader in medicine since the 1900s. During the years after 2000, the United States continued to develop better drugs and better ways of treating and preventing disease. For example, beginning in the early 2000s, the National Cancer Institute began developing drugs and other treatments that targeted cancer cells. These treatments were safer and more effective than earlier treatments for cancer. Researchers have also developed improved surgical methods and new vaccines.

Answer 35

The United States has been a leader in medicine since the 1900s. During the years after 2000, the United States continued to develop better drugs and better ways of treating and preventing disease. For example, beginning in the early 2000s, the National Cancer Institute began developing drugs and other treatments that targeted cancer cells. These treatments were safer and more effective than earlier treatments for cancer. Researchers have also developed improved surgical methods and new vaccines.

Question 36

How did computers evolve?

Answer 36

The first computers in the world were mainframes, which were so large they could fill a room. In the 1950s and 1960s, only private businesses, the government, and universities could afford to own them. By the 1980s, affordability and smaller sizes made personal computers common in homes, small businesses, and schools. By the early 2000s, new technology had made computers faster, less expensive, and more portable. Some computers could fit in a pocket.

Question 37

What is the Internet?

Answer 37

In the 1960s, a scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology worked to develop a system to connect computers worldwide. His ideas provided the basis for the Internet, a system of linking computers worldwide that gives users access to information. In 1969, the United States Department of Defense began linking its computers to computers at American universities. In the 1990s, private companies made the Internet available in homes and businesses. The Internet makes email communication, instant messaging, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls, video calls, and use of the World Wide Web, often simply known as the web, possible. The web was created in the 1980s using technology developed by the United States, Britain, and France. Although sometimes lumped together, the web and the Internet are not the same. The web is one of many services that run on the Internet. It links documents through hypertext. Web browsers let people view those documents as images, texts, and multimedia on the Internet. Personal computers and the Internet changed the world. They increased business productivity and efficiency. E-commerce expanded the marketplace to make it digital and global. People regularly bought products, paid bills, and managed their bank accounts online. Digital lessons, textbooks, and library resources transformed teaching and learning. The Internet and the web introduced users to social networking. Social networks allow people with shared interests and backgrounds to connect digitally. Social network sites can be used for personal and business connections. They allow people to set up profiles and manage who has access to the information that they share. Like the rest of the Internet, social networking sites presented risks when they did not adequately protect individual privacy or were vulnerable to data theft and viruses.

Question 38

What is the Mobile Revolution?

Answer 38

The first mobile phones, or cell phones, were developed in the 1970s, but they were awkward and expensive. Mobile phones came into wider use in the 1990s. By the early 2000s, many Americans owned smart phones, or small, handheld phones with sophisticated computing capability and an ability to connect to the Internet via radio signals. Many individuals and families also owned tablet computers. Tablets are small mobile computers with touch screens that also connect to the Internet. Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets use application software, or apps, to operate. Originally, apps were used for simple tasks like sending and receiving email, managing a calendar, or collecting contact information. Public demand led software engineers to develop apps for games, magazines and books, banking, and shopping. Today, Americans use apps for social networking, viewing videos, searching for information, and reading books. In spite of their popularity, mobile devices raised some concerns. Phone use in cars led to accidents. Many states required people to use hands-free devices while driving. People often found cell phone use disruptive in places such as restaurants, stores, and on public transportation. Smartphones contain chemicals that are toxic to humans and animals. The production and improper disposal of mobile devices damaged the environment.

Question 39

What is Digital Security?

Answer 39

As use of the Internet and the web increased, concern over cybercrime increased with it. Cybercrime includes identity theft, or stealing identifying details from a person, usually to steal by charging purchases to that person. Cybercrime also includes fraud, espionage, and illegal intelligence gathering.“Hackers,” who tap into computers and threaten privacy, contribute to the spread of cybercrime. Today, most Internet attacks take place through computers based in the United States, China, and Russia. Cyberwarfare is a digital form of warfare. It uses computers and other digital devices to attack an enemy's information system. It can be used in combination with military-based attacks, or it can be carried out on its own. Cyberwarfare can be directed toward businesses, agencies, organizations, and governments. Politics or terrorism often motivate cyberattackers. If a cyberattack hit a country's power grid, it could cause traffic accidents, interrupt surgeries, and stop factory production. During the 2000s, the Department of Defense's cyberwarfare unit and the National Security Agency (NSA) worked to protect the United States from cyberattacks. The NSA supported military operations, the intelligence community, government agencies, private industries, and America's allies. It collected and processed data to protect the security of the nation. Some of the NSA's data collection methods were controversial. In 2013, NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked NSA documents to the press. Snowden's actions were also controversial. The U.S. government charged that he had damaged the nation's security. The case raised questions about government surveillance of U.S. citizens and American allies and the balance between individual privacy and national security.