Human beings were able to develop technology after they developed a better understanding of natural laws. Identify the correct examples from the statements below.
A. The understanding of concepts of friction and heat helped us discover fire.
B. Understanding of the secrets of DNA and genetics enables us to conquer many diseases.
C. Man was afraid of nature’s fury so worshipped it.
D. We use the laws of aerodynamics to develop faster planes.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → A, B and D only
A. The understanding of concepts of friction and heat helped us discover fire. Correct. Rubbing two things together produces heat through friction. Once humans understood this natural law, they could make heat at will and so discover fire; the understanding came first and the technology followed.
B. Understanding of the secrets of DNA and genetics enables us to conquer many diseases. Correct. DNA and genes carry the instructions by which living cells work. Knowing how they work shows how a disease arises and how to fight it, so this understanding became medical technology that conquers many diseases.
C. Man was afraid of nature’s fury so worshipped it. Incorrect. It shows early humans fearing nature without understanding its laws, so no technology came of it.
D. We use the laws of aerodynamics to develop faster planes. Correct. The laws of aerodynamics describe how air flows over a moving body. Shaping an aircraft by these laws cuts the resistance of the air, so the plane can fly faster.
NCERT (2025-26): “Naturalisation of Humans and Humanisation of Nature … Technology indicates the level of cultural development of society. Human beings were able to develop technology after they developed better understanding of natural laws. For example, the understanding of concepts of friction and heat helped us discover fire. Similarly, understanding of the secrets of DNA and genetics enabled us to conquer many diseases. We use the laws of aerodynamics to develop faster planes. You can see that knowledge about Nature is extremely important to develop technology and technology loosens the shackles of environment on human beings.…” “Naturalisation of Humans and Humanisation of Nature … In the early stages of their interaction with their natural environment humans were greatly influenced by it. They adapted to the dictates of Nature. This is so because the level of technology was very low and the stage of human social development was also primitive. This type of interaction between primitive human society and strong forces of nature was termed as environmental determinism. At that stage of very low technological development we can imagine the presence of a naturalised human, who listened to Nature, was afraid of its fury and worshipped it.” |