Technology
hideTechnology is a broad concept that deals with an animal species' usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects an animal species' ability to control and adapt to its environment. Technology is a term with origins in the Greek "technologia", "τεχνολογία" — "techne", "τέχνη" ("craft") and "logia", "λογία" ("saying"). However, a strict definition is elusive; "technology" can refer to material objects of use to humanity, such as machines, hardware or utensils, but can also encompass broader themes, including systems, methods of organization, and techniques. The term can either be applied generally or to specific areas: examples include "construction technology", "medical technology", or "state-of-the-art technology".
The human species' use of technology began with the conversion of natural resources into simple tools. The prehistorical discovery of the ability to control fire increased the available sources of food and the invention of the wheel helped humans in travelling in and controlling their environment. Recent technological developments, including the printing press, the telephone, and the Internet, have lessened physical barriers to communication and allowed humans to interact freely on a global scale. However, not all technology has been used for peaceful purposes; the development of weapons of ever-increasing destructive power has progressed throughout history, from clubs to nuclear weapons.
Technology has affected society and its surroundings in a number of ways. In many societies, technology has helped develop more advanced economies (including today's global economy) and has allowed the rise of a leisure class. Many technological processes produce unwanted by-products, known as pollution, and deplete natural resources, to the detriment of the Earth and its environment. Various implementations of technology influence the values of a society and new technology often raises new ethical questions. Examples include the rise of the notion of efficiency in terms of human productivity, a term originally applied only to machines, and the challenge of traditional norms.
Philosophical debates have arisen over the present and future use of technology in society, with disagreements over whether technology improves the human condition or worsens it. Neo-Luddism, anarcho-primitivism, and similar movements criticise the pervasiveness of technology in the modern world, opining that it harms the environment and alienates people; proponents of ideologies such as transhumanism and techno-progressivism view continued technological progress as beneficial to society and the human condition. Indeed, until recently, it was believed that the development of technology was restricted only to human beings, but recent scientific studies indicate that other primates and certain dolphin communities have developed simple tools and learned to pass their knowledge to other generations.
For more information about Technology, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with technology
Controlling the TV with a wave of the hand
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Dec 23, 2009 |
4 / 5 (4) |
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Touchscreens are so yesterday. Remote controls? So last century. The future is controlling your devices with a simple wave of the hand.
Best go digital in a pandemic
Dec 22, 2009 |
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The use of a digital checklist for patients being administered emergency drugs during a pandemic or following a biological terrorist attack reduces the fatigue factor, according to a report in the International Journal of ...
Scientists improve chip memory by stacking cells
Dec 21, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (17) |
3
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at Arizona State University have developed an elegant method for significantly improving the memory capacity of electronic chips.
Argonne advanced battery research driving to displace gasoline (w/ Video)
Dec 21, 2009 |
3.5 / 5 (6) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- In excess of seven million barrels of gasoline are consumed by vehicles in the United States every day. As scientists race to find environmentally sound solutions to fuel the world’s ever-growing ...
Panasonic completes Sanyo acquisition
Dec 21, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Panasonic Corp. said Monday that it had taken majority control of Sanyo Electric Co., officially forming one of the world's largest electronics makers.
Panasonic Starts Mass-Production of High-Capacity 3.1 Ah Lithium-ion Battery
Dec 18, 2009 |
2 / 5 (2) |
3
Panasonic Corporation developed a 18650-type high-capacity 3.1 Ah lithium-ion battery and began mass production of the battery this December. The new 3.1 Ah battery has a nickel positive electrode and an energy density of ...
Mobile tech 'can replace cheques'
Dec 18, 2009 |
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2
(PhysOrg.com) -- With cheques due to be phased out in the UK by 2018 new security technology developed at Oxford University could offer a replacement, allowing people a secure way to pay in almost any situation.
French technology upstart challenges Google
Dec 17, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (4) |
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(AP) -- France's efforts to digitize its culture, from Marcel Proust's manuscripts to the first films of the legendary Lumiere brothers, long have been bogged down by the country's reluctance to rely on help from American ...
Microsoft, Google in battle to win over students
Dec 17, 2009 |
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As they plunged into a project on ancient Egypt this fall, Jay Martino's Cupertino (Calif.) Middle School students probably didn't realize they were on the front lines of a high stakes battle between Google and Microsoft.
STEM gets greener: Promoting critical thinking using renewable energy technology
Dec 17, 2009 |
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Can building model cars really help create the next generation of electric vehicle designers and engineers? Researchers at North Carolina State University think so. Through a recent grant, they will develop a curriculum that ...
Japan mines toxic e-waste for precious materials
Dec 17, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (7) |
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Seeking to turn an environmental problem into an economic opportunity, high-tech companies in resource-poor Japan are mining mountains of toxic e-waste for precious materials.
Education Budget Cuts to Cause Increase in Mobile Technology Use
Dec 17, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- As budget cuts in education continue, we will see more use of mobile technologies in the classroom in 2010, predicts Dr. Vivian Wright, a University of Alabama educator.
Study expects rising interest in energy saving
Dec 16, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Energy-efficient technology for batteries, grids and power storage will be trendy in 2010, according to a study released Wednesday on clean energy technology.
Growing Europe's nanowires
Dec 16, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (2) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- European researchers have developed state-of-the-art nanowire 'growing' technology, opening the way for faster, smaller microchips and creating a promising new avenue of research and industrial ...
Taiwan unveils super-tiny microchip
Dec 16, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (6) |
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Taiwan has developed tiny microchips that could lead to lighter and cheaper laptops or mobile phones, researchers and observers said Wednesday.
