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.
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News tagged with technology
Mobile tech 'can replace cheques'
20 hours ago |
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(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.
Panasonic Starts Mass-Production of High-Capacity 3.1 Ah Lithium-ion Battery
13 hours ago |
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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 ...
Search results for technology
Researchers create new 'smart' nanocapsule delivery system for use in protein therapy
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
18 hours ago |
5 / 5 (2) |
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the delivery of healthy proteins directly into human cells to replace malfunctioning proteins — is considered one of the most direct and safe approaches for treating diseases. But its effectiveness has been limited by low ...
Physicists see through the opaque with 'T-rays'
17 hours ago |
4.1 / 5 (9) |
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"T-rays" may make X-rays obsolete as a means of detecting bombs on terrorists or illegal drugs on traffickers, among other uses, contends a Texas A&M physicist who is helping lay the theoretical groundwork to make the concept ...
Doctors' bedside skills trump medical technology
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
15 hours ago |
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Sometimes, a simple bedside exam performed by a skilled physician is superior to a high-tech CT scan, a Loyola University Health System study has found.
Analysts warn that FTC suit could damage Intel
15 hours ago |
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The Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit against Intel Wednesday -- the most far-reaching in a string of recent regulatory actions -- poses a huge threat to the Santa Clara, Calif., chip giant and could reshape the semiconductor ...
Swiss and Google reach privacy accord pending verdict
13 hours ago |
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Google has agreed not to put pictures of Switzerland on its "Street View" picture map under a provisional accord to end a privacy battle with Swiss authorities, the government said Friday.
Hot Electrons Could Double Solar Cell Power Efficiency
13 hours ago |
4.6 / 5 (5) |
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Scientists have experimentally verified a theory suggesting that hot electrons could double the output of solar cells. The researchers, from Boston College, have built solar cells that successfully use hot ...
A star is born? Herschel space observatory captures the birth of stars
12 hours ago |
4 / 5 (6) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The European Space Agency has released a preview of the first science results from the Herschel Space Observatory, including the UK-led SPIRE instrument. The new data which include images ...
Computer-simulated Thunderstorms with Ice Clouds Reveal Insights for Next-generation Computer Models
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
12 hours ago |
3.7 / 5 (3) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Computer simulations of thunderstorms using data from a field campaign in Australia confirm that the "ice-phase" cloud processes in climate models contribute most to the wide discrepancy between ...
Hackers steal SKorean-US military secrets
19 hours ago |
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(AP) -- South Korea's military said Friday it was investigating a hacking attack that netted secret defense plans with the United States and may have been carried out by North Korea.
Google fined $14,300 a day in France over books
10 hours ago |
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(AP) -- A Paris court ruled Friday that Google Inc.'s expansion into digital books breaks France's copyright laws, and a judge slapped the Internet search leader with a euro10,000-a-day fine until it stops ...
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