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 |
4.2 / 5 (5) |
2
Touchscreens are so yesterday. Remote controls? So last century. The future is controlling your devices with a simple wave of the hand.
Cell phone mania forces scramble for more airwaves
Dec 27, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
1
(AP) -- Wireless devices such as Apple's iPhone are transforming the way we go online, making it possible to look up driving directions, find the nearest coffee shop and update Facebook on the go. All this ...
Search results for technology
San Jose police mount cameras on officers' heads
18 hours ago |
4 / 5 (3) |
1
(AP) -- Grainy cell phone images are often used against cops accused of using excessive violence. Now, officers are being armed with their own cameras.
Nokia expands patent dispute beyond Apple iPhone
20 hours ago |
4 / 5 (2) |
0
(AP) -- Nokia Corp. is broadening a legal dispute it already has with Apple Inc. over the iPhone, saying almost all of the company's other products also violate the Finnish phone maker's patents.
Phone points illegal border crossers to water
20 hours ago |
5 / 5 (2) |
3
(AP) -- A group of California artists wants Mexicans and Central Americans to have more than just a few cans of tuna and a jug of water for their illegal trek through the harsh desert into the U.S.
Tarantula venom-based MD therapy to be advanced by UB scientists' biotech company
21 hours ago |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
University at Buffalo biophysicists have found a protein in tarantula venom that shows promise as a potential therapy for muscular dystrophy (MD). They have formed a start-up biotech company in Buffalo -- Rose Pharmaceuticals ...
Gap exists between vision for EMRs to improve care coordination and clinicians' experiences
21 hours ago |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
A gap exists between policy makers' expectations that current commercial electronic medical records (EMRs) can improve coordination of patient care and clinicians' real-world experiences with EMRs, according to a study by ...
Moving video to 'captcha' robot hackers
Technology / Computer Sciences
21 hours ago |
3 / 5 (2) |
1
We see the popular "captcha" security mechanism often ― wavy letters websites ask us to type into a box. It's used by web pages and newsletter sign-up forms to prevent computer robots from hacking into servers and databases. ...
Researchers Use New Acoustic Tools to Study Marine Mammals and Fish
21 hours ago |
not rated yet |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- Over the past decade, researchers have developed a variety of reliable real-time and archival instruments to study sounds made or heard by marine mammals and fish. These new sensors are now ...
Hearing assistance comes to the home (w/ Video)
22 hours ago |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- European researchers have combined state-of-the-art technologies to help end the isolation suffered by the hearing impaired. End users are eager to get their hands on the suite of tools.
CU Students to Build Tiny Spacecraft to Observe 'Space Weather' Environment
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
23 hours ago |
4.3 / 5 (4) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- The University of Colorado at Boulder has been awarded $840,000 from the National Science Foundation for students to build a tiny spacecraft to observe energetic particles in space that should ...
New research could advance research field critical to personalized medicine
Dec 29, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
1
It's the ultimate goal in the treatment of cancer: tailoring a person's therapy based on his or her genetic makeup. While a lofty goal, scientists are steadily moving forward, rapidly exploiting new technologies. Researchers ...
List of search results for technology
