Technology which means “science of craft” is the sum of all the techniques, skills, methods, and all the other various processes that are used in the manufacturing or production of goods and items or certain services or in achieving an objective. Technology also means the knowledge of techniques or processes or it is something that can also be embedded in the machines. The basic concept of Technology is that various Systems apply technology by taking some input, then adjust or change it according to their system’s use and then use it to produce an outcome. This basic concept of systems is known as Technological Systems or Technology Systems. Understanding technology is simple. Technology is everywhere and is embedded in everything. It also has many forms. Technology may also be referred to as the application of maths, science, and the arts for the benefit of life. It is only because of the development of technology, we have been able to see the rise of Cyberculture.
History Of Technology.
The simplest form is that of the technology used in the making of basic tools. For example, the prehistoric man discovered fire and how to control it. Then came the Neolithic who learned how to farm and make better use of cattle and various other foods and then came the invention of the wheel which completely revolutionized the entire living world and made everything pretty much easier. Then came the historic times where technology took another huge step and then came the invention of the printing press, the telephone, and then probably one of the most important inventions, i.e, the Internet. All of these advancements in technology made human life easier and have helped us live more freely than ever.Technology has affected our lives in a lot of ways. Technology has brought about various high-end advancements which include the development of economics that has helped the world economy. But technology has affected mankind both in a good as well as a bad way. Many technological processes have led to the production of various by-products that have caused pollution and depleted our resources. However, a lot of questions have aroused which have caused chaos among society such as efficiency in terms of human productivity and also questioning the ethics of technology. Debates over whether technology improves human conditions or not have been going on for centuries and will go on for maybe another few centuries. This is because different people have different perspectives about the advancement of technology. Some might think that their customs and traditions are being taken away from them.
Science, Engineering and Technology.
Science, Engineering, and Technology are all interrelated, and their difference is not yet clear. Science is the field that deals with the physical and material world. Technology is quite similar to science however we cannot say that technology is exclusively a product of science. About 50,000 years began the use of tools and other primitive devices and also began the use of fully modern language. The discovery and use of fire, a simple energy source with many profound uses, was a turning point in the technological evolution of humankind. However, the exact date of the discovery of fire is not known. Another technological advancement during the same time was the feeling of fire with wood and charcoal which allowed the early humans to cook food and thus helping in increasing their digestibility, which also increased the nutrient value of the food as well as increasing the number of foods that could be eaten. Another technological advancement that was made almost during the same course of time was the invention of clothing and shelter. Humans started constructing small but temporary wooden huts. Clothing was being made from the skin of animals. Now, this was a huge step towards development as humans started migrating towards the colder regions due to the access to clothes. Then came the invention of better tools and weapons. It was during this time that the humans started settling permanently at a place, i.e, they started sedentism, which also allowed raising more children. Now, the children could also help in agriculture which would then eventually help the hunter-gatherer economy.
Medieval and Modern History.
Continued improvements led to the invention of the furnace which provided humans the ability to smelt and forge gold, copper, silver, and other native metals which were found relatively in their pure state. As humans kept working on these metals, they learned to create alloys such as bronze and brass. During this time humans were also trying to learn how to harness the energy. This led to the invention of ships and wheels. One of the oldest examples of harnessing energy is that during the prehistoric times, the Egyptians used the power of the annual flooding of the Nile to irrigate their lands. The oldest-known wooden wheel in the world was found in the Ljubljana marshes of Slovenia. The invention of the wheel brought about a revolution. It revolutionized trade and war as humans were soon able to find out that the wheeled wagons could carry heavy loads. It was the wheel that revolutionized the application of non-human power resources. Then came the construction of roadways. Plumbing was yet another technological advancement that humans did to install running water in their homes. Homes started having private toilets and the sewage system came into existence. Then came the modern era where technology took a huge leap. Inventions such as the horse collar and horseshoe were made simple machines such as the lever, pulley, and the screw were combined to form more complicated machinery such as the wheelbarrow, windmills, and clocks. Then came the Renaissance Era that produced some brilliant devices such as the printing press and it was during this Era that technology became associated with science. Advances in technology in this era allowed a more reliable supply of food, followed by the wider availability of consumer goods.
Industrial Revolution and The Second Industrial Revolution.
Then came the Industrial Revolution, which was a period of great technological discovery. It was marked with the advancements in the areas of agriculture, manufacturing, mining, metallurgy, and transport, driven by the discovery of steam power and the widespread application of the factory system. Then came the second Industrial Revolution in which technology took another step with the harnessing of electricity to allow for various other innovations such as the electric motor and the light bulb. As technology was associated with science, it led to developments in medicine, chemistry, physics, and engineering and also later allowed for the first powered flight. The further rise in technology led to the building of skyscrapers and broad urban areas and also led to the invention of locomotives or motors for transportation. Communication improved with the invention of the telegraph, the telephone, the radio, and television. The late 19th century and the early 20th century paved a way for the invention of the aeroplane and the automobile. The 20th century brought a host of innovations. In physics, the discovery of nuclear fission has led to both nuclear weapons and nuclear power. Then came probably the most important invention of all, i.e, the computer. Then they were later miniaturized with the help of transistors and integrated circuits. Information Technology subsequently led to the birth in the 1980s of the Internet, which subsequently became the birthstone of the current modern world. Humans then started to explore the outer space and constructing satellites. The first rocket that visited outer space was launched on the 12th of April 1961. It was not only the humans who made use of basic technology but it was also the animals such as the chimpanzees, some dolphin communities, and some crows.
Future of Technology.
After reading all of these you might be wondering about the upcoming technology and that’s obvious. By 2020, at least a third of all data will pass through the cloud, and within five years, there will be over 50 billion smart connected devices in the world. By 2025, quantum computing will have outgrown its infancy, and the first generation of commercial devices will be able to tackle meaningful, real-world problems. We will also see a revolution in treatment propelled by technology. Gene editing and immunotherapy that bring fewer side effects will have made greater headway. With advances in early screening and treatment going hand in hand, cancer will no longer be the cursed ‘C’ word that inspires such fear among people.