Technology.
I. Introduction
Technology is a heterogeneous term regardless of culture. It can refer to material things, such as machines, hardware, or utensils, but it can also encompass broader architectures, such as systems, organizational methods, and techniques. It is the subject of intellectual evolution, shaped or molded by society. The proliferation of new technologies such as computers, for example, has led to the belief that technology is the determining force in social evolution, in other words, it is the spontaneous engine of tendency to change. It is better to abandon the reductionist view and to see technology as a component of a multidirectional social network that includes social, political, historical, and economic factors that work together to bring about change.
The Origins of Technology
Since the beginning of human society, human beings have been closely related to each other! It is only a matter of whether each person feels and recognizes it clearly and distinctly!
For example, the ancient technique of preserving fire was to keep the dead trees struck by lightning or spontaneous fires burning in cavernous caves. It wasn't until the Fire Flint Clan invented drilling for fire that the human way of life was greatly improved!
Roughly speaking, it can be divided into the Stone Age, the Copper Age, the Iron Age, the Industrial Revolution triggered by the steam engine, and until the 21st century's Information Age, the Space Age, and the Eco-Age*** the existence of a high level of civilization!
Three, the basic definition of technology
Technology covers the iconic things of the level of development of human productivity, is the sum of survival and production tools, facilities, equipment, language, digital data, information records and so on!
Examples:
The skill and technology of stone tool making in primitive societies became a powerful tool for mankind to deal with ferocious beasts and slash-and-burn agriculture! The use of modern language can be described as a stone tool technology platform!
This makes it basically easier to understand the basic definitions and connotations of technology!
At the same time, technology must be transmitted and continued through the carrier! The carrier of technology by skilled craftsmen, technicians, engineers, manufacturing masters, master inventors, scientists, management masters, masters of information and other representatives of high-tech and highly skilled people, drawings, archives, all kinds of multimedia storage memory components, computer chips, computer hard disk and so on, the ancient oracle bones, bamboo slips, the printing press is a landmark of the technological process of the carrier!
Here, at last, the Chinese nation can fill a long-awaited definition of the blank!
Four, the high degree of technological development triggered by the technical engineering
Modern technology has far beyond the above simple meaning! Has been interpreted as a complex all-encompassing multi-disciplinary technology engineering! Meaning will be more complex!
V. Other
Because of the connotation of technology and the extension of information technology will appear a variety of different points of view, so technology, skills, techniques, skills, techniques, such as seemingly similar terms, but belong to the different aspects and details of the engineering operations!
VI. Appendices
Table of Contents [Hidden]
1 Science, Engineering, and Technology
1.1 Usage
2 The Nature of Technology
2.1 Characteristics of Technology
2.2 Technology Education
2.3 Intellectual Property Rights
3 History of Technology
3.1 Prehistoric Times
3.2 Pre-modern Technological Developments
4 Present Types of Technology
4.1 Households and Farming
4.2 Electricity and Electronics
4.3 Energy and Other Applied Sciences
4.4 Military and Weapons
4.5 Transportation
4.6 Fine Arts and Language
4.7 Architecture, construction, and engineering
4.8 Medicine and health
5 Technological evaluation
5.1 Technicism
5.2 Optimism, pessimism and appropriate technology
5.2.1 Pessimism
5.2.2 Optimism
5.2.3 Appropriate technology
5.3 Theories and concepts in technology
6 See also
6.1 Listings
7 References
8 Bibliography
9 External links
[edit] Science, engineering, and technology
The science, engineering, and technology Technology are not always unambiguous. In general, engineering puts more focus on practical experience, science puts more focus on theory and pure research, and technology falls somewhere in between.
By and large, science is the rational study or learning of nature, focusing on the discovery of eternal relationships (principles) between elements in the (phenomenal) world. It usually utilizes rule-based techniques, i.e., a system of well-established procedural rules, such as the scientific method.
Engineering is the rational use of scientific and technical principles to achieve empirically based program results.
For example, science may learn about the flow of electrons in a conductor. This knowledge may then be used by engineers to create tools or devices such as semiconductors, computers, and other types of advanced technology.
[edit] Usage
Science/scientist is used as a common title and refers to topics and researchers associated with new products and scientific projects, such as "scientists invented this" (not "engineers invented this" ), or "Thanks to science for making this" (not "Thanks to technology for making this").
Engineering/engineer, on the other hand, generally refers to something that maintains a scientific program, or someone who improves an original scientific product, as in "an engineer operated this machine" (not "a scientist operated this machine").
Technology is more vague, but usually refers to a real object, and something that can be used and is worth using. Technology does not usually involve discoveries such as mathematical theorems, and people don't usually use it in this way, e.g. "I like using this new technology".
The most primitive concept of skill is proficiency. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and skill is technology. Technology is far older than science. In fact, the history of technology is as old as the history of mankind.
Broadly speaking, technology is the sum of means, methods and skills created and developed by human beings to realize the needs of society. The overall technological power of society as a productive force of society includes craft skills, labor experience, information knowledge and physical tools and equipment, that is to say, technological talents, technological equipment and technological materials of the whole society.
The Encyclopedia, edited by the French scientist Diderot, gives a concise definition of technology: "Technology is a system of various tools and rules for a certain purpose *** with collaborative composition." This definition of technology basically points out the main characteristics of modern technology, i.e., purposeful, social, and pluralistic.
Any technology is purposeful from its inception. The purposefulness of technology permeates the entire process of technological activity. The realization of technology needs to be supported by society through social collaboration and is subject to a variety of social conditions. These many social factors have a direct impact on the success or failure of technology and the development process. The so-called multiplicity refers to the fact that technology can be manifested as tangible tools and equipment, machines and equipment, physical substances and other hardware; it can also be manifested as intangible processes, methods, rules and other knowledge software, and it can also be manifested as information materials and design drawings, which are not physical substances but have material carriers. As a material means and information means of modern technology, skills have gradually lost its original status and role, but only an element of technology.
Based on different functions, technology can be divided into production technology and non-production technology. Production technology is the most basic part of technology; non-production technology, such as scientific experimental technology, public technology, military technology, cultural and educational technology, medical technology, etc., is to meet the social life of a variety of needs of technology.
Generally speaking, the invention of technology is the materialization of scientific and empirical knowledge, so that the available theories and knowledge become reality. The development of modern technology cannot be separated from the guidance of scientific theories, and has become to a large extent the "application of science". However, the development of modern science is also inseparable from technology, the need for technology often becomes the purpose of scientific research, and the development of technology and scientific research to provide the necessary technical means. Between them is a kind of interconnection, mutual promotion and mutual constraints. It can be predicted that they will be more closely linked, the boundaries will become blurred.
But, after all, science and technology are two kinds of nature is not quite the same social culture, the difference between the two is also very obvious. The basic task of science is to understand the world and make discoveries so as to increase the knowledge wealth of mankind; the basic task of technology is to discover the world and make inventions so as to create the material wealth of mankind and enrich the spiritual and cultural life of human society. Science is to answer the question of "what" and "why"; technology is to answer the question of "what" and "how". Technology answers the questions of "what" and "how". Therefore, the results of science and technology are different in form. Scientific results are generally manifested in the form of concepts, laws, papers, etc.; technical results are generally in the form of process flow, design drawings, operating methods, etc. Scientific products are generally not commercially available, while technological achievements can be commercialized. Modern technology has a strong utilitarian and commercial color.
[edit] Nature of technology
See also: Technology and society
By its very nature, the existence of technology depends on people's needs and the fulfillment of those needs. Early humans created and used technology to solve their basic needs. Today's technology is designed to fulfill a wider range of needs and desires, and requires a large social structure to support it.
A major example of this phenomenon today is the telephone. As the telephone evolved, society developed a desire for more portable devices. Eventually, this desire created a need for new products, leading to the invention of the cell phone. Now, almost everyone can talk to each other at any time, no matter where they are. This invention has changed the way people relate to each other: some people are now more accountable and dependent, and have fewer reasons not to stay connected. The complexity of technology creates an interplay between technology and society.
[edit] Characterization of technology
While the use of technology is ubiquitous in modern society, a set of ***identical characteristics can be applied to modern technology. Many authors, such as McGinn (1991) and Winston (2003), list the following key characteristics:
Complexity, which refers to characteristics that are difficult to understand with most of today's tools (i.e., requiring a sequence of prior training in their manufacture or use). Some are relatively simple to use, but relatively difficult to understand their origins and manufacturing methods, such as kitchen knives, baseballs, and highly processed foods. Others are difficult to use and understand, such as tractors, televisions, and computers.
Dependence refers to the fact that many modern tools are dependent on other modern tools, and other modern tools are dependent on other modern tools, both in their manufacture and in their use. For example, cars are supported by a huge and complex manufacturing and maintenance industry. And use requires a complex network of roads, streets, highways, gas stations, maintenance plants, and waste collection facilities.
Diversity refers to different types and variations of the same tool. Think of the many spoons and scissors that exist today. Even more complex tools often come in many shapes and styles, such as construction cranes or cars.
Scale, refers to the spread of modern technology. Simply put, technology seems to be around every corner. It dominates modern life. Also, scale refers to the scope of many modern technological programs, such as cell phone networks, the Internet, airplane navigation, communication satellites, and their impact on people on Earth.
[edit] Technical education
Based on the complexity of today's technology, the purely practical work of technology will require a huge amount of understanding, from many years of experimentation, successes, failures and general experience. Therefore, a great deal of knowledge needs to be stored and passed on to the next generation by specialists. Their training and education is carried out in formal and informal educational institutions, schools, colleges and universities. Imagine the vast knowledge required to enter professions such as medicine, engineering and architecture.
[edit] Intellectual property
When used in business practices, technology can ensure the competitiveness of a company and others. However, the investment costs of attaining, inventing or using technology, called intellectual property rights, are very high. For this reason, many societies (e.g., the United States, Europe, and Taiwan) provide governmental protection for this investment through the granting of patents, an exclusive right. This protection allows companies to recoup the costs of their investment in technology and therefore encourages innovation. But there is also the argument that over-protection of patents can discourage innovation.
[edit] History of technology
Main article: History of technology
See also: Timeline of inventions
See also: History of technology
[edit] Prehistory
Flint spearheads, c. 100,000 BCE The history of technology is as old as humanity. Some of the major tool types have been found in almost every archaeological discovery of older humans up to the time of the Coelacanths. However, other animals have been found to learn to use and refine tools, so it is incorrect to think of humans as the only animals that could use and make tools. The history of technology follows a progression from simple tools and energy sources (mostly human) to complex, high-tech tools and energy sources.
The earliest technologies simply transformed existing natural resources (e.g., stones, trees and other plants, bones and other animal by-products) into simple tools. Raw materials were transformed into useful products by simple means such as carving, chiseling, scraping, winding, and baking. Anthropologists have discovered many early human dwellings and tools made from natural resources. This period is known as the Stone Age.
Birds are another animal that often build elaborate nests and simple tools out of many materials. Usually, they are not considered to be practicing a technical skill, mainly because the behavior is mostly instinctive. However, there is some evidence of episodic cultural transfer, especially among non-human primates. There is plenty of evidence of simple technology among animals other than humans.
The use and then mastery of fire (about half a million to a million years ago (HistoryWorld, 2006)) was a turning point in the evolution of human technology, providing a simple source of energy with many far-reaching uses. Perhaps the first use of fire for heating was in food preparation. It made it possible to greatly increase the number of food sources, both plant and animal, as it greatly reduced the rate of food spoilage.
Fire was then extended to the processing of natural materials, and allowed the utilization of natural materials that required fire. (The oldest projectile weapon found today is a fire-set wooden spear, about 250,000 years ago.) Wood and charcoal were the first substances used for energy. Wood, clay, and stone (e.g., limestone) were the first substances to be shaped and processed by fire to make processed goods such as weapons, pottery, bricks, and cement. Continuous improvement created furnaces and bellows, and the ability to refine and forge natural metals. Gold, copper, silver and lead were the first metals to be refined. The advantages of copper over stone, bone, and wooden tools were quickly demonstrated to early man, and natural copper was used around the beginning of the Neolithic period (about 8,000 B.C.). Natural copper did not exist in large quantities in nature, but copper ores were common, and some could be easily made from wood or charcoal.
The wheel was invented around the fourth millennium BC. Finally, the making of metals led to the invention of alloys such as bronze and brass (around the fourth millennium BC, known as the Bronze Age). The first use of iron alloys such as steel was then in the fourteenth millennium B.C. (the Iron Age).
In the meantime, humans learned to control other types of energy. The earliest known use of wind power was sailing. A book containing a sail was found in Egyptian wall paintings in the 3200s BC. From about prehistoric times, the Egyptians were using the "power of the Nile" to irrigate their land with annual floods, and gradually learned to manage their fields through the planned construction of irrigation canals and pools. Similarly, the early people of Mesopotamia, the Sumerians, would have come to use the Tigris and Euphrates for the same purpose. But more uses of wind and water power (and even human power) would require yet another invention.
[edit] Pre-modern technological developments
Tools consisted of simple machines (such as levers, screws, and pulleys) and more complex machines (such as clocks, engines, generators, motors, computers, radios, and space stations).
The major advances in communication were the invention of paper and movable type printing.
Cai Lun is generally considered to be the inventor of paper as it is now considered, as opposed to papyrus, which is woven from the stems of papyrus. He described the present method of making paper in 105 CE. Most of the early raw materials were rare and expensive. Paper remained a luxury for centuries until the invention of the steam paper machine in the nineteenth century, which removed fibers from the pulp to make paper. Coniferous trees such as spruce are generally utilized.
Movable type printing is a printing device that allows the same text to be printed on multiple copies of paper. The movable type, which allows a single character to be arranged into words, was invented by Bisheng in China between 1041 and 1048 CE. The first person to use movable type in mass-produced printing was Johannes Gutenberg, a German goldsmith and eventual printer, who introduced and popularized movable type printing in 1440 CE.
The Industrial Revolution was a major technological, social, economic, and cultural change in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It began in Britain and spread throughout the world. During this period, the manual-based economy was replaced by mechanical industries and manufacturing. It began with the mechanization of the textile industry and the development of ironmaking technology, as well as the expansion of trade through the introduction of canals, improved roads and railroad transportation. The introduction of steam engines (fueled mainly by coal) and power machinery (mainly in textile manufacturing) reinforced the dramatic increase in production. (Meier and Rauch, 2000) The development of all-metal machine tools in the first two decades of the nineteenth century fostered more productive machinery in other industries.
Cumulative circuitsWhen the complexity of tools increased, so did the kind of knowledge required to support them. Complex contemporary machinery requires a set of technical manuals of knowledge that is constantly being added to and improved, and its designers, builders, maintainers, and users often need years of general and specific training to become proficient at it. Even the tools can be so complex that they require tools, programs, and exercises in the fundamentals of engineering, medicine, and computer science to support them. Complex manufacturing and construction techniques and organizations are needed to build and maintain them. Entire industries are used to support and develop the next generation of more complex tools.
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