Table of Contents
What does Technology mean to you?
Technology today means many different things. When we think of technology, we think of devices like laptops, mobile phones, and tablets. It can also conjure up images of the internet, data, and technological advances. But this is a narrower concept, and technology includes many creative solutions to many of the everyday problems that humanity has faced throughout history. So what is technology?
From the simplest inventions to complex systems that have nothing to do with the human experience, technology is used all over the world to help people’s lives. Technology has revolutionized society in countless ways, enabling early humans to grow their food, travel on the high seas, since time and connect societies worldwide. They have changed the way we solve problems, from textbooks to technology, because technology makes it easier to work. This course describes these technological changes and gives an overview of what technology is.
Definition of Technology
The application of scientific knowledge is defined as practical purposes or applications. Technology is the use and application of scientific principles to change the human environment. Technology can also use scientific principles to develop industry and other human structures. There have been problems in the human environment that have existed throughout history. Problems are the cause of technological development. Adversity and tension give rise to ingenuity and creativity. Technology is a means to enhance the human experience by finding solutions to problems in these environments.
Types of Technologies
There are different types of technologies depending on how they have been invented and applied throughout history and the problems they have solved. Types of technology include engineering technology, medical technology, communication technology, electronics technology, industrial and manufacturing technology, etc. Each of these technologies has a different purpose, a different field of application, and a different use, but they all have one thing in common: they solve problems.
Engineering Technologies
Engineering is one of the simplest technologies, both in terms of applications and design. Mechanical engineering uses simple machines to solve problems. It involves the use of pulleys, levers, wheels and axles, wedges, ramps, and even gears. Mechanical engineering is used to do mechanical work, which mainly means any work that involves moving objects. The machines, generators, and tools used to do the work are engineering technology.
In ancient times, the shovel was used as a lever to pump water from dug wells.
An example of mechanical engineering is the shaded roof.
Mechanical Technology
Mechanical technologies are simple, but it has led to very significant advances in the human experience. Early humans used wheels to move heavy objects quickly and easily. The first wheels were found in ancient Mesopotamia and are believed to have been used as throwing sticks for clay vessels. In ancient Egypt and India, a hand lever or lever arm ‘shaduf’ was invented to draw water to irrigate crops. The ancient Greek philosopher Archimedes was the first to document that simple machines such as pulleys, levers, and ramps were machines. During the Industrial Revolution, engineering principles were applied to the development of engines that used a piston system to generate the large forces needed to power trains and factories. Today, mechanical technology is used in many engineering tasks, such as moving vehicles, lifting heavy loads, and moving goods.
Medical Technology
The application of scientific principles to solve health problems, prevent or delay disease and promote human health in general. Medical technology is used to prevent, diagnose, treat and monitor symptoms and diseases. They include the manufacture of drugs and medicines, X-ray, magnetic resonance, and ultrasound examinations to investigate diseases of the body. Respirators are another medical technology used to help people breathe. Medical technology also includes devices invented and used specifically for medical procedures, from stethoscopes to scalpels.
Magnetic resonance imaging scans the internal organs of a person and helps doctors diagnose diseases.
MRI is a medical technology.
Communication Technology
Communication technologies are the application of scientific knowledge to communication. This includes everything from telegraphs to landlines and mobile phones. Mobile phones are also called Mobile Technology. The Internet is part of communications technology because it is a system that allows information to be transmitted without restriction. Communication technology also includes systems that enable efficient and effective communication, such as communication satellites.
Electronics Technology
The application of the scientific knowledge of electricity to the performance of tasks and functions is called Electronics technology. Electronics refers to the various electronic devices in use today, such as tablets, laptops, telephones, and other gadgets that are computers powered by electricity and are called gadgets. However, electrical engineering includes all devices that use electricity. These include washing machines, light bulbs, and toasters. Electronics use a circuit system to achieve a purpose. Systems can be as simple as a lighting circuit or as complex as a computer. Regardless of the complexity of the system, anything that uses electricity is considered electronic technology.