Introduction.

TECHNOLOGY !

I.1 What is technology?
I.2 First Inventors
I.3 How science affects technology
I.4 Discussion questions

I.1 What is technology?

Think for a moment what it might be like to live in the 14th century. Image that you could travel back in time and found yourself in a small European village in 1392. What do you think you would find? How would you cook your food? Would you use an oven, a fire, or a microwave? How would you eat your food? Do you think you could use a plastic cup to drink your milk? How would you go from one city to the next? Could you get on a train or would you have to walk or ride a horse? How would you send a message to your mom telling her you’ll be late for dinner? Can you email her or call her on your cell phone? Do you think you could find pink spandex shorts or would they have to be made of brown cotton? Think for a moment how different everything would be if you were to live in the 14th century.Many of the items you use today are a result of technology. Your cell phone, microwave oven, washing machine, and plastic cup are all the result of scientific discoveries combined with engineering that have allow people to invent products that have improved the way people live. Technological advances have improved our health, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, how we travel, and how we communicate with one another. There are a few drawbacks to some aspects of technology but overall technology has greatly improved many aspects of living for most people. The word technology comes from the Greek words techne which means “craft” and logy which means “scientific study of.” So technology means the “scientific study of craft.” Craft in this case, means any method or invention that allow humans to control or adapt to their environment.

I.2 The first inventor

How did technology get started? Inventions and tool making have been around for as long as mankind have walked the earth. But modern technology began once scientific thought (philosophy), astronomy, and mathematics began to blend together sometime after the 15th century. The first inventor who combined engineering with science was Archimedes of Syracuse . He is credited with inventing the Archimedian screw for raising water, which is still used in Egypt. He is also credited with inventing the cross-staff for use in astronomy, and the odometer which measures how far someone has traveled. The most famous story about Archimedes is when he was told by the king to find out if the king’s crown was made of solid gold. He had to figure out a way to test if the king’s crown was made of gold without melting it. This was a puzzle for Archimedes. It is said that one day he noticed that his body would displace the bath water. Seeing this he realized he could use the displacement of water as a way to measure the crown’s volume (and thus its density upon weighing it). The story goes that at this point Archimedes jumped out of the tub and ran through the streets naked shouting “Eureka I have found it!” No one is certain if the story is true, but it does give you an idea how exciting new discoveries in technology can be!

I.3 How science shapes technology

Before formal scientific disciplines, such as chemistry, physics, astronomy and biology were defined, many early inventors simply experimented with items around them trying to come up with ways to improve their lives. Inventions and discoveries often happen by accident. Glass, for example, is said to have been discovered by Phoenician sailors in 4000 BC. The story goes that while cooking their pots on nitrate blocks the blocks were melted by the fire and mixed with the sand below creating a crude glass. No one could have guessed at the time, but these sailors helped pave the way for Galileo and others to use telescopes for observing the stars. The earliest star gazers had no way to see beyond what they could observe in the sky with their own eyes. However, for these early atronomers, the technology for seeing beyond our solar system and galaxy did not yet exist. In the early 1600s Galileo Galilei observed the heavens through the first telescope. It took both the scientific idea that glass could magnify far away objects, and the craft of glass making for the first telescope to be invented. Improvements in how far a telescope could magnify were accelerated by Sir Issac Newton’s ideas for using a curved mirror rather than glass for the lens. Because Newton understood the science of light called optics, he was able to add to the technological advance of the telescope.

Modern technology has changed people's life and people have attempted to use modern technology to improve the length and quality of life. Yet, while modern technology has given people more convenience, it also has negative effects on human life.Fristly,since the industrial revolution, society has become more and more dependent on technology. So much so that we sometimes lack the willingness to think before we act. We expect immediate responses to our email, and we expect someone to answer their cell phone whenever and wherever we call. People are becoming more lazy,for choosing to stay at home and play video games than go to a basketball game or get together with friends. Secondly,while modern technology has greatly improved the overall health of humankind, it has also afforded it the means to kill more people in a shorter period of time than was once possible. Although the ultimate usefulness of nuclear weapons is a matter of ongoing debate, they do, for the first time in history, provide humans with the means of bringing themselves to a rapid extinction.Thirdly, the development of modern technology has made people less creative than they used to be. Using technology is much more effective, but a people touch in our works and being creative are no less important. Before the fame of technology, we used to make scrapbooks and draw posters manually with our own hands. Unfortunately, now all those are out of practice. Most people now prefer to make posters or brochures using computer, which cut down their creativity.Moreover, modern technology also has harmed on environment.Technology such as the invention of vehicles, air-conditioning and other advanced gadgets have caused air pollution. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are released into the air, causing global warming. Industrialization have also contributed to much of these.It that can surely harm us slowly.In short, modern technology has negative effects on human life and people need to adjust it to serve their benefits.

Technology, especially in the form of computers, is very important to the education system, both in terms of supporting educational matters as well as enhancing the learning process of the students. With computers, students can do research much more efficiently, and some have suggested that this actually leads to better student performance, especially in the science subjects. With technology, teachers can also do their jobs better. Teachers can make their lessons more interactive, therefore bettering the learning experience for the students. Teachers now can use the Internet, having access to many more resources than they had in the past, and since most of the resources don't cost any money at all, it avoids any financial burden that would otherwise be placed on the school's financing.
Technology has also become a great way to improve communication and computation, especially in the business world. Now, routine tasks, administrative functions and tedious oversight responsibilities can be handled through programmed computer systems, relieving a huge burden on companies that are strained for time and personnel.