The word, technology, is a broad term and refers to things that are created by human beings such as machines. Technology also includes the methods that are used to create those machines. Technology can also be used to refer to a way that you will do something. This word stems from the Greek language, with the first part, techno, meaning craft and the second part, logia, meaning saying. So, when you look at technology, it could mean the articulation of what a craft is, and that is the technology.
Today, when we hear people talking about technology, we think of highfalutin technology like computers and cell phones and space rockets. But thousands of years ago, when anthropologists used the word technology, they were using it in their way of controlling fire. The first technological tools were simple hand-made axes that in turn created the wheel, to today, with our fast motor cars.
Major Technological Progress Over the Years
Over the years since those simple-made axes, technological progress has accelerated at a really rapid pace. Today we have the telescopes, the microscope, clocks, engines, generators, nuclear power, weapons, to name a few. This development is continuing very strongly today, fuelled by some economies from the very prosperous nations. The real cutting-edge technologies that we are seeing today come from our computers, nanotechnology, renewable energy, space, entertaining and not forgetting the massive strides in medicine technology.
People are asking if technology is the ultimate solution to all of our daily lives, then what about our environment? Modern and rapidly developing new technologies have a big effect on the environment and that is one massive problem in itself. But of course, there are advantages to technology as well as disadvantages. One improvement that technology is responsible for is communication. We now have so many hi-tech gadgets that help up communicate with people as if they are sitting with us in our living room.
Advancements in Communication and Health Technologies
The telephone, the cell phone, the internet are all wonderful ways of communication. The disadvantage for instance is that too many people can communicate with us all at the time, creating scamming and spamming in a heap of different ways. Today our youth are practically addicted to their smart phone and it is the only means of communicating they know with their friends and keeping in touch. We as humans are losing the art of social interaction and communication; it is much too easy and simpler with a machine.
Health is one factor that has been greatly enhanced by technology. Our lives are so different today from days gone by with so many miraculous breakthroughs of medicine and other fantastic discoveries. Our lives have certainly been lengthened today with modern medicine technologies, but in doing that we have massive population explosions on our over-burdened earth, with over seven billion people on our planet today.
Animals and Nature are Fighting Back
With strides in technology, our way of living has also been improved but on the other hand, a lot of people lose their jobs because manpower has been replaced by these wonderful machines. There are heaps of exciting improvements that are improving our lives today, but at the same time, we cannot just ignore the disadvantages. We are also starting to count the cost of technology and we are seeing it today in the way our natural environment is starting to fight back for its own very survival. It is man, in his greed, in search of a better and easier life, continues in his quest for newer and better technologies, which unfortunately only time will reveal the negative consequences, of which we are already witnessing.
