A Closer Look: Definition of Technology

The most general definition of technology is the application of science or knowledge to commerce and industry. Many fields of science have benefited from technology, as well as commerce and industry over the many centuries of human history. Perhaps the earliest known use of technology was in the Stone Age when the first knife or shovel was made from a piece of stone or obsidian. Technology has obviously come a long way since then.

Technology and inventiveness are closely related. Based on a defined need, the invention of a solution to the problem generates technology. Technology is, simply, the application of knowledge to solve problems or invent useful tools.

History of Technology

Technology has always been around, going back even to the Stone Age. The development of simple tools from wood or shards of rock show some of the first applications of knowledge to create technology to solve a problem. The discovery of fire, which provided a way to cook food and create heat and light, was also a step along the road of technology. These technological developments allowed people to accomplish tasks more easily and quickly.

As knowledge increased, history entered into the Bronze Age. The Bronze Age shows the evolving ability of man to work with metal and the ability to form stronger tools. The introduction of the wheel allowed people greater ability to travel and communicate.

Advances continued just as rapidly into the Iron Age where people developed the ability to work with harder metals than copper and tin. They developed the art of smelting iron and removing it from ore found in the earth. The Iron Age allowed for rapid increases in many branches of technology. Weapons making, development of tools that benefit civilization and greater ability to perform tasks, such as manufacturing and transportation, are just a few of the technological developments of the Iron Age. 

While each Age builds on the developments of the previous ones, new knowledge is obtained along the way. This new set of knowledge and the knowledge base of the past allow for new applications to the needs of society.

The breakthroughs of science and technology have be applied in many ways to commerce and industry. Some of the spin-offs of these breakthroughs eventually filter down to provide benefits for the average person. The best example of this is products that were invented during the space program, which have allowed engineers and other scientists to use these to new products and materials in manufacturing.

Advanced Technology

Technology, the application of science, is not limited to only physical applications and physical tools. Benefits can be achieved through the application of new methods of thinking or new insights into the general knowledge base. The one of the biggest applications of this type is computers and the Internet. While computers are tangible items, their ability to perform basic thinking processes much faster enables business and commerce to proceed much more efficiently.

The Internet has no tangible component and yet it has changed the life of virtually every person on the planet. Information is available to anyone with access in the matter of moments and is up to date and provides real time information about events around the world. Even communication has been revolutionized by the Internet. Not only can letters be sent through the Internet, but pictures, audio and video information can also be sent as well.

The people that have the most to do with technology are engineers that apply scientific information and principles to solve problems. These solutions are technology. The type of technology developed can be classified into groups based on the branch of science from which they grew. Some examples of these are medical technology, nuclear technology and computer technology. Blends of different fields further the diversity of technology and benefit various branches of science in unexpected ways. Nuclear imaging is one an example of this type of blending. As the understanding of nuclear science advanced, instruments were developed to allow doctors to see inside the human body and watch what was going on. Ultrasound, MRI and CAT scans are just a few of these technologies.