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8/6/2019 Humanity Has Passed Through a Long History of One
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Humanity has passed through a long history of one-sidedness and of a social condition that has
always contained the potential of destruction, despite its creative achievements in technology. The
great project of our time must be to open the other eye: to see all-sidedly and wholly, to heal and
transcend the cleavage between humanity and nature that came with early wisdom. LESS
Share
Murray Bookchin
Technology ... the knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it.
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Max Frisch
Technology
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
By the mid 20th century, humans had achieved a mastery of technology sufficient to leave the
atmosphere of the Earth for the first time andexplore space.
Technology is the making, usage and knowledge oftools, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of
organization in order to solve a problem or serve some purpose. The wordtechnologycomes
from Greek (technologa); from (tchn), meaning "art, skill, craft", and - (-
loga), meaning "study of-".[1]
The term can either be applied generally or to specific areas: examples
include construction technology, medical technology, and information technology.
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Tec
es s
c
y
ec
s
e
s
e
s ec es
y
c
e
e v
e
s The human s ec es use of technology began with theconve sion of
natural resources into simple tools Theprehistorical discovery of the ability to control fire increased
the availablesources of food and the invention of thewheel helped humans in travelling in and
controlling their environment. Recent technological developments including theprinting press
thetelephone
and theInternet, have lessened physical barriers to communication and allowedhumans to interact freely on a global scale. However, not all technology has been used for peaceful
purposes the development ofweapons ofever-increasing destructive power has progressed
throughout history, from clubs to nuclear weapons.
Technology has affected society and itssurroundings in a number of ways. In manysocieties,
technology has helped develop more advancedeconomies(including today sglobal economy) and
has allowed the rise of a leisureclass. Many technological processes produce unwanted by-products,
known aspollution, and deplete natural resources, to the detriment of theEarth and
itsenvironment. Various implementations of technology influence thevalues of a society and new
technology often raises new ethical questions. Examples include the rise of the notion
ofefficiency in terms of human productivity, a term originally applied only to machines, and thechallenge of traditional norms.
Philosophical debates have arisen over the present and future use of technology in society, with
disagreements over whether technology improves thehuman condition or worsens it. Neo-
uddism, anarcho-primitivism, and similar movementscriticise the pervasiveness of technology in
the modern world, opining that it harms theenvironment and alienates people proponents of
ideologiessuch astranshumanism and techno-progressivismview continued technological progress
as beneficial to society and the human condition. Indeed, until recently, it was believed that the
development of technology was restricted only to human beings, but recent scientificstudies
indicate that other primates and certain dolphincommunities have developed simple tools and
learned to pass their knowledge to other generations.
Cont! nts
[hide]
y 1 Definition and usagey 2Science, engineering and technologyy 3 History
o 3.1 Paleolithic(2.5 million 10,000BC)
3.1.1Stone tools 3.1.2Fire 3.1.3Clothing and shelter
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o 3.2 Neolithic through Classical Antiquity(10,000BC 300AD) 3.2.1 Metal tools 3.2.2 Energy and Transport
o 3.3 Medieval and Modern history(300 AD )y 4 Technology and philosophy
o 4.1 Technicismo 4.2 Optimismo 4.3Skepticism and Critics of Technologyo 4.4 Appropriate technology
y 5 Technology and competitivenessy 6 Other animal speciesy 7Future technologyy 8See also
o 8.1 Theories and concepts in technologyo 8.2 Economics of technology
y 9 Referencesy 10Further readingy 11 External links
Definition and usage
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The invention of theprinting press made it possible for scientists and politicians to communicate
their ideas with ease, leading to the Age of Enlightenment; an example of technology as a cultural
force.
The use of the term technologyhas changed significantly over the last 200 years. Before the 20thcentury, the term was uncommon in English, and usually referred to the description or study of the
useful arts.[2] The term was often connected to technical education, as in the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology " chartered in 1861 # .[3]
"Technology" rose to prominence in the 20th century in
connection with the second industrial revolution. The meanings of technology changed in the early
20th century when American social scientists, beginning withThorstein Veblen, translated ideas
from the German concept ofTechnik into "technology." In German and other European languages, a
distinction exists between Technikand Technologie that is absent in English, as both terms are
usually translated as "technology." By the 1930s, "technology" referred not to the study of the
industrial arts, but to the industrial arts themselves.[4] In 1937, the American sociologist Read Bain
wrote that "technology includes all tools, machines, utensils, weapons, instruments, housing,
clothing, communicating and transporting devices and the skills by which we produce and use
them."[5]
Bain's definition remains common among scholars today, especially social scientists. But
equally prominent is the definition of technology as applied science, especially among scientists and
engineers, although most social scientists who study technology reject this definition.[6] More
recently, scholars have borrowed from European philosophers of "technique" to extend the meaning
of technology to various forms of instrumental reason, as in Foucault's work ontechnologies of the
self " "techniques de soi"# .
Dictionaries and scholars have offered a variety of definitions. TheMerriam-Websterdictionary
offers a definition of the term: "the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area"
and "a capability given by the practical application of knowledge".[1]
Ursula Franklin, in her 1989
"Real World of Technology" lecture, gave another definition of the concept; it is "practice, the way
we do things around here".[7] The term is often used to imply a specific field of technology, or to
refer tohigh technology or just consumer electronics, rather than technology as a whole.[8]
Bernard
Stiegler, in Technics and Time, 1, defines technology in two ways: as "the pursuit of life by means
other than life", and as "organized inorganic matter."[9]
Technology can be most broadly defined as the entities, both material and immaterial, created by
the application of mental and physical effort in order to achieve some value. In this usage,
technology refers to tools and machines that may be used to solve real-world problems. It is a far-
reaching term that may include simple tools, such as acrowbar or wooden spoon, or more complex
machines, such as aspace station or particle accelerator. Tools and machines need not be material;virtual technology, such as computer software and business methods, fall under this definition of
technology.[10]
The word "technology" can also be used to refer to a collection of techniques. In this context, it is
the current state of humanity's knowledge of how to combine resources to produce desired
products, to solve problems, fulfill needs, or satisfy wants; it includes technical methods, skills,
processes, techniques, tools and raw materials. When combined with another term, such as
"medical technology" or "space technology", it refers to the state of the respective field's knowledge
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and tools. "State-of-the-art technology" refers to thehigh technology available to humanity in any
field.
Technologycan beviewed as an activity that forms or changesculture.[11]
Additionally, technology is
the application of math, science, and the arts for the benefit of life as it is known. A modern example
is the rise ofcommunication technology, which has lessened barriers to human interaction and, as a
result, has helped spawn new subcultures$ the rise ofcyberculture has, at its basis, the development
of theInternet and thecomputer.[12]
Not all technologyenhancesculture in a creative way $
technologycan also help facilitate political oppression and war via toolssuch as guns. Asa cultural
activity, technology predates both science and engineering, each of which formalizesome aspects of
technological endeavor.
Science, engineering and technology
The distinction between science, engineering and technology is not alwaysclear.Science is
thereasoned investigation or study of phenomena, aimed at discovering enduring principles among
elements of thephenomenal world byemploying formal techniquessuch as thescientificmethod.
[13]Technologies are not usuallyexclusively products ofscience, because they have to satisfy
requirementssuch asutility, usability and safety.
Engineering is thegoal-oriented process of designing and making tools and systems to exploit
natural phenomena for practical human means, often (but not always) using results and techniques
from science. The development of technology may draw upon many fields of knowledge, including
scientific, engineering, mathematical, linguistic, and historical knowledge, to achievesome practical
result.
Technology is often a consequence ofscience and engineering although technology as a human
activity precedes the two fields. For example, science might study the flow ofelectrons in electricalconductors, by using already-existing tools and knowledge. This new-found knowledge may then be
used byengineers to create new tools and machines, such assemiconductors, computers, and other
forms of advanced technology. In thissense, scientists and engineers may both beconsidered
technologists $ the three fields are often considered as one for the purposes of research and
reference.[14]
Theexact relations between science and technology in particular have been debated byscientists,
historians, and policymakers in the late20th century, in part because the debatecan inform the
funding of basic and applied science. In the immediate wake ofWorld War II, for example, in the
United States it was widelyconsidered that technology wassimply "applied science" and that to
fund basicscience was to reap technological results in due time. An articulation of this philosophycould be found explicitly in Vannevar Bush's treatise on postwar science policy, ScienceThe End
%
ess
Fron & ier: "New products, new industries, and morejobs requirecontinuous additions to knowledge
of the laws of nature... Thisessential new knowledgecan be obtained only through basicscientific
research." In the late-1960s, however, thisview came under direct attack, leading towards initiatives
to fund science for specific tasks(initiatives resisted by thescientificcommunity). The issue remains
contentiousthough most analysts resist the model that technologysimply is a result ofscientific
research.[15][16]
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History
Main articles: History of technologyandTimeline of historic inventions
Paleolithic (2.5 million 10,000 BC)
A primitive chopper
The use of tools by early humans was partly a process of discovery, partly of evolution. Early humans
evolved from a species offoraginghominids which were already bipedal,[17] with a brain mass
approximately one third that of modern humans.[18]
Tool use remained relatively unchanged formost of early human history, but approximately50,000 years ago, acomplex set of behaviors and
tool use emerged, believed by many archaeologists to be connected to the emergence of fully
modern language.[19]
Stonetools
Hand axes from the Acheulianperiod
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A ' lovis point, made viapressure flaking
Human ancestors have been using stone and other tools since long before the emergence ofHomo
sapiens approximately 200,000 years ago.[20]
The earliest methods ofstone tool making, known as
the Oldowan "industry", date back to at least 2.3 million years ago,[21]
with the earliest direct
evidence of tool usage found inEthiopia within the Great Rift Valley, dating back to 2.5 million years
ago.[22] This era of stone tool use is called the Paleolithic, or "Old stone age", and spans all of human
history up to the development ofagriculture approximately 12,000 years ago.
To make a stone tool, a "core" of hard stone with specific flaking properties ( such as flint ) was struck
with a hammerstone. This flaking produced a sharp edge on the core stone as well as on the flakes,
either of which could be used as tools, primarily in the form ofchoppers or scrapers.[23] These tools
greatly aided the early humans in theirhunter-gatherer lifestyle to perform a variety of tasks
including butchering carcasses ( and breaking bones to get at themarrow ) ; chopping wood; cracking
open nuts; skinning an animal for itshide; and even forming other tools out of softer materials such
as bone and wood.[24]
The earliest stone tools were crude, being little more than a fractured rock. In theAcheulian era,
beginning approximately 1.65 million years ago, methods of working these stone into specific
shapes, such as hand axes emerged. The Middle Paleolithic, approximately 300,000 years ago, saw
the introduction of theprepared-core technique, where multiple blades could be rapidly formed
from a single core stone.[23] The Upper Paleolithic, beginning approximately40,000 years ago, saw
the introduction ofpressure flaking, where a wood, bone, or antlerpunch could be used to shape a
stone very finely.[25]
Fire
The discovery and utilization of fire, a simple energy source with many profound uses, was a turning
point in the technological evolution of humankind.[26] The exact date of its discovery is not known;
evidence of burnt animal bones at the 0 radle of Humankind suggests that the domestication of fire
occurred before 1,000,000 B 0 ;[27] scholarly consensus indicates thatHomo erectus had controlled
fire by between 500,000 B 0 and 400,000 B 0 .[28][29]
Fire, fueled with wood and charcoal, allowed early
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humans to cook their food to increase its digestibility, improving its nutrient value and broadening
the number of foods that could be eaten.[30]
Clothing andshelter
Other technological advances made during the Paleolithic era wereclothing and shelter; the
adoption of both technologies cannot be dated exactly, but they were a key to humanity's progress.As the Paleolithic era progressed, dwellings became more sophisticated and more elaborate; as early
as 380,000 B 1 , humans were constructing temporary wood huts.[31][32] 1 lothing, adapted from the fur
and hides of hunted animals, helped humanity expand into colder regions; humans began
to migrate out of Africa by 200,000 B 1 and into other continents, such asEurasia.[33]
Neolithicthrough Classical Antiquity(10,000BC 300AD)
An array of Neolithic artifacts, including bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools.
Man's technological ascent began in earnest in what is known as theNeolithic period 2 "New stone
age" 3 . The invention of polishedstone axes was a major advance because it allowed forest clearance
on a large scale to create farms. The discovery ofagriculture allowed for the feeding of larger
populations, and the transition to asedentist lifestyle increased the number of children that could
be simultaneously raised, as young children no longer needed to be carried, as was the case with the
nomadic lifestyle. Additionally, children could contribute labor to the raising of crops more readily
than they could to the hunter-gatherer lifestyle.[34][35]
With this increase in population and availability of labor came an increase in labor
specialization.[36]
What triggered the progression from early Neolithic villages to the first cities, such
as Uruk, and the first civilizations, such as Sumer, is not specifically known; however, the emergence
of increasinglyhierarchical social structures, the specialization of labor, trade and war amongst
adjacent cultures, and the need for collective action to overcome environmental challenges, such as
the building ofdikes and reservoirs, are all thought to have played a role.[37]
Metaltools
1 ontinuing improvements led to thefurnace and bellows and provided the ability
to smelt and forge native metals 2 naturally occurring in relatively pure form3 .[38]
Gold, copper, silver,
and lead, were such early metals. The advantages of copper tools over stone, bone, and wooden
tools were quickly apparent to early humans, and native copper was probably used from near the
beginning ofNeolithic times 2 about 8000 B 1 3 .[39] Native copper does not naturally occur in large
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amounts, but copper ores are quite common and some of them produce metal easily when burned
in wood or charcoal fires. Eventually, the working of metals led to the discovery ofalloys such
as bronze and brass 4 about 4000 B5 6
. The first uses of iron alloys such assteeldates to around 1400
B 5 .
Energy andTransport
The wheel was invented circa 4000 B 5 .
Meanwhile, humans were learning to harness other forms of energy. The earliest known use of wind
power is the sailboat.[40]
The earliest record of a ship under sail is shown on an Egyptian pot dating
back to 3200 B 5 .[41]
From prehistoric times, Egyptians probably used the power of the Nile annual
floods to irrigate their lands, gradually learning to regulate much of it through purposely built
irrigation channels and 'catch' basins. Similarly, the early peoples of Mesopotamia, the Sumerians,
learned to use the Tigris and Euphrates rivers for much the same purposes. But more extensive use
of wind and water 4 and even human6 power required another invention.
According to archaeologists, thewheel was invented around 4000 B. 5 . probably independently and
nearly-simultaneously in Mesopotamia 4 in present-day Iraq 6 , the Northern 5 aucasus 4 Maykop
culture6 and 5 entral Europe. Estimates on when this may have occurred range from5500 to 3000
B. 5 ., with most experts putting it closer to 4000 B. 5 . The oldest artifacts with drawings that depict
wheeled carts date from about 3000 B. 5 .; however, the wheel may have been in use for millennia
before these drawings were made. There is also evidence from the same period of time that wheels
were used for the production ofpottery. 4 Note that the original potter's wheel was probably not a
wheel, but rather an irregularly shaped slab of flat wood with a small hollowed or pierced area near
the center and mounted on a peg driven into the earth. It would have been rotated by repeated tugs
by the potter or his assistant. 6 More recently, the oldest-known wooden wheel in the world was
found in the Ljubljana marshes of Slovenia.[42]
The invention of the wheel revolutionized activities as disparate as transportation, war, and the
production of pottery 4 for which it may have been first used 6 . It didn't take long to discover that
wheeled wagons could be used to carry heavy loads and fast 4 rotary 6 potters' wheels enabled early
mass production of pottery. But it was the use of the wheel as a transformer of energy 4 through
water wheels, windmills, and even treadmills6 that revolutionized the application of nonhuman
power sources.
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Medieval and Modern history 7 300 A8 )
Mainarticles:Medieval technolog9
@ Renaissance technolog9
@ Industrial Revolution@ Secondindustrial
revolution@ andProductivity improving technologies (historical)
Innovationscontinued through theMiddle Ages with new innovationssuch assilk, thehorse
collar and horseshoes in the first few hundred years after the fall of theRoman Empire. Medievaltechnologysaw the use ofsimple machines(such as thelever, thescrew, and thepulley) being
combined to form morecomplicated tools, such as thewheelbarrow, windmills and clocks.
TheRenaissancebrought forth many of these innovations, including theprinting press(which
facilitated the greater communication of knowledge), and technology became increasingly
associated with science, beginning a cycle of mutual advancement. The advancements in technology
in thisera allowed a moresteadysupply of food, followed by the wider availability ofconsumer
goods.
Starting in the United Kingdom in the18th century, theIndustrial Revolution was a period of great
technological discovery, particularly in the areas
ofagriculture, manufacturing, mining, metallurgy andtransport, driven by the discovery ofsteampower. Technology later took another step with the harnessing ofelectricity to createsuch
innovations as theelectric motor, light bulb and countless others. Scientific advancement and the
discovery of new concepts later allowed for powered flight, and advancements
in medicine, chemistry, physics and engineering. The rise in technology has led to theconstruction
ofskyscrapers and largecities whose inhabitants rely on automobiles or other powered transit for
transportation. Communication was also improved with the invention of
thetelegraph,telephone, radio and television.
Thesecond half of the20th century brought a host of new innovations. Inphysics, the discovery
ofnuclear fission has led to both nuclear weapons and nuclear power. Computers were also
invented and later miniaturized utilizing transistors and integrated circuits. These advancements
subsequently led to thecreation of theInternet. Humans have also been able to explore
space with satellites(later used for telecommunication) and in manned missions going all the way to
the moon. In medicine, thisera brought innovationssuch asopen-heart surgery and later stem cell
therapy along with newmedications and treatments.
Complex manufacturing and construction techniques and organizations are needed to construct and
maintain these new technologies, and entireindustries have arisen to support and develop
succeeding generations of increasingly morecomplex tools. Modern technology increasingly relies
on training and education their designers, builders, maintainers, and users often require
sophisticated general and specific training. Moreover, these technologies have becomeso complex
that entire fields have been created to support them, including engineering, medicine, and computerscience, and other fields have been made morecomplex, such
asconstruction, transportation and architecture.
Technology and philosophy
Technicis A
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Generally, technicism is a reliance or confidence in technology as a benefactor ofsociety. Taken to
extreme, technicism is the belief that humanity will ultimately be able to control theentirety of
existence using technology. In other words, human beings will someday be ableto master all
problems and possiblyeven control the future using technology. Some, such asStephen V.
Monsma,[43]connect these ideas to the abdication of religion as a higher moral authority.
OptiB is B
See also: Extropianism
Optimistic assumptions are made by proponents of ideologiessuch
astranshumanism and singularitarianism, which view technological development as generally having
beneficial effects for thesociety and the human condition. In these ideologies, technological
development is morally good. Somecriticssee these ideologies asexamples
ofscientism and techno-utopianism and fear the notion ofhuman enhancement and technological
singularity which theysupport. Some have describedKarl Marx as a techno-optimist.[44]
Skepticis
C
and Critics ofTechnolo
D
y
See also: Luddite, Neo-luddism,Anarcho-primitivism, andBioconservatism
On thesomewhat skeptical side arecertain philosophers likeHerbert Marcuse and John Zerzan, who
believe that technological societies are inherently flawed. Theysuggest that the inevitable result of
such a society is to becomeevermore technological at thecost of freedom and psychological health.
Many, such as theLuddites and prominent philosopherMartin Heidegger, hold serious, although not
entirely deterministic reservations, about technology(see "The Question Concerning
Technology[45])". According to Heidegger scholarsHubert Dreyfus and CharlesSpinosa, "Heidegger
does not oppose technology. He hopes to reveal theessence of technology in a way that 'in no way
confines us to a stultified compulsion to push on blindly with technology or, what comes to thesame
thing, to rebel helplessly against it.' Indeed, he promises that 'when we once open ourselves
expressly to theessence of technology, we find ourselves unexpectedly taken into a freeing
claim.'[46]
" What thisentails is a morecomplex relationship to technology than either techno-
optimists or techno-pessimists tend to allow.[47]
Some of the most poignant criticisms of technology are found in what are now considered to be
dystopian literaryclassics, for exampleAldous Huxley'sBrave New Worldand other
writings, AnthonyBurgess'sA Clockwork Orange, andGeorge Orwell'sNineteen Eighty-Four. And,
in FaustbyGoethe, Faust'sselling hissoul to the devil in return for power over the physical world, is
also often interpreted as a metaphor for the adoption of industrial technology. More recently,
modern works ofscience fiction, such as those byPhilip K. Dick and WilliamGibson, and films
(e.g. Blade Runner,Ghost in theShell) project highly ambivalent or cautionary attitudes toward
technology's impact on human society and identity.
The latecultural criticNeil Postman distinguished tool-using societies from technological societies
and, finally, what hecalled "technopolies," that is, societies that are dominated by the ideology of
technological and scientific progress, to theexclusion or harm of other cultural practices, values and
world-views.[48]
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Darin Barney has written about technology's impact on practices ofcitizenship and democratic
culture, suggesting that technologycan beconstrued as(1) an object of political debate, (2) a means
or medium of discussion, and (3) a setting for democratic deliberation and citizenship. As a setting
for democraticculture, Barneysuggests that technology tends to makeethical questions, including
the question of what a good lifeconsists in, nearly impossible, because they already give an answer
to the question: a good life is one that includes the use of more and more technology.
[49]
Nikolas Kompridis has also written about the dangers of new technology, such asgenetic
engineering, nanotechnology, synthetic biology and robotics. He warns that these technologies
introduce unprecedented new challenges to human beings, includingthe possibility of the
permanent alteration of our biological nature. Theseconcerns areshared by other philosophers,
scientists and public intellectuals who have written about similar issues(e.g. Francis
Fukuyama, Jrgen Habermas, William Joy, and Michael Sandel).[50]
Another prominent critic of technology isHubert Dreyfus, who has published booksOn the
Internetand What Computers Still Can't Do.
Another, more infamous anti-technological treatise isIndustrial SocietyandIts Future, writtenbyTheodore Kaczynski(aka TheUnabomber) and printed in several major newspapers(and later
books) as part of an effort to end his bombing campaign of the techno-industrial infrastructure.
Appropriate technoloE
y
See also: TechnocriticismandTechnorealism
The notion ofappropriate technology, however, was developed in the20th century(e.g., see the
work ofJacques Ellul) to describesituations where it was not desirable to usevery new technologies
or those that required access to somecentralized infrastructure or parts or skills imported from
elsewhere. Theeco-village movement emerged in part due to thisconcern.
Technology and competitiveness
In 1983 a classified program was initiated in theUS intelligencecommunity to reverse the US
declining economic and militarycompetitiveness. The program,Project Socrates, used all source
intelligence to review competitiveness worldwide for all forms ofcompetition to determine the
source of the US decline. What Project Socrates determined was that technologyexploitation is the
foundation of all competitive advantage and that thesource of the US declining competitiveness was
the fact that decision-making through the US both in the private and publicsectors had switched
from decision making that was based on technologyexploitation (i.e., technology-based planning) to
decision making that was based on moneyexploitation (i.e., economic-based planning) at theend of
World War II.
Technology is properly defined as any application ofscience to accomplish a function. Thescience
can be leading edge or well established and the function can have high visibility or besignificantly
more mundane but it is all technology, and itsexploitation is the foundation of all competitive
advantage.
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Technology-based planning is what was used to build the US industrial giants before WWII
F e.g., Dow, DuPont, GM G and it what was used to transform the US into a superpower. It was not
economic-based planning.
Project Socrates determined that to rebuild US competitiveness, decision making through out the US
had to readopt technology-based planning. Project Socrates also determined that countries like
H hina and India had continued executing technology-based F while the US took its detour into
economic-basedG planning, and as a result had considerable advanced the process and were using it
to build themselves into superpowers. To rebuild US competitiveness the US decision-makers
needed adopt a form of technology-based planning that was far more advanced than that used by
H hina and India.
Project Socrates determined that technology-based planning makes an evolutionary leap forward
every few hundred years and the next evolutionary leap, the Automated Innovation Revolution, was
poised to occur. In the Automated Innovation Revolution the process fordetermining how to acquire
and utilize technology for a competitive advantage F which includes R&DG is automated so that it can
be executed with unprecedented speed, efficiency and agility.
Project Socrates developed the means for automated innovation so that the US could lead the
Automated Innovation Revolution in order to rebuild and maintain the country's economic
competitiveness for many generations.[51][52][53]
Other animal species
This adult gorilla uses a branch as awalking stick to gauge the water's depth; an example of
technology usage by primates.
The use of basic technology is also a feature of other animal species apart from humans. These
include primates such as chimpanzees, some dolphincommunities,[54][55] and crows.
[56][57] H onsidering
a more generic perspective of technology as ethology of active environmental conditioning and
control, we can also refer to animal examples such as beavers and their dams, or bees and their
honeycombs.
The ability to make and use tools was once considered a defining characteristic of the
genus Homo.[58] However, the discovery of tool construction among chimpanzees and related
primates has discarded the notion of the use of technology as unique to humans. For example,
researchers have observed wild chimpanzees utilising tools for foraging: some of the tools used
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include leafsponges, termite fishing probes, pestles and levers.[59]
West Africanchimpanzees also use
stone hammers and anvils for cracking nuts,[60]
as do capuchin monkeys ofBoa Vista, Brazil.[61]
Bane is a Modern English word meaning "that which causes ruin or woe",
Some peopleconsider technology bane because it is making people lazy. Kids that used to go outside
and playstay in and playvideo games and go on thecomputer all day. People tend to forget how to
do things for themselves, even using a calculatorjust to do simple math that you could easily write
down and figure out. Instead ofexercising our minds wejust use a calculator. Whiletechnology is
great and helpful and a HUGE part of modern society if one day it failed, we'd go into chaos. No
bank, no super information highway, no radio, no computer, no telephone, our missiles and
dangerous things like that would becompromised. Ifyou haven't, watch the movie Wall-E. In there
you will see how they portray how the future of people might behave if we all had such
sophisticated technology we'd grow fat and ride around in chairs. Hope that helps a bit and sparks
some ideas ofyour own on how technologycan be bane.
Technology: The bane of the middleclass
Productivity up; wages down I Blame thecomputer.
BYANDREW LEONARD
yThe numbers are brutal. An article in today's Wall Street Journal (available to nonsubscribers) begins
with the following sentence:
"Since theend of2000, gross domestic product per person in the U.S. hasexpanded 8.4 percent,
adjusted for inflation, but the average weekly wage hasedged down 0.3 percent."
The author, Greg Ip, points to "workers' lack of bargaining power in the face of high unemploymentand companies' use ofcost-cutting technology" as part of theexplanation. Another possible factor is
the16 percent rise in healthcarecostssince2000 for companies, which, says Ip, is "making
employers less generous with wages." And finally, there are the good old Bush tax cuts,
disproportionately increasing take-home pay for those at the top.
Thestock conservative response is that rising productivity will ultimately translate into wage growth,
even if it's taking a bit longer than usual. And with unemployment low, sooner or later workers will
have more leverage to bargain with.
But will that really happen this time around? Continuous improvements in technology, says Harvard
economist Lawrence Katz, are depressing wages for middle-classjobs.
Nowhere in the article will you find the words "globalization," "offshoring" or "international
competition" mentioned. But since technological change, particularly in communications, is a
primaryenabling factor of globalization, I Googled Katz to see if heconnected those dots in any
recent papers.
Katz and two co-authors lay out their theory of technology as middle-class-killer in "The Polarization
of the U.S. Labor Market, an NBER working paper datelined January2006. The authors find that
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wage inequality has been growing since around 1980. But the real breakdown, theysay, is not
between the top and the bottom, but between the top and the middle. Low-income worker wages
have been staying about thesame, or even slightly rising. But middle-income workers are getting the
shaft.
Katz argues that this is becausecomputerization has displaced "routine" taskssuch as bookkeeping
and clerical work. This hasenabled highlyskilled workers to become disproportionately productive
and demand higher wages, while at thesame time lowering the demand for medium-skilled
workers. Those involved in manual labor that is not easily replaced by technology are relatively
unscathed.
Near theend of the paper, the authors note that "A similar, (complementary) impact of international
outsourcing could arise from the declining international communication and coordination costs
associated with improvement in information technology."
That last note references"Offshoring in the Knowledge Economy," a paper forthcoming in the
Quarterly Journal of Economics. Although a bit too heavy on the math for layman comprehension, its
basic point is thesame. Since the beginning of the1990s, the drop in costs for communicationtechnologies has permitted "Northern" managers to take advantage of "Southern" labor. For those
at the top (in the North) or the bottom (in theSouth) this has advantages. For those in the middle,
especially in the North, thesqueeze is on.
So what do we learn from all of this? The great fear about offshoring is that it is poised to move up
thevaluechain, replacing high-paid white-collarjobs in the developed world with cheaper foreign
competition. Exactly thesame fear applies to technology: computers, robots and other technological
advances are also climbing thevalue-added ladder.
A government could theoreticallyslow offshoring by protectionist means. But how do you stop
technological change?
y Andrew Leonard is a staff writer at Salon. On Twitter, @koxinga21. More:
TECHNOLOGYBANE OR BOON? The overt observation ofsome knowledgeable persons who
passionately feel concerned for the welfare of humanity, in the wake ofscientificstrides and
technological triumphs, laments that technologycreates more problems than it solves. Their
concern echoes thesimilar sentiments of thinkers like J.G.Ballard for whom, technology dictates the
languages in which wespeak and think. Either we use those languages or we remain mute, and for
Omar Bradley our technology has already outstripped our ability to control it. Despite thesejarring
notes, technology has acquired a halo that is almost impossible to shake off. Who can deny the
robust role and range of technology that weexperience in our every day life. If wecare to look at the
scintillating side of technology, we find space technology and its applications provide useful data for
natural disaster monitoring, solving environment problems, improve telecommunications and
provide other basicservices. Through fax, e-Mail and the Internet, information technology has
outstripped all barriers that time and space had placed in manssearch for instant information.
Though electronic information is hard to control, yet the individual newsgatherer isvisible and
vulnerable. The latest in thesuccessstory is the likely boom that bio-technology promises to unfold
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in theyears to come. Rightly, biotechnologyis being seen byscientists and entrepreneurs alike as the
next big thing with the potential to revolutionise the fields of agriculture, health and medicine. The
promises are many: disease-resistant and high-yield
crops that could solve the worlds food problems P new medicines and drug deliverysystems to cure
diseases and prevent genetically inherited disorders P and new enzymes that make industrial
production moreefficient and cost-effective. For ages the axiom, nothing is good or bad but thinking
makes it so, was the golden rule that moulded human perceptions and concrete actions. With the
advent ofscience and technology, and their subsequent sway over human ideas, intuitions and
ideologies, it is now the use or abuse of technology that renders it either a blessing or a bane for
humanity that lives and survives on theever-spreading tentacles of technology. In short, it is the
technology that rules the roost now and keeps its ambience alive all the time in various
manifestations. With the frontiers of technology influencing all aspects of life, both in terms of time
and space, it is anybodys guess as to what the future holds in store for humanity, that has become
so enamoured of technology. If the past is any guide, onecan learn a lot from the happenings of the
20th century, that used and abused scientific and technological achievements for increasing physical
comforts and living standards, as also for fighting the two world wars, resorting to nuclear bombingand land mines and other means of mass deaths and destruction, dislocation of millions resulting in
untold misery and suffering. In the face ofso much good that weexpect from science and
technology, scientist warn that if we do not change our ways, our civilisation is not likely to survive.
Mans greed, aided and abetted byscience and technology, has already over-exploited and abused
theearths material resources and destroyed itsecosystems. Forests arevanishing and there is
increased desertification, theseas and oceans arestained with death because of the poisons that we
have poured into them. We haveeven polluted the rain with poisonoussmoke from our industrial
chimneys. We have not only raped thesoil and denigrated theecosystems, but also lost touch with
our inner self. There is no denying that our cares and concerns are being controlled by technology, in
itsvarious forms and facets. Whether in company or in solitude, technology hascome to occupy apivotal place in our day to day life. If the despots use it to perpetuate their repressive rule, the
terrorists haveemployed it to explodesymbols of progress. With no end to mans rapacious nature
in sight, technology has become a hand-maiden of unscrupulousexploiters of natural resources and
immoral traders of wild lifespecies. Technology as it reignssupreme over our intellect and
imagination, is redefining human relations. In a bid to hit thejackpot, or make a quick buck, the
individual has lost his identity and, in the bargain, has fallen an easy prey to alienation and
estrangement. Smarting under physical fatigue and mental stress, he has become a victim of the
phenomenon of being an outsider among his own people. Despite a host of benefits that
technology hasconferred on us in varying degrees, the onslaught of anger and angst isvery much
conspicuous. If today we arescared ofsome impending disaster, it is because technology has given
such powers to
individuals and groups which even the demons or deities of mythology did not enjoy. We are
standing at the threshold where technology as a source of boon or brazenness isstaring in our face.
In moments of introspection, we must bear in mind what Aldous Huxley had said: technological
progress has merely provided us with moreefficient means for going backwards
Is technology boon or bane?
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byThariqueAzeez on February21, 2009
Technology hasevolved a lot and has introduced several innovativesolutions to theentire world.
Imagine a world without any means of technologically related gadgets. Wecant imagine a day
without technology. Mobile phones and computers have remarkably gained a role in each and
everyone life. For me, technology is all about communication related gadgets. What do you think?
Today morning I woke up to sound of my mobile phones alarm screeching, and turned on radio to
know the news. The radio is also attached with my mobile phone. Getting ready myself to go to
office, I received a call from mycolleague and who is tend to come to meet me this afternoon. Ive
reached the office and put my fingerprint on a machine to mark my arrival to the office. Then I check
myemails. Still continuing works with computer. Ooh! no.. Its all about tech, tech and tech.
Technology has the power to rule myself throughout the day. Is it a normal condition?
Many people tend to blame the technology, which has made people to look like annoying. Arent
you feeling like this? Technology has its pros and cons, where we arechoosers to make our choice to
make technology a boon.
Modern life has been madeeasier with technology, but for every development, there is an
equivalent increase in complication that seems to compensate those benefits. When contemporary
day problems occur, we usually dont have the time or power to figure out how to solve them and
what to do with them. Here I am going to giveyou a guide, which can help you certain extent to
solve modern problems that have aroused by technology.
When it comes to computer, the internet is the phenomenal invention of all time, where wecan find
anything and everything on the go. And also, there is a potential of frustration on it to find suitable
things in at a given period of time. So here is a quick list on how to grip some of these darned
problems.
Get Rid Of Interruption
The main source of inefficiencycomes with distractions. Byeliminating distractions wecan have a
boost in our lifestyle. Letssay ifyoure busy with a work, whileyour email notification blinks on your
screen. How would you face thisscenario? You have nothing to do with it rather than staring at what
the notification says. This is how distractionscome to our way to disturb the way we doing well.
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Opening multiple web browser open on thesame desktop also, givesyour interruptions and make
you clueless where to look for that youve already opened to work. Eliminating thesescenarios will
makeyour day a wonderful with technology. Disturbancesshould be avoided, but everyso often a
bit of music in the background can help you focus. Ofcourse, it doesnt have to be weighty rock
music, but a bit of melody may do you some fine.
Learn To Say No
Ifyou tend to say yes and agree with anything, it meansyoure putting yourself in to trouble.
Instead of agree with every task that you supposed to do, you can set limit and inform the relevant
people that you cant do it beyond a certain extend. Saying No to a request isvery hard, but it
makesyou to feel better than ever. The raising of always on culture itsemployer always tries to
connect his/her employeesevery possible time to get their work done. Dont let it happened to you.
Mobile phone might becomeyou merely disturbance for you. Set your rules and inform them to thepeople who mostlycare about you and your work. Ifyou bind with the rulesyou can have more free
time byeliminating unwanted call time.
Set Limits To The Internet
The Internet has become one of the number one distractions. But, you can have the internet like a
source Q try to do more works in offline, it may help you to gain productivity in to your lifestyle. There
are plenty of applications available on the internet to help you to work online with internet
distractions. GoogleGears is one of the well-known, best and reliable tools to work with. Just give a
shot a try it and ultimatelyyoull feel the difference about the wayyou work with computer thus,
technology related gadgets.
Switch Off
This is a veryefficiency way of doing things better. You have nothing to do with it,just switch off the
gadgets for certain timespan, which are mostly annoying you. Most likelycomputer and mobile
phone will become in to thiscategory. Whileyou doing thisyoull feel calm and better mood. You
can make this habit a routine and inform your colleagues and friends that youre not available on
particular time period. You can even put a remark on your email signaturestating that you only reply
for mail on particular time of the day. Ifsomeone intend reach you urgently, they might call you via
phone or any other means. Simply unplug and feel the difference.
Technology has introduced several gadgets Q everything has the potential of being user friendly and
helpful. If we make those gadgets into much troublesome we might lose our pleasant way of life to
it. Dont make technology to rulesyou, ifyou let you to control the technology it might become bane
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for you. But, ifyou control the technology to work for you by having alternativeefficient ways, you
probably have technology as boon. I hope.