Technology is the way we use science to solve real-world problems. It’s present in the sublime of planetary science, but also in the everyday – changing gear while driving a car, or brushing your teeth. Understanding how technology works is essential – for those who create it, but also for anyone who uses it.
Technological change has dramatically influenced the nature of human society and the world around us. It’s responsible for agricultural revolutions that changed the way we live; advances in medicine and healthcare that have increased life expectancy; bows and arrows and gunpowder that have altered how war is waged; and microprocessors that are changing how people write, bank, operate businesses, communicate, and work together.
Individual inventiveness is vital to technological progress, but social and economic forces strongly influence what technologies get paid attention to, invested in, and used at a given time. These include consumer acceptance, patent law, risk capital, government budget decisions, regulatory pressures, media attention, competition from other companies and countries, and so on.
Aside from the obvious benefits of higher productivity, using technology can help to cut down costs in a business. For example, a bakery can use temperature sensors to monitor the room and reduce the cost of manual labor. Additionally, the use of VR/AR and touch screen devices in education allows students to have a fun learning experience and helps keep their attention in class. Moreover, technology has made it easier for people to learn new skills and become more creative.