What is Technology?

What is Technology?
Technology is comprised of the products
and processes created by engineers to
meet our needs and wants.
 Technology vs. Science
Technology Science
– Study of our human- – Study of our natural
made world world
– Deals with “what is”
– Deals with “what
can be”
 How Does Technology Address
Human Needs and Wants?
Information Communication Bio-Related and Medical Environmental
Agriculture

Technology

Manufacturing
Transportation Energy and Nanotechnology
& Power
Construction
 Information Technology
Information Technology allows us to send
signals around the world.
Examples:
Television, Internet, satellite, GPS, cell phones
Impacts of Information Technology
POSITIVE NEGATIVE
IMPACTS IMPACTS
INTERNET – INTERNET –
Information Harder to
is stored for distinguish between
easy access reliable and
unreliable sources
 Communication Technology
Communication Technology is giving or
exchanging information.
Examples:
Magazines, DVDs, photography, video games
Impacts of Communication Technology
POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS
DIGITAL COMPUTERS,
CAMERAS Allow PRINTERS, &
you to edit and print DIGITAL CAMERAS
only the pictures Make forgery and
you like plagiarism easier
 Bio-related and Agricultural
Technology
DNA Replication image
from the Human
Genome Project Biotechnology transforms living things
into products or new forms of life.
Examples:
Genetic engineering, bionics
Agricultural Technology produces plants and
animals for food, fiber, and fuel.
Examples:
Irrigation, food preservation,
weed and insect control
Both deal with living things:
Plants, animals, and people
Impacts of Bio-Related
Technology
POSITIVE NEGATIVE
IMPACTS IMPACTS
HEALTH – HEALTH – Side
Improves quality effects of some
of life, vitamins, medications –
vaccines, nausea, shortness
medications of breath, etc.
 Impacts of Agricultural
Technology
POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS
FERTILIZERS– can FERTILIZERS– have
make plants produce found their way into
more food per acre ground water, polluting
good drinking water
 Medical Technology
Medical Technology creates tools
to treat disease and injury.
Examples:
Lasers, prostheses, ultrasound, medications
Impacts of Medical Technology
POSITIVE NEGATIVE
IMPACTS IMPACTS
X-RAYS – Make it X-RAYS – Too
easier to diagnose many x-rays can
injuries cause cancer.
 Environmental Technology
Environmental Technology creates tools
to minimize the effect of technology on the
development of living things.
Examples: Hybrid vehicles, conservation, waste
management (recycling)
 Impacts of Environmental
Technology
POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS

RECYCLING – RECYCLING –
Improves water and Disposal of garbage
air quality is more complicated
and time consuming
 Production Technology
Production Technology is the
manufacturing of physical goods on an
assembly line and the construction of
structures on a job site.
 Production Technology
Manufacturing Construction
changes natural or Technology builds
synthetic materials structures that support
into usable loads and protect us
products. from the environment.
Examples: Clothing, Examples: House, bridge,
vehicles, food roads
Impacts of Production Technology
POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS
MANUFACTURING – MANUFACTURING –
New products help to Many industries use
make our life easier materials that can
and increase leisure harm the
time environment
CONSTRUCTION – CONSTRUCTION –
Provides shelter, Noise and debris,
improves roads, traffic problems,
creates employment accidents and
opportunities injuries
 Materials Technology

The development of materials

with outstanding combinations
of mechanical, chemical, and
electrical properties that make
other advances possible.
Examples: Mosquito repellent
clothing, artificial skin grafts for burn
victims, advanced building materials
such as composite decking
Impacts of Materials Technology
POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS
NEW MATERIALS – NEW MATERIALS –
able to reuse recycled don’t know how the
materials to help the materials will behave
environment over long periods of
time.
Transportation Technology
Transportation Technology
Provides a way for people, animals,
products, and materials to be moved
from one place to the next.
Examples:
Flight – Airplane, rocket, space shuttle
Land – Train, subway, automobile, bicycle
Water – Commercial, cruise ships
Non-vehicle – Conveyor belts, pipelines
 Impacts of Transportation
Technology
POSITIVE NEGATIVE
IMPACTS IMPACTS
Traveling long Accidents
distances faster
Energy and Power Technology
Energy is the ability or capacity to do work.
Examples:
Chemical Energy  Gasoline
Mechanical Energy  Motion
Thermal Energy  Steam
Electrical Energy  Electricity
Radiant Energy  Light
Energy and Power Technology
Power is the rate at which energy is
transformed from one form to another.
Examples:
Electrical power – provides light and operates motors
Mechanical power – moves automobiles, trains, and
airplanes
Fluid power – uses fluids to produce motion
Hydraulic – uses a liquid
Pneumatic – uses a gas
 Impacts of Energy and Power
Technology
POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE
IMPACTS
Without energy Overuse of
and power, most nonrenewable
technologies would resources
not exist or work
 Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is manipulating materials on
an atomic or molecular level.
Examples:
Sensors, Nanobot, molecular manufacturing
 Impacts of Nanotechnology

POSITIVE IMPACTS NEGATIVE IMPACTS

IMPLANTED SENSORS IMPLANTED SENSORS
Continuously sense and Impede privacy
adjust medical treatment
Image Resources
Microsoft, Inc. (2008). Clip Art. Retrieved September 10, 2008, from
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/default.aspx

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). (n.d.).

Genesis: Search for origins. Retrieved September 10, 2008, from
http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov/educate/scimodule/cosmic/ptable.
html