Cathy Shaw, age 14, of Henderson, Nev., for her question:
WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY?
Technology refers to all the ways that man uses his inventions and discoveries to satisfy his needs and desires. Many people call the age we live in the "Age of Technology," yet man has always lived in a technological age because he has always had to work to obtain most of life's necessities and many of its pleasures.
Technology includes the use of both primary and highly advanced tools and methods of work. But when people speak of technology today, they generally mean industrial technology, which is the technology that helped bring about our modern society.
Industrial technology started about 200 years ago with the development of power driven machines, the growth of factories and the mass production of goods. As industrial technology advanced, it affected more and more aspects of man's life.
The development of the automobile influenced where people lived and worked and how they spent their leisure time. The development of radio and TV changed entertainment habits. The telephone revolutionized communications.
Industrial technology today helps man achieve goals that few people thought possible just a few hundred years ago. It gives him the means to conquer hunger and to cure or prevent many diseases. It enables him to transport goods and passengers swiftly and easily to any place on the earth. And he can even leave the earth and walk on the moon.
The word "technology" is sometimes used to describe a particular application of industrial technology, such as medical technology or military technology. Each of the special technologies has its own goals and its own tools and techniques for achieving those goals.
Industrial technology lets man live in greater security and comfort than ever before. But, unfortunately, only a small part of the world's population enjoys the full benefits of modern technology.
Technology has helped man gain control over nature and so build a civilized way of life. The first men had little control over nature. They had only simple tools and they did not know how to raise animals or plants. They had no permanent homes.
Then man discovered how to make fire. This discovery helped him gain some control over nature. He could now carry heat and light wherever he went.
Next he learned to raise animals and crops. The development of farming allowed him to build settlements. It also freed people for work other than producing food. Classes of rulers, craftsmen and merchants developed. This division of labor helped make civilization possible.
Through the ages, technology has benefited man in four main ways. First, it has increased his production of goods and services. Next, it has reduced the amount of labor needed to produce goods and services. Third, technology has made man's labor easier. And fourth, it has given man higher living standards.