Technology is the application of a set of knowledge and skills with the aim of achieving a solution that allows human beings to go from solving a specific problem to satisfying a need in a specific area.
Starting from this meaning we find that within the concept a large number of modalities or disciplines can be included such as computing , robotics , home automation , pneumatics , electronics , urbotics and building automation , among many others.
Before moving forward with the analysis of the word technology , it is interesting that we carry out the discovery of its etymological origin. Specifically, this resides in Greek and more precisely in the union of two words: ΤεΧνολόϒος, which would be translated as "art" , and λόϒος, which is synonymous with "treaty" .
Uses of technology
Technology is present in all areas of daily life. In one way or another, almost all the activities we do throughout the day involve the use of some technological device .
The notion of technology is linked to the set of knowledge that allows us to manufacture objects and modify the environment , which is done with the intention of satisfying a need .
Technology can be understood as the practical application of the knowledge generated by science . In colloquial language, however, technology is linked to computer technology , which is technology that enables the processing of information through artificial means such as computers .
Troubleshooting
A technological device arises when there is a specific need to solve. To find the solution to the problem at hand, scientists analyze the issue and work with various materials until they find a way to design an appropriate artifact . After the design of a prototype, it is manufactured. Technology, then, covers this process, from the detection of the initial need to the specific application of the created artifact.
This breadth allows us to understand that technology, by itself, is neither good nor bad. Technology can be used to improve the productivity of human work, reduce physical efforts and increase the quality of life of the population, but technology can also cause social differences (according to the technological knowledge acquired), contaminate the environment and cause unemployment (workers are replaced by machines).
Technology in everyday life
Technology appears constantly in everyday life. With mobile devices , which are now in their fifth generation ( 5G ), people have access to an immense range of applications and services at hand.
With a smartphone it is possible to buy any product through e-commerce or share images and other content through social networks , for example. Digital cameras, touch screens and voice recognition or facial recognition systems are a reality that, a few decades ago, was unthinkable.
The same can be said of wireless communications in general and GPS , other technologies in daily use. Hardware resources (such as processors and semiconductors) and software (operating systems, mobile applications) are increasingly more advanced and closer to people.
Data storage in cloud computing , which allows information to be stored in a virtual environment accessible over the Internet ; drones that make it possible to record images from above; and video calls used in virtual meetings and telemedicine are also part of the technologies that are commonly used today.
Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 is a form of production that is based on the adoption of automation technologies, interconnectivity and real-time data analysis. In this way, a transformation of the value chain is achieved.
Artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality , augmented reality , big data and machine learning are some of the tools that characterize Industry 4.0. Its purpose is to optimize efficiency and increase productivity .
Technology and outer space
Outer space is increasingly known to humans thanks to innovation and technological development . Although it is almost unexplored territory, space technology has contributed to generating important knowledge.
From telescopes to space stations , including the launch of rockets for exploration, there are many technological resources that aim to expand knowledge about space. The use of technology even goes beyond the strictly scientific and there are already companies investigating alternatives to space tourism .
The term linked to art and science
However, in addition to everything highlighted above we also have to make it clear that this is not the only meaning of the word technology. Thus, it has other meanings, such that on other occasions this concept is used to refer in a general way to the language that is used either in an art or in a science.
And that is without forgetting that, in the same way, this term in question is used to refer to the set of instruments , and even industrial-type procedures, that are used in a given sector to carry out their tasks.