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Technology

technology Maturity 9-11 Vital Level 1 Next article →

Technology is the way we use knowledge to reach a goal. It can be a physical tool you can touch, like a machine or a spoon. It can also be something you cannot touch, like computer software.

Noun-technology
Noun-technology

Technology is very important for science and engineering. It also helps us in our everyday lives. Many things we use every day are types of technology. This helps us do things in a way that we can do again and again.

In the very beginning, humans made tools by watching and trying things.

Faustkeil Nachbau, 2020 PD a-7
Faustkeil Nachbau, 2020 PD a-7

About 2 million years ago, they made stone tools by hitting pebbles to make sharp edges. Later, they learned to use fire.

Gorilla tool use cropped
Gorilla tool use cropped

Using fire to cook food helped humans get more nutrients. Some scientists think this helped human brains grow larger. Around 790,000 years ago, people even built hearths to use fire. This may have helped people talk to each other more.

As time went on, people invented many new things. During the Neolithic period, people used polished stone axes to clear forests for farming.

Néolithique 0001
Néolithique 0001

They also learned to work with metals like copper and bronze. The invention of the wheel was another huge step.

Ljubljana Marshes Wheel with axle (oldest wooden wheel yet discovered)
Ljubljana Marshes Wheel with axle (oldest wooden wheel yet discovered)

Experts think the wheel was used around 4,000 BCE. It helped people carry heavy loads and move things easily. The oldest wooden wheel was found in Slovenia. It is over 5,000 years old.

Ancient people also found ways to move water and travel. The Egyptians used the Nile River to water their crops.

Pont du Gard BLS
Pont du Gard BLS

In Rome, engineers built aqueducts to carry water over long distances. They even had big sewers like the Cloaca Maxima.

Pont du Gard BLS
Pont du Gard BLS

Later, the Industrial Revolution began in the United Kingdom during the 1700s. This was when people started using steam power.

Dampfturbine Montage01
Dampfturbine Montage01

This led to new inventions like trains, light bulbs, and airplanes. The first car was made by Karl Benz in 1885.

1885Benz
1885Benz

Today, technology connects us all through the Internet.

Global thinking
Global thinking

It helps us share knowledge very quickly. However, technology can also cause some problems. It can lead to pollution or use up too many resources. It can also change how people work through automation. Because of this, people still debate the best ways to use technology. We must learn how to use these tools in a way that is good for everyone.

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🖼️ Images & Media (12)
File:Global thinking.svg
Global thinking.svg
File:Noun-technology.svg
Noun-technology.svg
File:Pont du Gard BLS.jpg
Pont du Gard BLS.jpg
File:Faustkeil Nachbau, 2020 PD a-7.jpg
Faustkeil Nachbau, 2020 PD a-7.jpg
File:Ljubljana Marshes Wheel with axle (oldest wooden wheel yet discovered).jpg
Ljubljana Marshes Wheel with axle (oldest...
File:Néolithique 0001.jpg
Néolithique 0001.jpg
File:Army invests in 3-D bioprinting to treat injured Soldiers.jpg
Army invests in 3-D bioprinting to treat...
File:Dampfturbine Montage01.jpg
Dampfturbine Montage01.jpg
File:1885Benz.jpg
1885Benz.jpg
File:Gorilla tool use cropped.jpg
Gorilla tool use cropped.jpg
File:Zoom lunette ardente.jpg
Zoom lunette ardente.jpg
File:Wheel Iran.jpg
Wheel Iran.jpg
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