Do you know how technology appeared in history? Have you ever imagine a world without all the advances we have now? What is the meaning of technology and does it affect my life? These are some questions that can be answered but not in a simple or short way.
We understand as technology the relationship between society and the tools and crafts developed by them and the control they can gain of the environment they live in. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary it is “the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area”, “capability given by the practical application of knowledge”. So, we get then to the conclusion that technology exists since human beings exist. It is as old as human kind and as human kind evolved, so did technology.
In the age when man lived in caves, they had to face problems of their daily lives just as we do now. They had to satisfy their needs and those needs were the ones which made them use their brains and resources in order to get what they wanted. They discovered that the use of tools made hunting much easier and that the use of weapons would help them defend their property. But these men had to create their tools and weapons, because at that time there were no shops where to get them from. So they used their heads and the tools they had at hand, like stones and wood and designed the first tools and weapons in history. This is the beginning of technology.
With the discovery of fire, men improved their lives. They discovered that food could be cooked and that fire also scared wild animals. They also noticed that it kept them warm when cold and through time they learned to use it for different and many things.
When people stopped being nomads and began settling down, they see that there was a need to have shelters, so they started building. This is another big step in technology. Ages passed, and the civilizations discovered the metals and the use they could give to them. With the help of the fire and the tools they already had, they were now able to create new stronger tools made from the alloy of different metals, giving birth to iron and steel. They mastered their usage and applications, discovered new sources of energy and came up with new inventions that made transport and communications easier (among other things). Step by step, civilizations continued growing and developing to what we know today.
One of the areas in which you can notice the great use technology has is in medicine. New technologies are always developing in order to find cures and medicines to illnesses that are dangerous. Scientists are always researching for new drugs that will end epidemics and vaccines that will prevent people from getting fatal diseases. Hospitals are equipped with the most sophisticated machines ready to save lives. This would not be possible if the right technology hadn’t been developed. Life expectancy has considerably increased through decades and technology has made a great contribution to it. Think about it, just a couple of centuries ago, people would live only up to their mid thirties while now the average is 80.
Technology has marked history of human kind and has made big changes on the lifestyle of human beings. It starts as a necessity that has to be fulfilled and ends as the solution to our problems. The constant search for improvement and comfort, long life and well being has made human kind achieve all what we have through the centuries and it seems that it will never end.
