As a species, human beings are unique in many ways. Perhaps nowhere is that as evident as our ability to solve complex problems. Throughout human history, we have stood out because of our ability to perform this task. It is interesting to consider technology as a function of problem solving.
While technology today is almost always used as a synonym for computers, the truth is technology has a long history beginning way of the birth of civilization. While the last several decades have created a new and exciting technological world, computers are not the sole representation of technology.
No history of technology would be complete without first considering the scientific revolution. The 16th and 17th centuries were a time of great change. Famous scientists questioned scientific truths as they were known of the time, formulated new ideas and sat out to prove their theories. The information gleaned during these years led to advancements in sanitary conditions, medicine, industry and other areas. It was followed by the industrial revolution, which changed the way we view technology and created an integrated system of manufacturing whose basis can still be seen today.
Technology in the form of computers and robots may be considered an outcropping of these two crucial eras. As humans, we recognize the need for new technologies and advancements. Today’s leading scientific minds focus their energies not on technologies designed to prove they earth is round but on technologies aimed at creating an easier way to live and to work.
Advancements in technology are always going to be developing. Each year brings new pieces of technology and makes the computers of today more advanced than ever. This trend will hopefully never, ever end.