A Brief History Of Technology (PDF)

## A Brief History of Technology - Part 1 Today we are immersed in technology. We see it everywhere - computers, screens, mobile phones. It's common to hear older people say "it wasn't like this in my time" or "things have changed so much". We often assume that technology is something new. But what...

## A Brief History of Technology - Part 1 Today we are immersed in technology. We see it everywhere - computers, screens, mobile phones. It's common to hear older people say "it wasn't like this in my time" or "things have changed so much". We often assume that technology is something new. But what if I told you that some forms of technology are over 70,000 years old? When we think about technology, we often think of computers, phones, screens, etc. But that's not all it is. Technology is a combination of techniques, methods and processes used to: - produce goods and services - carry out activities - do scientific research It's not just computers. Let's take agriculture, for example. The tools used to till the land, the process of making cheese and milk, whether manually or with machines, are all examples of technology. All of this started thousands of years ago, but where did technology come from? 50,000 years ago, before the arrival of homo sapiens, another human species, Homo neanderthalensis, existed on Earth. They were the first humans to use technology. Homo Sapiens used what we now consider to be the first forms of technology: - hunting tools - building shelters They used advanced technology - spears made of wood and minerals. This was cutting-edge technology at the time, and it was used for survival. Over 10,000 years ago, humans began using bricks for construction. Two thousand years later, agriculture was discovered. The use of metal for tools and weapons came later, replacing wood which had been in use for over 40,000 years. This period in history became known as the Iron Age. ## A Brief History of Technology - Part 2 Many other advancements followed, including: - gunpowder (invented by Chinese alchemists), - the compass, - the mechanical clock. In 1765 the first steam engine was invented, ushering in the Industrial Revolution- a turning point in human history. This advancement made it possible to automate processes. Factories could produce thousands of goods at the same time. This, in turn, fueled mass production of everything from cars, phones, computers and televisions to food. Man, having mastered the land, turned his attention to the skies. The hot air balloon opened up possibilities for human flight, followed by the bicycle and the telephone 150 years ago. The telephone was first called a phonograph. The invention of the lightbulb and the combustion engine paved the way for further innovation. Radio communication came about close to the end of the century 1895, allowing people to communicate over long distances without the need for wires. The first programmable digital computer was created in 1941, although it was large and only usable by technicians. In the 1970s, the computers we know and use today were developed. At the same time, Motorola invented the first mobile phone, but it was huge and cost $10,000.