Technology is the application of conceptual knowledge to achieve practical goals, especially in a reproducible way. The word technology can also mean the products resulting from such efforts, including both tangible tools such as utensils or machines, and intangible ones such as software. Technology plays a critical role in science, engineering, and everyday life.
Technological advancements have led to significant changes in society. The earliest known technology is the stone tool, used during prehistory, followed by the control of fire - which in turn contributed to the growth of the human brain and the development of language during the Ice Age, according to the cooking hypothesis.
The invention of the wheel in the Bronze Age allowed greater travel and the creation of more complex machines. More recent technological inventions, including the printing press, telephone, and the Internet, have lowered barriers to communication and ushered in the knowledge economy.
While technology contributes to economic development and improves human prosperity, it can also have negative impacts like pollution and resource depletion, and can cause social harms like technological unemployment resulting from automation. As a result, philosophical and political debates about the role and use of technology, the ethics of technology, and ways to mitigate its downsides are ongoing. Read more ...
Groundbreaking 2D Nanomaterial Rolls Into a New Dimension SciTech Daily - February 17, 2026
Caltech's new fiber-like photonic chips achieve record-low visible-light loss, enabling more coherent lasers and next-generation quantum and sensing technologies.
Induction Cooking: At a packed design fair, a slab of stone boiled water with no flame, no glow, no visible heat. Daily Galaxy - February 13, 2026
An Invisible induction hob offers the latest in kitchen appliance technology. The induction coils are mounted beneath a bonded surface. Troubleshooting requires either lifting the slab or accessing from below. In multi story dwellings, that may mean removing finished ceilings. Several German installer networks have introduced premium service contracts specifically to address this configuration. No standardized repair protocol exists across manufacturers.