Technology Centers

Archive for November, 2011

How someone could define what is Science and Technology?

Science is search for the profound knowledge. Scientists investigate the world around us. They observe how things work and develop ideas about ways to make them work better. Sometimes they try to test an idea to explain how something works. Scientists perform experiments to find out how things work. The knowledge that they discover is useful for many things. It can help to build new machines. It can help scientists to develop new medicines or cure a disease. Technology is the use of scientific knowledge to create new things.

Then what is an Inventor?

An inventor is a person who creates a new idea or device to perform a task. An invention is the new technology created. An inventor with a new idea or design for an invention may decide to have the idea protected. The idea gets protection from the law in a paper called a patent. A patent prevents other people from making, using, or selling the new idea without permission from the inventor. Some inventions are simply a better way of doing or building something. They may improve an existing technology. Other inventions are much more complicated.

Today’s technology has been in the process of development for thousands of years. New inventions are constantly changing how people work and play. They change how people think and live. The future constantly brings us even more changes. This will happen as we continue to learn about the world.

Do we depend on science and technology?

What did you do today? Did you talk on the telephone? Did you ride in a car or on a bus? Did you use a computer or turn on a light? If you did any of these things, you used technology.

Almost everybody uses some form of technology at work, home, or school. Computer programmers use computer technology to write a computer program. People may write letters using a computer program called a word processor. Many people work in the entertainment industry. Camera operators use television and motion-picture cameras. They use them to make TV shows and movies. Disc jockeys, or DJs, play records and CDs on the radio.

Scientists use all sorts of technology to study the Earth and the Universe. Businesses often have telephones, fax machines, and computers. Graphic designers use desktop publishing programs to create books and magazines. Doctors frequently use medical technology. They use it to treat injuries, illnesses, and diseases such as cancer. Pilots fly airplanes and helicopters. Who knows what jobs will be created by new technologies in the future!

We live in a highly sophisticated world where everything is almost achievable. There would probably have been no changes between the world of today and that of three centuries ago if necessity and serendipitous discoveries had not driven men to achieve great things. Science and technology have had huge positive effects on every society. The world today has gone digital, even human thought. Our world has been reduced to a global village and is better for it.

The benefits of science and technology far outweigh every perceived shortcoming. Some of the biggest effects of technology are in the area of communication; through the internet and mobile phones. There is advancement of communication and expansions of economic commerce. Today we hear of information and communication technology (ICT). Any institution worth its name must have it in place to be really outstanding. Information technology has become boosted in today’s generation; from the field of communication, business, education, and down to the entertainment industry. Through information technology, work performances are boosted with less effort and greater productivity by using various operations. Without computers or the internet, it will be difficult for people all over the world to get their questions answered. One may use the internet to locate a wealth of information with which to answer an essay question that may have been assigned at school, communicate with people, conduct transactions, access news, buy and advertise goods. The list is endless.

The advancement of Science and technology allow mass communication today so that we not only have the television, radio and newspaper, but even mobile phones which renders a multipurpose service; from long distance calls, listening to radio and music, playing games, taking pictures, recording voice and video, and browsing the internet. The benefits we obtain as a result of services from ICT have become widespread in our generation today. It improves the productive level of individuals and workers because People’s knowledge of life beyond the area they lived in is now unlimited. This idea of mass communication also profoundly affects politics as leaders now have many ways they talk directly to the people. Apart from going on air to use radio or television, politicians resort to the social media for some of their political comments and campaign. Information about protests and revolutions are being circulated online, especially through social media. This has caused political upheavals and resulted in change of government in most countries today.

Furthermore, current global issues are much more accessible to the public. Communication has been brought also to the next level because one can find new ways to be able to communicate with loved ones at home.

Science and technology expand society’s knowledge. Science helps humans gain increased understanding of how the world works, while technology helps scientists make these discoveries. Learning has maximized because of different media that are being developed which are all interactive and which bring learning experiences to the next level. Businesses have grown and expanded because of breakthroughs in advertising.

Modern technology has changed the way many companies produce their goods and handle their business. The idea and use of video and web conferencing, for instance, has helped companies remove geographical barriers and given them the opportunity to reach out to employees and clients through out the world. In today’s economy, it has helped companies reduce the cost and inconveniences of travelling, allowing them to meet as often as they could like without having to worry about finding the budget to settle it. Modern technology helps companies reduce their carbon footprint and become green due to the fact that almost anything can be done from a computer.

There have been advances in medical care through the development of science and technology. Advances in medical technology have contributed immensely in extending the life span of people. People with disabilities or health problems are now more and more able to live closer to normal lives. This is because science contributes to developing medications to enhance health as well as technology such as mobile chairs and even electronics that monitor current body levels. Most devices used by the physically challenged people are customized and user friendly.

Science and technology increase road safety. Nowadays, law enforcement officers use Laser technology to detect when automobiles are exceeding speed limits. Technology has led to the development of modern machines such as cars and motorcycles which allow us to be mobile and travel freely and airplanes which travel at a supersonic speed.

Another machine, the air- conditioner, provides cool comfort, especially during hot weather. In offices where dress codes exist, people can afford to wear suits without being worried about the weather. It guarantees convenience even when the climate says otherwise.

Moreover, present day factories have modern facilities like machines and soft ware that facilitate production. These machines work with greater speed and perfection incomparable with human skills. These machines have enabled markets to have surplus products all over the world. For the soft ware, they make it possible for machines to be programmed, for production to be regulated, to monitor the progress being recorded and so on.

Modern technology indeed has been great. For third world countries, however, it has been challenging, especially the area of production. Only consuming and not been able to manufacture does not favour any country when it comes to balance of trade. The most sensitive parts of technology are the theoretical or conceptual parts and technical parts. These are the backbone of technological development anywhere in the world. Without the ideas, there will not be technology. Third world counties need to go back to the basics, that is, to the primitive. There must be meeting ground for tradition and modern technological invention. Third world countries engage in import substitution strategy where they import half finished goods and complete the tail end of the production process domestically. Third world countries started wrongly. They started with climbing the ladder from the top which is very wrong and difficult. They thought that being able to purchase and operate modern technological products qualifies for advancement in science and technological development. This makes third world countries to be a dependent system because working in the factories are routine work and this inevitably links to the issue of the idea of technology transfer. They should seek for technological transfer, but the problem is that no nation is ready to transfer her hard earned technological knowledge to any other nation for some certain reasons which drive nations into competition; world politics and economic prowess. That is the struggle to lead or dominate other nations technologically, economically and politically. Be the first to invent new gadgets and latest electronics including those used in modern warfare, use other nations as market for finished goods, and to have a strong voice and be able to influence other countries. They should consider embarking on technological espionage so as to acquire the rudiments for technological development if they must liberate themselves from the shackles of technological domination.

In conclusion, it’s not until third world countries begin to put embargo on the importation of certain electronics and mechanical goods that the necessity to be creative would replace the habit of consuming foreign products. Countries like Thailand, Burma, Brazil, and South Africa and so on, should be emulated. These countries experienced colonialism yet they did not allow it to overwhelm their creative prowess. Industry and determination saw them emerge as economic giants in the world today. Third world countries should emulate them by carrying out proper feasibility studies to ascertain which technology will suit their country; giving more financial boost to this area, training people to become experts; motivating and encouraging individuals who are naturally endowed and technologically inclined to display their bests of talents. These measures if strictly adhered to will go a long way to help the advancement of these countries in the area of science and technology. If these countries must achieve greatness before the next decade, they have to make conscious and unrelenting efforts. The time starts now! The more they delay, the more backward they become.

What is Information Technology

Information technology is the use and application of the computer system to process, manage and distribute information. Use of IT in this context involves both the hardware and software components.

Some major advantages of Information Technology in various areas are listed below:

Speed and Accuracy in information Processing

With the use of IT more work can be done by individuals, businesses, services and government organisations. Function enhancement programs such as word processors, database programs and spreadsheets can get work done in less time with increased accuracy and efficiency.

Global Social Interaction

IT has made global social and cultural interaction very simple. This is evident with the emergence and success of social networking websites, such as Facebook and Twitter. More so, the use of information technology has eliminated language barriers with technologies such as language translators.

Entertainment

The introduction and use of high tech applications and gadgets such as iTunes, iPod and iPone has been revolutionary. Downloading, buying, playing and organising, music, videos, movies and TV shows has been made super easy and accessible. The gallant advancement of information technology through history puts the world in your palm with technologies such as iPad and Amazon Kindle.

Communication

The effect of information technology on universal communication is phenomenal. Telecommunication has gone beyond the use of basic technologies. With the advancement of the Internet and technologies such as VoIP (Voice over IP), organizations, businesses and individuals can communicate any time from different parts of the world through video and voice calls, web conferencing, seminars and virtual meetings.

Economic Advancement

A major step to global economic advancement is the removal of distance and time barriers brought about by the application of information technology to buying and selling of goods and services (e-commerce). E-commerce gave room for tiny, small and big business players to emerge. Interconnection of businesses is made painless. Thousands of local, national and international businesses and enterprises now have what is referred to as ‘web presence’ and can now reach wider audience.

Education

Education has gone far beyond the use of bricks and mortal classrooms or traditional blackboards. The world is now in the era of e-learning, using technologies such as VLEs (Virtual Learning Environments). Students can have access to all teaching materials and resources online; engage in virtual classrooms real time or asynchronously.

Health

The use of IT has led to an overall improvement in quality, safety and efficiency in the health care delivery system. The health care sector is positively impacted by the use of electronic health records, virtual healthcare team technologies, telemedicine, e-health grids and various specialist health care information systems.

Information technology had brought phenomenal changes to all aspect of life. The positive impact has been global and the change continues to grow exponentially. However, the disadvantages can not be ignored. A major menace brought about by IT is security and drastic reduction in privacy.