Technology is the collective term for many different methods, processes, skills, or techniques utilized in the creation of products or services and in the achievement of specific goals, for instance scientific research. A large portion of the technology is used to develop, manufacture, maintain, repair, and protect all sorts of items ranging from automobiles to consumer goods. Specific examples of technology are computer systems, industrial machines, telecommunications equipment, medical devices, aerospace technology, electronic equipment, medical diagnostic devices, and the Internet. There are a wide variety of careers associated with technology, including research scientist, computer software engineer, information systems designer, information system manager, and a plethora of others.
Although technology in the 20th century has allowed humanity to explore space, it has also greatly affected the way humans live their lives. In the past, people relied on nature for almost everything but now, thanks to technology, people can take advantage of technology to its fullest extent. Some examples of technological innovations include the electric bulb, the telephone, the television, microwaves, and the automobile. As human beings continue to push the boundaries of technology, the scope of human existence will continue to improve, both intellectually and culturally.
The word “technology” itself comes from the German term “Tekkritis” which means “improvement through technology.” In Germany, this term became known as something related to the German Technological Society, founded by entrepreneur Peter Schatzberg in Gera, West Germany in 1890. The society’s stated purpose was “to promote the improvement of the conditions of the working class through technological progress.” In addition to Schatzberg and other industrialists, many prominent scientists of the time were also members of the society. Examples include Nobel Prize winners Alfred Nobel (winner of the award for physics in 1895) and Helmuth von Moltke (who developed the modern catheter), as well as scientists Otto Stern, Carl Wilhelm Roeder, and Eberhard Schuler.