Technology (from
Greekτέχνη,
techne,
"art, skill, cunning of hand"; and -λογία,
-logia[1]) is
the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of
tools,
machines,
techniques,
crafts,
systems, and methods of organization, in
order to solve a problem, improve a preexisting solution to a problem, achieve
a goal, handle an applied input/output relation or perform a specific function.
It can also refer to the collection of such tools, including machinery,
modifications, arrangements and procedures. Technologies significantly affect
human as well as other animal species' ability to control and adapt to their
natural environments. The term can either be applied generally or to specific
areas: examples include
construction technology,
medical technology,
and
information technology.
The human species' use of technology
began with the conversion of natural resources into simple tools. The
prehistorical
discovery of
the ability to control fire increased the available sources of
food and the invention of the
wheel helped humans in travelling in and
controlling their environment. Recent technological developments, including the
printing press, the
telephone, and
the
Internet, have
lessened physical barriers to
communication
and allowed humans to interact freely on a global scale. However, not all
technology has been used for peaceful purposes; the development of
weapons of ever-increasing destructive power
has progressed throughout history, from
clubs to
nuclear weapons.
Technology has affected
society and its
surroundings in a number of ways. In many societies, technology has helped
develop more advanced
economies (including today's
global economy) and has allowed the rise of a
leisureclass. Many technological processes produce unwanted by-products, known as
pollution, and
deplete natural resources, to the detriment of Earth's
environment. Various implementations of
technology influence the
values of a society and new technology often
raises new ethical questions. Examples include the rise of the notion of
efficiency in terms of human productivity, a
term originally applied only to machines, and the challenge of traditional
norms.
Philosophical debates have arisen over
the present and future use of technology in society, with disagreements over
whether technology improves the
human condition
or worsens it.
Neo-Luddism,
anarcho-primitivism, and similar movements criticise the
pervasiveness of technology in the modern world, opining that it harms the
environment and alienates people; proponents of ideologies such as
transhumanism
and
techno-progressivism view continued technological progress
as beneficial to society and the human condition. Indeed, until recently, it
was believed that the development of technology was restricted only to human
beings, but recent scientific studies indicate that other
primates and
certain
dolphin
communities have developed simple tools and learned to pass their knowledge to
other generations.
Sumber: file:///H:/A/Technology%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia.htm
