Technology is the application of knowledge to organised tasks involving people and machines in order to meet sustainable goals. It’s not just about the creation of new devices and applications – it also covers the ways that these are used and the impact they have on our lives.
Technology enables progress in many areas of research, including weather systems, demographic patterns, gene structure and other complex systems. Typically, it provides the eyes and ears of science (along with some of the muscle) – it’s essential for measurement, data collection, treatment of samples, computing, transportation to research sites (such as Antarctica, the moon and the ocean floor), sample collection and protection from dangerous materials.
When a piece of technology becomes widespread, it tends to prioritize certain pathways and neglect others. This is because it must efficiently route people’s finite energy and attention. For example, when digital cameras became more popular than analogue ones, they shifted the pathway to photographs away from the inefficient, but gratifying process of developing film and working in a darkroom.
As well as making life easier for consumers, technology has changed the way that businesses conduct their operations by enabling them to be visible online and accessible around the clock. In addition, it has allowed them to streamline processes, improve internal modus operandi and offer a better customer experience by streamlining communication, booking appointments and processing payments. Nevertheless, the drawbacks of technology are numerous, from ineffective cybersecurity to the risk of data hijacking and theft that exposes companies and individuals to major economic loss.