Chapter Three
Technology
People typically use the word technology to refer to an electronic gadget of some kind, though its meaning encompasses far more than devices that buzz and blink. In its purest sense, technology is defined as problem-solving know-how, a craft or skill (Technik in German) used to invent new tools and methods for converting raw materials into goods and services.
Technology comprises a range of disciplines, including science, art, engineering, machinery, software, and technical skills. It is the medium of invention; we use it to see, know, and do more than nature allows on its own, such as growing and preserving food all year round, flying through space, extending life spans by more than forty years, splicing atoms, or growing ...
