What Is Technology?
Comparing my old definition of technology to my new definition, post Module 2
1. Why We Need New Technologies
1.1. “Technology is quite literally the lever for being able to take natural resources and able to make something better out of them.” (Andressen, 2020, as cited by Thierer, 2021)
1.2. Technology prolongs our lifespans, increases our standard of living, and all existing techologies can be made more effective or efficient through further technological development.
1.3. "The demand to “restrict” technology is the demand to restrict man’s mind. It is nature—i.e., reality—that makes both these goals impossible to achieve. Technology can be destroyed, and the mind can be paralyzed, but neither can be restricted. Whenever and wherever such restrictions are attempted, it is the mind—not the state—that withers away." (Rand, 1971)
2. What I Thought Before
2.1. Any material object that is created or designated by the creator, with which the creator is able to augment their existence.
2.1.1. Human Technologies, all of which have drastically augmented our existance and continued our development as the dominant species on Earth.
2.1.1.1. Stone Age Tools
2.1.1.2. The Printing Press
2.1.1.3. The Internal Combustion Engine
2.1.1.4. The Atomic Bomb
2.1.1.5. Computers
2.1.2. Non-Human Technologies? Do these qualify as "technologies"?
2.1.2.1. Crow Solves An 8 Step Puzzle To Get Food. Incredible! (rationalstabs, 2014)
2.1.2.2. Sea Otters Open Mussels on Stone Anvils | Nat Geo Wild (Nat Geo WILD, 2019)
2.1.2.3. This Beaver Dam is So Huge, You Can See It from Space | Climate Heroes (Terra Mater, 2024)
3. What I Think Now
3.1. Any material object and its related creation processes, whether scientific or sociological, devised by humans to further augment our existence.
3.1.1. I now believe "technology" not only ecompasses the material result, but also the sociologial structure that produces it.
3.1.1.1. "Technologies are best seen as systems that combine technique and activities with implements and artifacts, within a social context of organization in which the technologies are developed, employed, and administered." (Kaplan, 2003, as cited in Thierer, 2021).
3.1.2. Human-produced objects (material) that have benefited us, fostering our improved quality of life.
3.1.2.1. “Properly understood, any new and better way of doing things is technology." (Thiel, 2014, as cited in Thierer, 2021)
3.1.2.2. "“technology” could be a clock, a shovel, a laptop, a belt, a thermometer, a can of root beer, a canteen, a tank, or a fake duck decoy. These are basically things do not occur “naturally” – which, for theists, are things God himself did not make." (Dyer, 2009)
3.1.3. The sociological nature of technology can be easily seen in our society's reaction to new and potentially disruptive technologies.
3.1.3.1. "Unfortunately, societies sometimes hinder people from developing or utilizing a particular technology. For example, high level decision makers may think that the cost of a technological development is too high, or companies may conclude that some technologies will not be favorable for maximum profits." (Isman, 2012)
3.1.4. Human existance has been augmented by technology, increasing our lifespans and allowing us to learn from our previous developments.
3.1.4.1. "Imagine a world where basically everybody was 20 to 30 years old. How much learning can you do? You can't do very much learning in your own life, it's so short, and there's nobody to pass on what you do learn." (Kelly, 2010)
3.1.4.1.1. Kevin Kelly tells technology's epic story (TED, 2010)