Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

513

Medical technology

Inventions such as x-ray machines and brain

scanners help doctors detect and treat illnesses.

Doctors can transplant organs, implant tiny

electronic pacemakers to keep a heart beating, and

repair damaged tissue with plastic surgery. Medical

technology, such as glasses, contact lenses, or

hearing aids, also helps

improve the daily lives of

many people affected

by impaired vision or

hearing. Prosthetic

(artificial) limbs are

also being improved and

now allow their users more

movement and flexibility.

lIfestyle

In the Western world, technology

has generally made daily life easier.

Washing machines, cars, and cash machines

(AtMs) all make daily tasks more convenient, providing more time for

leisure, hobbies, and sports. People also now have the time and means to

travel to other countries to experience different cultures and environments.

the InventIon of stone tools more than two million years ago marked

the beginning of technology. for the first time in history, people found that cutting

or chopping was easier to do with tools than with bare hands. technology is the

way in which people, often using the ideas of science, build machinery and make

tasks easier. Although technology began in prehistoric times, it advanced rapidly

during and after the Industrial Revolution, beginning in the 18th century. since

that time, technology has dramatically changed our world. It has given us fast, safe

transportation. Materials, such as plastics, increased worldwide communications,

and many useful daily appliances. Perhaps the greatest benefits of technology are

in modern medicine, which has improved our health and lengthened our lives.

Advances in technology have been mainly beneficial to humans and our lifestyle.

however, increased technology has a negative side, too—it has produced weapons

with the power to cause death and destruction. technology and development have

caused many environmental problems, such as

ozone depletion, and is often dependent

on nonrenewable resources, such as oil,

which has a limited life. Governments

and other organizations are now

trying to use new technology to

find solutions to these problems.

sMAll-scAle technoloGy

People in poorer countries cannot afford to buy the

technological goods that are common in richer parts

of the world such as north America and europe. their

primary concern is feeding and housing their families,

and they tend to use smaller, simpler machines, such

as windmills that drive pumps for irrigation.

Threshing

machines help

farmers separate

the heads from the

stalks of rice plants.

Previously, this job had

to be done by hand.

coMPuteRs

the development of computers has been one of the most

important recent advances in technology. the invention of the

microchip (below right) changed the emphasis of producing

goods from mechanical to electronic. this meant that many

tasks that had previously been done

manually were now automated.

computers perform many

different tasks and are used

in banking, architecture,

manufacturing, and a

range of other businesses.

computers also aid new

technology, because they can

help develop new machines.

Disabled members of the

community can participate in more

activities because of advanced

technology, such as this

specially designed

tricycle.

Microchips

lie at the

heart of a

computer.

These tiny

devices store

and process

huge amounts of

information at

high speed.

eARly technoloGy

humans living during the

stone Age developed a

variety of tools for everyday

purposes. they used

rounded pebbles and bones

as hammers to form cutting

tools from a strong stone

called flint. flint was

chipped and flaked to

produce a sharp cutting

edge like a blade.

Flint

flake

Bone and pebble

hammers

The cyclist’s

helmet is made from plastics

including polystyrene. It has an

aerodynamic shape to increase

the speed of the cyclist.

Laser surgery can correct

many eye defects without

needing to cut the eye.

Wheel technology,

developed in

3500  bce,

revolutionized

machines and

modes of

transportation.

Synthetic clothing

materials are lightweight,

machine-washable, and

allow ease of movement.

technology

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